Genesis 35:16-20

For the Genesis 35:16-20 PODCAST, Click Here!

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have this son also.” 18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. ~ Genesis 35:16-20

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 35 where we discover Jacob back in the land of promise with his family enjoying the life that God had long wanted to give him. When we resist God's leading and His will, we exempt ourselves from the blessings that we so ardently are seeking on our own. Like us, I am sure that Jacob thought his troubles were the result of his bad choices and that God was punishing him for those bad choices. Jacob was wrong when he thought that God was punishing him through his poor choices because in the choices that he made, he chose the opposite of God's will for him. Jacob's troubles weren't given to him by God. No, Jacob chose the troubles when he fed the flesh. Jacob was no different than we, but he was learning that his way did not render the life that he truly desired. As a result, God had to allow Jacob to experience pain which would serve him in making better choices for his life. Learning from our poor choices is a big part of our sanctification, the process whereby God inculcates His culture into our souls.

In v.16-19 of today's passage we read, "16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, 'Do not fear; you will have this son also.' 18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."

While on their way to where Isaac was in Ephrath, later known as Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to the twelfth son of Jacob also known as Israel. During her hard delivery Rachel died. This was unusual because there was no mention in the Bible of Isaac's wife Rebekah. And, of all of the sons of Israel, only Joseph’s death was recorded. Ephrath means "Fruitful." The name Rachel means "Ewe lamb." 

God who was directing both the means and the timing of Rachel’s death, allowed her to live long enough to name her son "Ben-Oni," which means "son of my suffering." Then, after his wife's death, Jacob renamed their second-born son "Benjamin" which means "son of my right hand." When Benjamin was born the family was headed to Bethlehem which means, "House of Bread." All of these names and events were given in order that we might see the unfolding plan of God. All of these events picture for us the Lord Jesus who said in John 6:48, "I am the bread of life." The Lord Jesus Christ was heaven’s Bread, having come from the House of God to the House of Bread. But Bethlehem had another name, Ephrath, which means "fruitful." Ephrath pictures for us  the saving work of the Lord Jesus who said in John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." When we walk with the Lord and He is free to express Himself to and through us, we find that we will be included in this tapestry from the very God of all creation.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day."

Just six verses earlier, in v.14, did Jacob set up another pillar in honor of his meeting with God at Bethel. That was a time of joy and fellowship with God. Now in v.20, Jacob erected another pillar through his sadness and hope in God on the heels of the death of his wife. The pillar has since been a monument of faith in the resurrection of the dead. Jacob anticipated this through his faith in the God of the Bible during his time of sadness. The pillar’s location was still remembered at the time of Moses when he wrote the book of Genesis, and it was still remembered at the time of Samuel about 400 years later as recorded in 1 Samuel 10:2.

The name "Rachel" means "ewe Lamb." The child of a lamb is a lamb. This picture given so long ago was fulfilled in the words of John the Baptist who exclaimed in John 1:29, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" The word that John used for "lamb" was a unique term which literally means "a sacrificial lamb." This same word for "lamb" in the Hebrew is Rachel. Rachel’s death was uniquely recorded to show us that the Messiah would also die, as a sacrificial lamb. Rachel's death and the birth of Benjamin produced also for us a dual picture: From the death of the lamb, Rachel, comes the birth of the son, Benjamin. But also from the death of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, comes the birth of the son, you and me. Thus, it is a picture of all who have ever trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. These have entered into eternal life from eternal death.

Genesis 35:9-15

For the Genesis 35:9-15 PODCAST, Click Here!

9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him. 14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. ~ Genesis 35:9-15

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 35 where Jacob and his family are back in the promised land. God has a purpose for every word in the Bible, and this helps us to appreciate the repetition that God gives in today's passage. In Genesis 32, Jacob was renamed by God. Jacob would no longer be called Jacob but he would be called Israel from this point onward. But, as we re-enter our study of Genesis 35, Jacob is still being called Jacob. This was why the reiteration was needed.

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.' So he named him Israel."

