I know it's been awhile since I have done a Bible Study entry for you, but rather then skip ahead, I would like to continue where I left off. So here goes.....
We continue in Genesis 35 with the trouble the boys have caused by murdering Shechem, son of Hamor, for raping their sister Dinah, as well as the entire city of men. Then plundering it and taking the women and children.
Jacob, being a man of God, goes to Him, 35 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.”
So Jacob tells all his people to rid themselves of any foreign gods they posses. To purify themselves and change their clothes. He reminds his people how God has always been with him and helped him.
So they did as they were told. They gave him all their foreign gods and earrings. Then Jacob buried them under the under the oak at Shechem. Then they went on their way. Note that the Bible indicates here that 5. "... the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them."
So Jacobs obedience, praying to the Lord, seeking His help and wisdom. gave him protection, again.
I wanted to know why the earrings so I dug into that a little and found this commentary which I found interesting:
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 4. in their hand] i.e. in their possession.
the rings … ears] The rings mentioned were probably not simple earrings as in
Genesis 24:22, but rings worn as charms, and amulets, having symbols of heathen deities. Cf.
Hosea 2:13.
Then it goes on telling of the travel Jacob took stopping in Luz, of Rebekah's nurse, Deborah dying and being buried outside of Bethel.
Then it goes on to tell us how God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and Blessed him:
9" .....God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[
d] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[
e]” So he named him Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[
f]; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 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."
Again for Israel's(Jacob's) faith and obedience God is giving him great Blessings. How wonderful is that. And as it was with Abraham(Abram), He changed his name.
Then they moved on from Bethel. While still traveling to Ephrath Rachel gave birth to a son, but it was with great difficulty. With her dying breath she named him Ben-Oni which means son of my trouble. However, Jacob named him Benjamin which means son of my right hand. They continued to travel to Ephrath and buried her in a tomb, on the way, marked by a pillar.
Still traveling a stop was made at Migdal Eder, more trouble brews here with one of Isreal's boys, Reuben.
Reuben decides to lay with one of his father's concubines, Bilhah. Not much else is mentioned about that. Other then Israel heard about it. (I wonder how?)
More genealogy is given:
22
"......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 servant Bilhah:
Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:
Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram."
Then finally Jacob gets to where he was going.
Jacob came home to his father Issac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron). It tells us Issac was 180 years old and that Jacob and Esau buried him.
Some good lessons learned here. Obey the Lord! He is always with Us! Children can be troublesome! (Why?) It seems you can always go home!
Thanks again for coming by! I love these studies. I hope you do too!
Deb B
