Gen. 35:1 “And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. 2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.”

“And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.” There are times in our lives, as children of God, when seems to be out of control and there are many problems, especially, in our families, that it is necessary to go back to where we started our journey of discipleship. Jacob saw that his children were out of control and doing great wicked things contrary to the walk of God. No doubt, he felt powerless and ignorant as to what he should do. Yet, God who is merciful gave Jacob and ultimately us instruction as to what we should do. God told Jacob to go back to where he had started and God had first appeared unto him and to make an altar unto God.

Jacob would have had many memories of the time that God had appeared unto him and the dread that he had of his brother Esau who had purposed to kill Jacob. In going back to Bethel, Jacob would have recalled the dream that he had whereby he saw the angels of God ascending and descending from heaven on a ladder. Also, he would have recalled the promises that God had made to him and now how that God had fulfilled those promises. When we can recall our experiences with the Lord and the times He has delivered us in the past and we can recall the precious promises of God, then it encourages us when we confronted with the many problems, trials and tribulations of life.

“Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments…” Jacob knew that the place to which he was instructed to travel was a holy place and that there would be no room for filthiness or strange gods, thus he wisely instructed his family to put away their strange gods and to change their filthy garments for clean garments. Since the name bethel literally means house of God, we should approach our worship in the church the same way. We should put away all strange gods and change our garments from pride and filthy conversation of the wicked to humility and seeking to walk uprightly.

“And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.” A father should lead his house in worship and should recall to his children how that the Lord has delivered him in time past and also to encourage his children in worship. Here we see Jacob setting an example for us by doing these things.

“And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.” Obviously, the children did not rebel against their father and they followed his instruction to put away the strange gods. They also put away the earrings in their ears. Now we know that Jacob had many sons and they were wearing earrings in their ears. To worship God, they put away those earrings. What a good example that is for young men today. Earrings in men’s ears are a sign of rebellion and God hates rebellion.

“And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.” Here we see the amazing mercy of God. Surely the actions of the sons of Jacob was such that they deserved to be destroyed by the inhabitants of the cities about them, but God placed his protective shield about them and the inhabitants were terrified of God and did not pursue after the sons of Jacob even though their deeds were awful. Truly, if God were to take judgment upon us for what our sins deserved, then we would be destroyed in the lake of fire forever. Yet, God is merciful to his elect children and spares them from eternal judgment. His judgment of our sins was rendered upon our elder brother.

“So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.” Jacob obeyed the command of the Lord and he led his family to obey as well. Again, this is an example to all the fathers who are God’s children.

“And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.” Jacob had made a promise to God based on the fulfillment of the promises that God had made to him. Now Jacob has come and fulfilled his promise and built an altar of worship to God. This should teach us to thank and praise God for his blessings upon us and for his fulfilled promises to us.

“But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.” The word, “Allonbachuth,” means “oak of weeping.” In the same place where Jacob and his family came to give praise and thanksgiving to God, there previously had been weeping for the loss of a loved one. Ps. 30:5 “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” In the place where weeping had endured for a night, joy has now come in the morning. Likewise, when we as children of God come to a knowledge of our sinful nature and have a deep conviction of sin, we weep. However, when we later come to understand that Jesus died for our sins and heaven will subsequently be our home, then we rejoice.

Gen. 35.9-15 God Blesses Jacob

Gen. 35:9 “And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.”

“And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.” God had appeared to Jacob when he was journeying from Canaan to Padanaram and revealed himself to Jacob and made great promises to Jacob. Jacob had promised: Gen. 28:20 “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” God had indeed done what he had promised to Jacob and God has brought Jacob back to the same placed where Jacob vowed.

“And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.” This is the second time that God has told of Jacob’s name change: Gen. 32:28 “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Israel means prince of God. Israel was not only Jacob’s name but also became the name of the nation that came out of his loins. His name had gone from one that meant supplanter to one that meant prince of God. God had completely changed the life of Jacob and richly blessed him and now he had or was soon to have 12 sons who would be the start of the 12 tribes of Israel.

“And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.” Once again we see God reiterating the promises that he had previously made to Jacob. Israel was indeed to become a nation and a company of nations and kings did come out of his loins. His progeny did indeed come later into possession of the land of Canaan as God had promised. God had fulfilled the promises to bring Jacob back safely, and now is confirming again the greater promises to Israel.

“And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.” The word, Bethel, means house of God. Jacob had come again to the place where God had first appeared unto him and to the spot where he had first worshipped God and here at the same place he worshipped God again and called the place as he had before Bethel.

Gen. 35.16-20 Rachel's Death

Gen. 35:16 “And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. 18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.”

We glean the following points from the above:

1. The soul departs the body at death. The soul does not die, but the body dies. The soul of God’s children lives on in heaven after the death of the body.

2. The curse that Jacob pronounced on that person who stole Laban’s idols was fulfilled in Rachel as she died giving birth to her second son.

3. Rachel called her son Benoni, which means son of my sorrow. Jacob called his name Benjamin, which means son of my right hand. In this Benjamin is a type of Christ. Christ bore the sorrows of death for his elect family, then he arose and sat at the right hand of God.

4. Rachel was buried in the way to Ephrath. Ephrath means fruitfulness. Later the name Ephrath was changed to Bethlehem which means house of bread. Jesus, of course, was born in Bethlehem. None is more fruitful than Jesus as he delivers the entire elect family of God unto glory. Moreover, it is Jesus who provides spiritual bread for his house.

Gen. 35.21-26 Sons of Jacob

Gen. 35:21 “And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. 22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: 24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: 25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: 26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.”

In the above we are given a detail of Israel’s journey as he spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. Moreover, we are given another glimpse of the wickedness of the sons’ of Jacob as Reuben lay with Jacob’s concubine. Next, we are given a listing of the sons of Jacob which each wife and concubine bare unto him.

Gen. 35.27-29 Passing of Issac

Gen. 35:27 “And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned. 28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. 29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

Here we have the account of the end of Isaac’s life. He lived to be 180 years old. He was married to only one woman, Rebekah. He lived to an old age and was richly blessed of God. He was a faithful man and a good example in most aspects of his life for God’s children. When he died, he gave up the ghost, that is, his soul departed. He died, that is, his body died. He was gathered unto his fathers, that is, his soul went to heaven to wait the morning of the resurrection where it will be reunited with the body.

Esau and Jacob were separated most of their lives, yet were together in the burial of Isaac their father.