A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
GENESIS 35
Lesson #52
THE THINGS TO BE BURIED UNDER THE BLOOD OF CHRIST
- Memory verse: Isaiah 53:3
- Read Gen 35:1-21 The return to Bethel
- We do not know how long Jacob was in Shechem, nor how long he had been there when chapter 34 took place.
- However, with the deception that caused his sons to massacre the Hivites of Shechem, there was a danger that Hivites of surrounding areas would seek revenge and attack him.
- Jacob, therefore, seeks to leave, but where would he go?
- God speaks to Jacob (1) and tells him to go to Bethel.
- Recall the vow Jacob made at Bethel in Gen 28:20-21.
- Here in chapter 35, God reminds him of his vow at Bethel.
- God had done his part, but Jacob had failed, as we all do.
- Jacob’s return to Bethel may have been at least 30 years after he had seen the vision of the stairway (ladder) to heaven — his born-again experience.
- Remember that God told him to go to Bethel earlier when he left Haran. However, like all of us at some time or another, Jacob drags his feet and gets side-tracked from God’s perfect will. It is at times like this, when there is great fear, and after great sin, that revival breaks out. This is the first revival mentioned in the Bible.
- The characteristics of a revival (2-3,11)
- =1= Revival is initiated by a word from God.
- =2= Revival involves getting rid of other gods from your life and household. For Jacob it was the heathen gods that Rachel had brought from Haran.
- Remember, they belonged to her father and she had stolen them. Rachel’s sin evidently spread through the family because the command goes out to all of the household. They may have acquired other heathen gods along the way of their journey.
- Notice that God says nothing to him specifically about the heathen gods in his household, but Jacob’s conscience is strongly impressed to get rid of them.
- Jacob takes authority in his family for spiritual leadership for which he had failed to do before.
- For us, a “heathen” god is anything in which we put our trust and that takes our allegiance away from the one true God. (money, a job, possessions, people, pleasures, etc.)
- Now that Jacob is back in God’s perfect will there is protection from his enemies around him. They are not vengefully attacked by the surrounding Hivites.
- =3= Revival involves being clean. Repentance from sin always accompanies revival.
- =4= Revival involves changing your garments. A change in your life style that puts God at the center of your life. Inherent in the word repentance is a change in direction, a 180 degree turn.
- =5= Revival means to go to Bethel (“house of God”). A renewal of commitment to God (Bethel means doing your first works over again.)
- =6= Revival involves building an altar. Establishing a pattern of worship.
- The altar “El-Bethel”
- Before, when Jacob was in Bethel, he called the place the house of God. Now he makes a slight change in the name reflecting his changed relationship to God as his Lord. He calls the altar, “the God of the house of God” which emphasizes God rather than the place.
- =7= Revival means acknowledging God’s grace and blessing in your life in the past. God, who answered in the day of distress.
- =8= A new revelation of the character of God accompanies revival.
- “I am God almighty.”
- God’s name, El Shaddai
- El Shaddai means = the all sufficient one, and relates to a God who is the all sufficient covenant maker, strengthener, satisfier, who knows your every need and is able to supply whatever you need.
- This name for God was first used in Gen 17:1 with Abraham.
- As God reveals his sufficiency to Jacob, there is an encouragement and a mild rebuke to Jacob to stop using his old name, Jacob.. He is to only use his new name, Israel.
- There is also a renewal of the covenant given to Abraham with the assurance that nations and kings would come from him and his descendants as well as the possession of the land. (11-12)
- There are 4 burials mentioned in this chapter. Spiritually speaking, they have meaning.
- =1= Foreign gods and earrings (35:4) buried in Shechem.
- Certain gold earrings were associated with heathen religious practices as amulets and charms. (Hos 2:13) (Exo 32:2)
- Spiritually speaking, it’s getting rid of heathen gods from your life (bury them under the blood of Christ.).
- =2= Deborah (35:8) buried in Bethel under an oak called, Allon-Bachuth.
- Allon-Bachuth means = oak of weeping = a repentance from past sins.
- Who was Deborah?
- She was Rebekah’s nurse. She is not mentioned previously in Genesis, only here. Why is it important to know about her death here?
- Remember that Jacob was very close to his mother, Rebekah, while growing up. When he left home, he would never see his mother again. She had evidently died during the years when he was in Haran. Deborah was probably part of the household during Jacob’s growing up years.
- Spiritually speaking she represents Jacob’s past sins of deception encouraged by his mother. God’s forgiveness from past sins means we must forgive ourselves. (bury them under the blood of Christ.)
- =3= Rachel (35:19) is buried beside the road at Ephrath (Bethlehem).
- Rachel was the wife that Jacob loved best despite the fact that Leah was God’s choice.
- Spiritually speaking she represents self-will and desire. (Bury this under the blood of Christ.)
- =4= Isaac (35:29) died and was buried.
- Notice that both Esau and Jacob were present at Isaac’s death. It is good to see a final reconciliation of Esau, Jacob, and Isaac, especially before Isaac died.
- Jacob was 120 years old when Isaac died.
- Spiritually speaking, Isaac’s death represents leaving the old nature behind and beginning a new life in Christ, making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life not just your savior. (Bury the old nature under the blood of Christ.)