The parallels between the life of Jacob and the life of Abraham are hard to miss. Many of them are actually highlighted in these verses in an interesting way. Jacob had returned from being out of the land of Canaan for twenty years and he now returned to Bethel where he had his vision of God before he left. In that vision the Lord promised him that, "the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants." Likewise, Abraham entered Canaan and was given a promise in the same area, just east of Bethel. It was then that God said to Abraham, "To your descendants I will give this land." After receiving the promise, Abraham left Canaan for Egypt and Jacob left Canaan for Haran. After returning from Egypt Abraham eventually journeyed to the same spot between Bethel and Ai. Jacob returned from Haran and journeyed back to Bethel, as well.

The promise of His presence and His protection in the life of Jacob had been fulfilled. Interestingly, the name "God" is used ten times in this chapter, but the term "Lord" is not, even though it was used four times in Jacob's vision of God some 30 years earlier. The Lord, or YHWH, who stood above the ladder had proved Himself faithful to Jacob. As a result, Jacob refers to the Lord as his God as he said he would.

Yet again, God spoke with Jacob even though Jacob had failed Him miserably. The true God always speaks to His people and our faith is bolstered by the trials that we endure. It is when our faith is stretched and we are forced closer to the Lord that our hearts get to see Him most vividly. The Lord who was above the ladder twenty years ago was the same Lord who wrestled with Jacob that night just ten years ago. Interestingly, when Abraham’s name was changed it was done by the Lord, YHWH. Again and again, God was making the connection between His relational name YHWH and His all powerful name of God or Elohim. When God changed both Abram and Jacob's names, He indicated His ownership over each of them. In Revelation 2:17, the Lord Jesus promises us a new name, implying He is our Master and our God.

In v.11-13 of today's passage we read, "11 And God said to him, 'I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.' 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him." 

These are the exact same words that the Lord spoke to Abraham when his name was changed and the promise of the covenant was repeated. This passage is of singular importance in understanding the role of Israel in the history of redemption. In the New Testament, when Paul speaks of Israel, he speaks of the people who physically descended from Israel. He never calls Israel the church and he never calls the church Israel. There are those in Israel who are in the church and there are those of the church who are the Israel of God, but Israel and the church are distinct entities. The promise of land that God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is not for the church, it is only for the nation of Israel. And, the duration of the gift of the land has always been forever. 

In v.14-15 of today's passage we read, "14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. " 

With the exception of adding a drink offering, this repeats what he did after his vision in the past. In fact, this stone was probably the same stone he set up some 30 years earlier. When he built his first altar, Jacob poured oil on it while this time he poured water and oil on it. The water consistently speaks of the Word of God throughout the Bible while the oil represents the Holy Spirit. Both the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit have authenticated the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God who came to take away our sin. For the first time in the Bible, a drink offering was made. A drink offering always accompanies a sacrifice in the Bible. The drink offering pictures the pouring out of the life of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The oil poured on the altar was a picture of the Spirit resting upon the Lord Jesus in preparation for His work. 

In Jacob's first dream, the Lord was above the ladder and Jacob was on the earth. Jacob called the name of the place Bethel in anticipation of God fulfilling His promises to Jacob. Here, Jacob once again was in the same place, but God wasn’t above the ladder, He was right there with Jacob. God's posture changed because now Jacob had come to own God as his Lord thus God spoke with him instead of down to him. For Jacob, Bethel had become an actual spot where Jacob abided with God and God abided with Jacob. As always, the Lord Jesus Christ is the point and purpose of everything God has and is doing in history. The Bible has a unified message, and the unifying center of that message is Jesus Christ. This principle of interpretation comes to us from Jesus Himself, for He taught His disciples to read the Hebrew Bible in this way: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me for he wrote about me."

Genesis 35:1-8

For the Genesis 35:1-8 PODCAST, Click Here!

1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. 6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth. ~ Genesis 35:1-8

Today, we transition into Genesis 35 where after a ten year distraction from God in the city of Shechem, Jacob and his family are about to embark on a new journey with God. Whether we decide wisely or not this is what we as believers in the Lord Jesus are on, a daily journey with God. Even though, like Jacob, we all have dips and detours in our walk with God, I have found that these moments of plain foolishness are useful to God as He inculcates His culture into our souls. Through his utter failure and weakness Jacob was learning to let God be God in his life.

