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Day 36 – Family Genesis 35:1 Then God (Elohiym) said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God (El), who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” 2 Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God (El), who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem. 5 They journeyed, and the terror of God (Elohiym) was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7 He built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So, the name of it was Allon Bachuth. 9 Then God (Elohiym) appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 God (Elohiym) said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name will not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel will be your name.” So, He called his name Israel. 11 Also God (Elohiym) said to him, “I am God Almighty (El Shadday). Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations will proceed from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” 13 Then God (Elohiym) went up from him in the place where He talked with him. 14 So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering and oil on it. 15 Jacob called the name of the place where God (Elohiym) spoke with him, Bethel. 16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it happened, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” 18 So it was, as her soul departed (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 It happened, when Israel dwelt in the land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23 the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram. 27 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him. God’s name: Elohiym – Mighty God El – God God’s character: El Shadday – God Almighty Who’s to say what kind of life you will have, good or bad, or how long you will live? It is what you do with your life people will remember when you breathe your last. Elohiym told Jacob to continue his journey to Bethel and build an altar to El. Before he left, Jacob told his household to get rid of the strange gods. When they did, Jacob led his household to Bethel. When he arrived, Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, died. They buried her under an oak and called the place Allon Bachuth or oak of weeping. Elohiym then appeared to Jacob and blessed him. In blessing him, Elohiym told him his name was no longer Jacob, but Israel. Elohiym also told him He was El Shadday, God Almighty, and through him, He would multiply his household so that kings would come from him. He would also give his descendants the land. When Elohiym left them, Jacob continued his journey to Canaan. On the journey, Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob buried her and set up a pillar over her grave. When he arrived in Kirjath Arba, Isaac died and his sons, Esau and Jacob buried him. Two significant things happened on the journey home. 1. Dinah, Leah’s daughter was raped by Hamor the son of Shechem, and Levi and Simeon revenged her by killing every man of Shechem. 2. Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. The first situation caused Jacob to move from Shechem and continue his journey home. Jacob feared the people of the land because of what Simeon and Levi did to the men of Shechem. When he learned what Reuben did, he would also act on his abhorrent behavior. No one’s family line is perfect. Everyone has their stories to tell of what their ancestors did. Jacob’s family line is the one Jesus would come from. When you accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord, you changed your family. You became part of Elohiym’s family. Your heritage has violence, birth, and death. Your life before you gave up your strange gods, everything you put ahead of Elohiym, no longer defined you. Your life is defined by your actions since you accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. Will you do something that will bring shame on your life, or will you live a peaceable life with your family? Nobody’s life is perfect. You will act according to your flesh and will need to ask Elohiym’s forgiveness. When you do, He will forgive you. Elohiym will lead you through your life’s journey, through the good times and the bad. You only need to allow Him to lead. Let’s pray: Father, You know my life isn’t perfect. I bring shame on myself and others through my selfish decisions. Let me know Your forgiveness when I come to You, repenting of my sin. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 23 February 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.