Trouble Is A Part Of Life

Jacob had bought land in Shechem, intending to make it his permanent home.  After his sons murdered the men and spoiled the city, he became concerned that the neighboring tribes would attack them in retaliation.  God would use that concern to convince Jacob to go to where God wanted him, in Genesis 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.”  God directed him back to the place he was when he first began to consider what God wanted. 

Jacob remembered his experience and his sense of fear and awe at the righteousness and power of God.  For years they had kept the idols Rachel had stolen from Laban, as well as the other idols and religious objects they had gotten in the travels, sometimes even using them.  He knew all those things would not be acceptable to God.  Genesis 35:2-3 describes his instructions to his family.  “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: 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.

Finally, Jacob had grown enough to begin to teach his family about God.  As a result, they left behind those old gods, choosing to serve God only, as Genesis 35:4-5 tells us.  “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.  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.”  While the neighboring tribes would have liked to destroy them, God caused them to fear the consequences such an action might produce.

Jacob and his family came to the place he had called Bethel without incident as a result of god’s protection, and he followed what God had  directed, In Genesis 35:6-8.  “So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.  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.  But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.”  The nanny who had taken care of Jacob and Esau as children ninety years before died while they were at Bethel, and was buried under an oak tree.  Death is an intrinsic part of life, and following the Lord does not make us immune to the problems of daily life.    

At Bethel, god reminded Jacob that he had a new name as a child of god, and repeated all his promises, expanding upon them, in Genesis 35:9-13.  “And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.  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.  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; 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.  And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.” 

Jacob’s entire attitude had changed since the first time he was at Bethel.  This time he did not try to make adeal with God, but simply believed his promises and worshipped him as we see in Genesis 35:14-15.  “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.  And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.”

Life’s problems continued even after God had renewed his promises at Bethel.  Rachel died in childbirth, shortly after they left Bethel, according to Genesis 35:19.  “And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.”  A little later, Reuben, his eldest son had an incestuous affair with one of Jacob’s wives, in Genesis 35:22.  “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…”  We never want to fall for the false belief that Christian will not have any problems if he is following the Lord.  Jesus was very clear when he said “…In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world,” in John 16:33.  People who forget trouble is a part of life often become depressed when facing struggles.  It is factor in the unprecedented number of suicides we see today.