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Then God said to Jacob, 'Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.'"

Seven years earlier, way back in Genesis 31 when Jacob was living in Haran we read, "Then the Lord said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.'" After that the Lord spoke again to Jacob and said, "I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family."

In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, 'Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.' 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem."

God spoke to Jacob once again, even though Jacob had failed miserably at being the leader of his family. He probably thought that God was done with him, but He wasn't. Despite our circumstances or even our failure, if we walk with the Lord, following the direction He gives, we will not only grow in our faith in Him, we will grow in our intimacy with Him. After God had spoken to him again, Jacob returned to being the leader that he was meant to be. 

When we leave a vacuum in the spot where we should be leading others, there is a strange strengthening in the flesh to lead us down his road of destruction and death. Returning to his spot of leadership, Jacob informed his family that they were to purify themselves and change their garments. Washing and changing of garments is metaphoric for repentance or turning away from evil and returning to God. The washing and the changing of our garments is something that is seen throughout the Bible in anticipation of meeting with God. 

Jacob then informed his family that when they arrived in Bethel, he was going to build an altar. In saying this, Jacob was acknowledging the vow which he had earlier made to God. Time and again we’ve seen Jacob face a challenge and the Lord was there with him in his trial. The altar would yet again be a demonstration of his decision to follow the Lord out of his gratitude to Him. 

In obedience to their father, Jacob's family yielded up their idols. This included even their earrings which in their culture had been consecrated to some god. The oak under which they buried their idol jewelry was the same terebinth tree mentioned back in Genesis 12:6, the tree under which Abraham rested. That tree pictures coming to the end of ourselves and yielding to God.

In v.5-7 of today's passage we read, "5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. 6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother." 

The "terror from God" was the fear that God had brought upon the people in the area who wanted to run Jacob down and kill him. Through this fear, God ensured that Jacob and his family would not be pursued as they traveled south 28 miles to Bethel. After these many long years, close to thirty, Jacob was finally returning to Bethel, the place where he had laid sleeping with his head on the stone as a pillow and had a vision of the Lord. He was all but alone when he was there the last time. Now, his second time there, Jacob had four wives, at least 12 children, servants, flocks of animals, and wealth.

God had kept His word to Jacob because everything that he had been promised was granted by the Lord. The angels who ascended and descended on the ladder had attended to him all along, and Jacob was divinely protected throughout it all. This must be the reason for the inclusion of the name of the city, "Luz." Jacob renamed Luz to Bethel. You will remember that Luz means “to turn aside” such as turning away from the wisdom of God. When the promise of God was made to Jacob, the town’s name was Luz. At this second return of Jacob to Luz, it is named Bethel, House of God. Jacob was again at that very same spot in the land of promise and the promise was fulfilled. And so, it was time for Jacob to fulfill his promise. 

Oh, the tapestry that we have been given here. Jacob had to fail to get to this point in his life. God didn't make him fail but He allowed him to fail in order to be convinced that the God of the Bible is the true God. By proving Himself faithful to Jacob, Jacob decided that he would be faithful to God. All other gods had been removed from Jacob and now there was just one God in his life. That didn't mean that Jacob was all of a sudden perfect. No, Jacob would fail, but Jacob was learning that with God failure is not the opposite of success.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth."

Very few people’s death and burial are recorded in the Bible. But, here we have the death and burial of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse. Deborah means "Bee." A bee produces honey. Deborah was also a wet nurse, a woman who breast fed children. Both of these descriptions of Deborah are descriptors for the Word of God. Deborah was a picture of the faithfulness of the Word of God in our lives, only if we read it and let it read us. When we are careful to walk with the Lord and to be defined by Him, we will know His blessing in the most profound of ways, even through our failure.

Genesis 34:25-31

For the Genesis 34:25-31 PODCAST, Click Here!

