3 Funerals and 2 Visits from God

Good morning from the Panhandle, and what a bright sunny day it is. If you are just joining us, last week in Chapter 34 we saw Simeon and Levi plot revenge for the wrong done to their sister Dinah. The thing is come to find out the guy who violated her really was in love with her and wanted to marry her. Instead of taking matters into his own hands as he should have he let Simeon and Levi take care of the matter. And so the wholesale slaughter of all the Shechemite men took place. A sad, sad affair.

And so here we are in Chapter 35. There is a note of sadness in this chapter as we see three deaths in the family. All this while Jacob and his family had to vacate the ares quickly. God told Jacob to go back to Bethel, and Jacob obeyed. And now on with the study – Genesis 35.

CHAPTER 35 AT A GLANCE

In this chapter we have three communions and three funerals.

I. Three communions between God and Jacob.

1. God ordered Jacob to Bethel; and, in obedience to that order, he purged his house of idols, and prepared for that journey v. 1-5.

2. Jacob built an altar at Bethel, to the honor of God that had appeared to him, and in performance of his vow v. 6-7.

3. God appeared to him again, and confirmed the change of his name and covenant with him v. 9-13, of which appearance Jacob made a grateful acknowledgment v. 14-15.

II. Three funerals.

1. Deborah's v. 8.

2. Rachel's v. 16-20.

3. Isaac's v. 27-29. Here is also Rueben's incest v. 22, and an account of Jacob's sons v. 23-26.

(From Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Genesis 35:1-7

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone." 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

1. JOUIRNEY TO BETHEL (vs. 1-7)

It had been ten years since Jacob return from Mesopotamia, and he still had not kept the vow he had made at Bethel when fleeing from Esau: 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." (Genesis 28:20-22). Now Jacob had remembered his vow when resolving to return (Genesis 31:13), and had he had also erected an altar in Shechem to the "God of Israel" (Genesis 33:20).

Jacob was told by God (v. 1) to go to Bethel, and build an altar to the God who had appeared to him on his flight from Esau. This command stirred him up to perform what had been neglected, to put away from his house the strange gods, which he had tolerated in weak consideration for his wives, and which had no doubt contributed to the long neglect. Now it was time to pay to God the vow that he had made in the day of his trouble. He therefore commanded his house (vs. 2, 3), his wives and children, and "all that were with him," i.e., his men and maid-servants, to put away the strange gods, to purify themselves, and wash their clothes.

He also buried "all the strange gods," like Rachel's teraphim (Genesis 31:19), and whatever other idols there were, with the earrings which were worn as amulets and charms, "under the terebinth (a small tree) at Shechem," probably the very tree under which Abraham once pitched his tent (12:6), and which was regarded as a sacred place in Joshua's time.

The burial of the idols was followed by purification through the washing of the body, as a sign of the purification of the heart from the defilement of idolatry. It has also been suggested they needed to purify themselves because of the massacre of the Shechemite men. Jacob and all with him also purified themselves by putting on clean and festal clothes, as a symbol of the sanctification and elevation of the heart to the Lord. This deliberate turning to the Lord was immediately followed by the blessing of God.

When they had left Shechem a "terror of God," that is a supernatural terror, "came upon the cities round about," so that they did not try to pursue Jacob and all with him on account of the cruelty of Simeon and Levi (v. 5). Having safely arrived in Bethel, Jacob built an altar, which he called El Bethel (God of Bethel) in remembrance of the manifestation of God on His flight from Esau.

Genesis 35:8

8 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So it was named Allon Bacuth.

2. DEBORAH, REBEKAH’S NURSE DIED (v. 8)

This event seems to have taken place before the solemn ceremonies were commenced. The nurse in an Eastern family was an important person, and always held in high esteem. In Syria she is a sort of second parent. She always accompanies the bride to her husband's house, and ever after remains there an honored family member.

Figuring Deborah to be about fifty or so when she came to Canaan (Genesis 24:59), she had to be about 180 when she died. When she left Isaac's household to go to Jacob's, is not known. But it probably was on his return from Mesopotamia (her mistress, Rebekah, having already died ). With no duties to keep her in Isaac's camp she had been on a visit to Jacob, whom she had taken care of in his infancy; and she would have been of invaluable service to his young family.

Old nurses, like her, were, not only honored, but loved as mothers; and, accordingly, her death was the occasion of a great lamentation. She was buried `beneath Beth-el,' under the oak-hence, called the "terebinth of tears" (cf. 1 Kings 13:14).

(From Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Genesis 35:9-15

9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

2. GOD APPEARED TO JACOB AGAIN (vv. 9-15)

God was pleased and made a new appearance to Jacob after the solemn rites of devotion were over. By this manifestation of His presence, God testified to His acceptance of Jacob's sacrifice. Like his grandfather Abraham, Jacob was the recipient of a new name. His new name Israel (May God prevail. He struggles with God. God perseveres; contends), was to be the recognized designation of his lineage in the covenant about to be made, and a continued pledge of its fulfillment in the remote future. And renewed the promise of the three-fold blessing guaranteed to Abraham (Genesis 17:6) and Isaac (Genesis 26:2-4) - namely:

(1) The land of Canaan;

(2) A numerous posterity, the chosen seed; and

(3) Salvation through them to the world.

The promised of a numerous seed and the possession of Canaan, which, started with the birth of his sons and his return to Canaan, and stretched forward to the most remote future. The name of Israel was to furnish him with a pledge.- Jacob alluded to this second manifestation of God at Bethel towards the close of his life (Genesis 48:3-4). In remembrance of this appearance Jacob erected a memorial stone, which he not only anointed with oil like the former one in Genesis 28:17, he also consecrated it with a drink-offering and by the renewal of the name Bethel.

Genesis 35:16-26

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you have another son." 18 As she breathed her last--for she was dying--she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb.

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:

Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph and Benjamin.

25 The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah:

Dan and Naphtali.

26 The sons of Leah's maidservant Zilpah:

Gad and Asher.

3. RACHEL’S PASSING (vs. 16-26)

Now Rachel the love of Jacob's life, who had provided the inspiration and the love Jacob needed, came to the end of her life. She died in giving birth to her second son, whom she named Ben-oni, (son of my sorrow). But Jacob chose the name Benjamin, (son of my right hand). Rachel must have been buried somewhere south of Bethel, on the road to Hebron (cf. Genesis 35:16,19). Bethel was ten miles north of Jerusalem, and Bethlehem was about six miles south of Jerusalem. It is usually concluded that Rachel was buried in the immediate vicinity of Bethlehem. The traditional site is still pointed out to visitors to that city.

Genesis 35:27-29

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

4. ISAAC’S PASSING (vv. 27-29)

Isaac continued to live until Jacob's return from Haran. From Beersheba he had moved to Mamre, very near the old city of Hebron. There Abraham had purchased the Cave of Machpelah for the burial place of Sarah. Now, at the age of 189 years, Isaac gave up the ghost, and died. The single Hebrew word (gawa`) means to "fail," or to "sink down." In the hour of burial, Esau and Jacob stood together at the grave, to honor their father. The brothers were united in a common grief, as Ishmael and Isaac had been at the grave of Abraham. (From The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)