- Jacob is now the head of the family, the one to inherit the birthright and blessing, and assuming the tribal leadership. (Everything not conforming to the will of God has been placed under the blood of Christ.)
- =1= Foreign gods and earrings (35:4) buried in Shechem.
- The birth of Jacob’s 12th son, Benjamin
- Benjamin was born at the death of his mother, Rachel. She had decided to name him, Benoni, which means = son of sorrow. However, Jacob renames him, Benjamin, which means = son of my right hand.
- In relationship to Jesus Christ, what significance do we see in the child’s name being changed from Benoni (son of sorrow) to Benjamin (son of my right hand)?
- Benjamin’s name change prefigures Jesus Christ.
- Jesus was the son of sorrow before he became the son at God’s right hand.
- The sorrow of the crucifixion brought Jesus into God’s presence at the ascension, to sit at God’s right hand until his second coming.
- Review:
- Death and burial is written across this chapter.
- As the Christian writes death and burial across his trust in other Gods, his desires and self will, his past mistakes, and his old nature, then he can begin to live as a son of God, as an heir with Jesus Christ, and like Jesus Christ, as a son at God’s right hand of blessing. (Gal 2:20 Gal 4:7 Col 3:1-4)
- Read Gen 35:22-29
- Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, forfeits the birthright. (22)
- Reuben’s sin
- Reuben’s sin with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, lost him the birthright and the blessing.
- You will remember that Bilhah was Rachel’s maid and Jacob’s concubine. She was the mother of Dan and Naphtali, Reuben’s half brothers.
- The birthright was not given to Reuben because of this sin.
- It was not given to Simeon and Levi because of the bloody massacre after the rape of Dinah (Gen 34). According to 1Chr 5:1-2, the birthright was given to Joseph’s sons, Jacob’s grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
- The Bible does not say why the other sons of Jacob were passed over. Perhaps it was because they, too, were involved in the aftermath of the massacre in Gen 34.
- However, for the first time, the birthright and the blessing were split. The blessing went to Judah, Jacob’s 4th born son.
- Jacob’s return to Bethel is a prefigure of the restoration of Israel.
| Jacob’s experience: | Restoration of Israel: |
| Jacob left Bethel (the house of God) for a land of exile. Gen 28 | Israel strayed away from God.
Mal 1 & 2 |
| God said to Jacob, return to Bethel. Gen 35:1 | God calls the nation of Israel to return to God. Isa 10:21 Isa 44:22 |
| Jacob cleaned his household of pagan idols and changed his ways. Gen 35:2 | Israel one day will be purged of their idolatry and seek God. Jer 50:4-6 |
| Jacob acknowledged that God had answered him in the day of his distress. Gen 35:3 | In the great tribulation to come, Israel will cry out to God and he will answer them.
Zec 13:8-9 |
| The terror of God fell upon the Shechemites, Jacob’s enemies. Gen 35:5 | The terror of God will fall upon the Gentiles, Israel’s enemies. Isa 49:22-26 |
| When Jacob returned to Bethel, he built an altar. Gen 35:7 | Israel once again will worship God in an acceptable manner. Zec 14:16 |
| Jacob’s link to his past life was dead and buried with Deborah. Gen 35:7 | Israel will consider her past life dead and buried.
Zec 14:20-21 |
| God appeared to Jacob again. Gen 35:9 | God will appear to Israel again. Zec 12:10 |
| God told Jacob his name would not be Jacob anymore, but Israel. Gen 35:10 | God’s people one day will not be called Jews, but Israel. Isa 43:1-3 |
| Jacob discovered that God was “God Almighty”. Gen 35:11 | One day Israel will discover that Jesus Christ is the mighty God. Isa 9:6 |
| National prosperity was assured unto Jacob.
Gen 35:11-12 |
National prosperity will be given to Israel in the millennial reign of Christ as was promised through the prophets. Isa 60 |
| God reassures Jacob that the land belongs to him and his descendants. Gen 35:12 | In the millennial reign of Christ, Israel will possess all the land given to Abraham.
Isa 60:21 |
| Jacob poured oil (symbol of the Holy Spirit) on the pillar he erected at Bethel.
Gen 35:13 |
God will pour the oil of the Holy Spirit upon Israel and all flesh in the millennium.
Joe 2:28-29 |
| Benjamin took his place in Jacob’s household and became the son at his father’s right hand. Gen 35:18 | One day Israel will take her place at the right hand of God along with all the redeemed.
Rom 11:26-27 |
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- Jacob, now called Israel, dwells beyond the tower of Edar which means = tower of the flock.
- Now he is living in God’s perfect will, a part of the flock of God’s people.
- This location is between Bethlehem and Hebron.
- Jacob, now called Israel, dwells beyond the tower of Edar which means = tower of the flock.
Homework
Genesis 36-37
- Application of Genesis 35
- Rate the degree to which Jesus Christ is Lord (absolute possessor) of your life.
- 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Low High
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- What areas of your life do you need to turn over to Jesus and make him the Lord?
- Make that commitment today in prayer.
- Preparation of Genesis 37
- Genesis 36 is a genealogy of Esau.
- Read Genesis 37:1-36 Joseph and his brothers
- How could Joseph have avoided his brother’s hatred?
- Genesis 36 is a genealogy of Esau.
- Memory verse: John 7:7