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.” 31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” ~ Genesis 34:25-31

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 34. God chose Abraham and through him Isaac and then Jacob. Jacob became Israel and his family became the covenant people of God. However, throughout their history, gentiles joined to them and became a part of this unfolding story. In today's passage we find that as a result of settling in the godless town of Shechem served to set the progress of Jacob's sanctification back quite a bit. Making the choice to settle in godless Shechem resulted in rape and murder.

In v.25-29 of today's passage we read, "25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses."

This is now the fourth time the phrase "three days later" is mentioned in the Bible. Jacob's sons knew that on the third day after their circumcisions that the inflammation would be at its height. In addition, fever had set in, thus making them most vulnerable. It was at this time that Simeon and Levi murdered all the males of the city of Shechem. Their deception and violence had a lasting effect on their lives and it cost them favor with their father and the loss of their preeminent positions in the family. 

When Simeon and Levi murdered the men of Shechem, they neither consulted Jacob nor God. Then they took Dinah whose name means "vindicated"  from Shechem’s house. This just underscores the fact that God doesn’t waste words, and He always uses all things in a way that good can come out of it if we would just turn to Him. God did not sanction the murder of the men of Shechem that day, nor did He tell Jacob's sons to plunder their families and their belongings. Although Simeon and Levi murdered the men of Shechem, the other sons of Jacob joined in the aftermath. With all the men dead and their bodies stripped bare of their belongings, we are told that this evil deed was done "because their sister had been defiled." The price paid that day was rather high for the passionate lusts of one proud man. And, the very thing that Shechem bribed the men of Shechem with was the very thing that this passage describes as having been taken after they were killed. 

In v.30-31 of today's passage we read, "30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 'You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.' 31 But they replied, 'Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?'"

Sadly, Jacob's only concerned was his reputation and his self-preservation. This is the first time that Jacob has spoken in this entire chapter and his words truly were lacking faith in the God of the Bible. God had promised Jacob that He would protect Jacob, but he had lost sight of those promises. Jacob probably believed God had abandoned him because of the horrible events of the day and his passivity in relationship to it. 

In an attempt to justify the unjustifiable, the sons of Jacob said to Jacob, "If we hadn’t acted, it would be as if we had sold Dinah as a whore." 

The deception throughout this chapter came in the exact same way as it did in the Gardens of Eden and Gethsemane. They were tempted through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The lust of the flesh was seen in the mentioning of the daughters for the men. The lust of the eyes was seen in Jacob’s wealth, and the pride of life was seen in the boasting in the flesh through circumcision. In the Garden of Eden Adam failed the test while in the Garden of Gethsemane the Lord Jesus passed it. Interestingly, Hamor, is mentioned 10 times in this story and his name means "male donkey." Later, under the law of Moses, the firstborn donkey could have been redeemed by a lamb. Hamor, instead of being redeemed by the Lamb went to his death. 

As we have pointed out before, this chapter doesn’t mention God once. The last verse of Genesis 33 ends with God and the first verse of Genesis 35 begins with God. Our conclusion? Without God, this is what happens to us. Without God all manner of sin becomes our norm. This is why we must run to the Lord as fast as we can on a moment by moment basis each day. We naturally go in the wayward direction of sin. It requires grace-fueled effort to run in the opposite direction away from the diabolical. And run we must. Lest we ourselves be devoured by wickedness.

Genesis 34:18-24

For the Genesis 34:18-24 PODCAST, Click Here!

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.” 24 All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised. ~ Genesis 34:18-24

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 34 which can adequately be defined by three words: Defilement, Deception and Disgrace. Even though Jacob had entered into a personal relationship with the God of the Bible and his faith in Him made it possible for him to find favor with God, Jacob still struggled with the flesh. In fact, we all share this struggle with Jacob. And, when we forsake the truth and are not careful to hide it away in our hearts, the enemy can have a hay day in our lives. 

When we entered into a personal relationship with God through His Son, we became "born again." To be "born again" is to made alive to God as a result of His Spirit making our once dead spirit alive to Him. This results in a personal relationship with God. God tells us that now that we are alive to Him, we experience the battle between the Spirit and the flesh. The flesh is the evil that makes us do those things that are contrary to God's will in our lives. It is the flesh that is contrary to the working of the Holy Spirit in, to, and through us.

