God tells Jacob exactly where he wants him to be. And Jacob has learned to listen to God.
Genesis 35:2- -3- 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.
Somewhere along the way, Jacob found out that there were some in his family that didn't worship God. He was going o obey God. He made an altar and promised that God would be the only one he would worship, and he was expecting that from his family!
Genesis 35:4-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.
Jacob's family obeyed his command, and Jacob buried the idols to make sure that no one would worship them.
Genesis 35:5-7- 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. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 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.
Bethel was where Jacob saw the ladder with the angels going up and down. Do you remember that? Jacob has now come full circle! He left with just his staff, and he came back with so much more. God had kept the promise that was made to Jacob so long ago!
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.
God told Jacob again that his name was now Israel. And He gave Jacob the same promise that He had given to Abraham and to Isaac.
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.
Jacob knew what to do. He gave God thanks!
But now, something was going to happen that wouldn't be so nice!
Perhaps it was because God knew that Rachel wouldn't really stop serving idols. Or perhaps it was because now that Jacob was doing God's will he had to give up his will. I'm not sure why, but God knows!
Genesis 35:16-17- And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 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.
You see, Rachel had a baby in her belly. And she was getting ready for that baby to be born. But something was wrong!
Genesis 35:18-19- 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. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
We don't know for sure why God took Rachel from Jacob. But we do know that God loved Jacob. We know that God wasn't being mean to Jacob.
When trouble comes our way, we need to remember that God isn't being mean to us. He still loves us. And we can still do God's will even through the hard times.
Genesis 35:20- And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
God wasn't finished with Jacob. He had a new name. He had a new son. And now, the 12 tribes of Israel were started.
