Genesis 35

In Genesis 34, we considered Jacob’s passive leadership that led to his sons committing a massacre at Shechem. Jacob feared that other countries in the region would retaliate, but in Genesis 35, we learn that God is fighting for Jacob and his family. A “terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob” (Gen. 35:5). Once again, Jacob experienced the power and protection of God.

Genesis 35:1
God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

God made it apparent that it was time to move from Shechem. Jacob and his family had been surrounded by pagans. We know that those we associate with can have an adverse effect on us. Jacob complies by telling all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.” Two things here: we can only assume that the captive women and children from Shechem were still with them, and we can speculate that some of the plunder Jacob’s sons took from Shechem included foreign gods. Remember, when Jacob left Paddan-aram, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. I wonder if Jacob ever found out. And I wonder if those gods were among the foreign gods that Jacob gathered and buried under “the terebinth tree that was near Shechem” (Gen. 35:4).

Genesis 35:3
“Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”

The trip from Shechem south to Bethel (which was called Luz) was about twenty miles. When they arrived, Jacob “built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother” (Gen. 35:7). Let’s stop for a quick review.

Twenty years earlier, Jacob was forced to leave his family of origin. His deceitful actions to steal the firstborn son’s blessing put his life at risk. His brother Esau was intent on killing him. Jacob’s first stop in his escape was Luz. That night Jacob had a dream about a ladder reaching from earth to the heavens. God told Jacob,

Genesis 28:13-16, 19
“I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. ¹⁴ Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” …. He called the name of that place Bethel….”

Now, two decades later, Jacob is back in Bethel. Genesis 35:7 says that he built an altar, and God appeared to him again.

Genesis 35:10-12
And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. ¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. ¹² The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”

In this passage, God confirms Jacob’s name change, and God calls himself “God Almighty” (in Hebrew, El Shaddai). This name describes the strength and power of God. Nothing is too hard for him. The same promise given to Abraham and passed down to Isaac now belongs to Jacob. Notice that Jacob responds in worship. Genesis 35:14 says that Jacob set up a pillar and poured a drink offering over it. Some believe that it is best to see this as Jacob rededicating the altar he had erected in his first meeting with God years earlier. Then Jacob attests to the name he had given this place where he had met with God as Bethel—the house of God (Gen. 35:15).

Jacob’s journey has come full circle. He escaped for his life with nothing except a stolen birthright, an irate brother, and a long, difficult journey ahead. Along the way, God met him, and everything changed! God was writing his story and proving himself to be faithful to Jacob. There had been many painful challenges. Laban tricked Jacob on his wedding night and made life hard for him, but God continued to bless Jacob with family and property. After leaving Paddan-aram to return to Canaan, God met him again and wrestled with him, which resulted in a name change. Jacob became known as Israel, which God confirms now a second time (Gen. 35:10). God had also demonstrated to Jacob that he would always protect him when Jacob’s reunion with Esau was amicable.

Jacob’s sole possession when he fled Canaan was his walking stick. He still needs that stick. In the wrestling match with God, the Lord struck Jacob’s hip socket, giving him a permanent limp. Every step continues to be a reminder that God is walking with him and will never leave him.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Genesis 35. As you read this chapter, focus on the two names in verses 10-12—Israel (God fights) and El Shaddai (God Almighty).

Talking to God
Talk to God about those two names. Thank God for always fighting for you and that he is always with you. Thank God that he is El Shaddai—nothing is too hard for him. Whatever you are going through, nothing is too hard for El Shaddai.

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