We have three parts to us: our body, soul and spirit. The arena of our sanctification which is the process of God getting His culture inculcated into us is the arena of our soul. Our soul is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions. To know God means that we are learning God's thoughts and ways primarily through His word and His Spirit. The changing of our minds and our ways is called in the Bible, sanctification, which is a process that we are engaged in til the day that we go to be with God in heaven. Due to the fact that it is a process explains why we struggle and we have set backs. There are times that we wisely feed the Spirit of God who lives in us. This means that we allow our thoughts and actions to be guided into God's culture by the Holy Spirit. Then, there are times that we unwisely feed the flesh which wants to lead us into sin or the opposite of what God wants for us. Just like Jacob, even though we have entered into a personal relationship with God, we still are engaged in the civil war within between the flesh and the Spirit.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter."

Hamor and Shechem were okay with the proposal that Jacob's sons presented to them, even though it involved circumcision.

Shechem may have taken the wrong steps in his initial dealings with Dinah, but he wanted to make it right and so he immediately went to be circumcised. Shechem was so delighted in what he saw in Dinah, he therefore was willing to endure excruciating pain to have her as his wife.

In v.20-23 of today's passage we read, "20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. 21 "These men are friendly toward us," they said. "Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us."

After being convinced that the men of the city of Shechem needed to be circumcised, Shechem and Hamor went to the gate of the city. In that day in the biblical Middle East, the important affairs of the people were always conducted at the gates of the city. It was the equivalent of the courthouse in America. Anything that needed to be addressed, decided, judged would have been done at the city gates. 

Shechem and Hamor knew that in order to get the men of their city to do something which would not be pleasant, they first have to get them to understand the benefits involved. In addition, it was easier to inform the men of the city of the negatives after telling them of the positives. The good news about Jacob's wealth becoming theirs was highlighted first. Greed was the motivation that Shechem and Hamor appealed to first. Of course, the love of money is a very poor motivation for making such a decision. In the same manner that Lucifer duped Eve in the Garden of Eden, so Shechem and Hamor deceived the men of the city. 

In 1 John 2:15-16 we read, "15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world."

God warns us against the world because it impairs our proper understanding of His love. We think that the world is outside of us, yet this passage clearly states that the world is inside us. Thus, we naturally love ourselves or our flesh the most. The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. You see, it is out of the heart that our issues flow. Therefore, we must be careful what we give our hearts to, because what we give our heart to is what we will love and worship. I find it very instructive that the first time the word "worship" appears in the Bible is the same context where the word "love" first appears.

In v.24 of today's passage we read, "All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised."

Shechem and Hamor deceived all of the men of Shechem to be circumcised that day. These men lost their ability to think rationally because money was involved. These men were so easily deceived into being circumcised because they expected some form of a kickback from a wealthy man. 

In John 8:32 we read, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Truth is the nature of things as they are defined by God. The truth provides for us the ability to see through all the deceptions of the enemy. It is the truth that enables us to get down to the heart, to the core, to the reality of anything. The truth enables us to view life from God's vantage point and it sets us free from the distortions that have long prevented us from freedom. 

When we follow wrong and do wrong, we become the slave of that wrong. Gradually we discover we are under its control. Unbeknown to the men of Shechem, they were being made into slaves through their lust for wealth. Slavery is the opposite of freedom. If freedom is being able to be all that we were meant to be, then slavery is to lose all possibility of that. When we give in to wrong deeds and wrong thinking, gradually an invisible net is being woven that we cannot see and can't be broken but by the truth. This is what had happened to the men of Shechem that day so long ago. And, this is why it is so important for us to hide the truth away in hearts.

Genesis 34:13-17

For the Genesis 34:13-17 PODCAST, Click Here!

13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15 But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone. ~ Genesis 34:13-17

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 34 where Jacob and his family have settled in a town called Shechem. They were supposed to be in Bethel just about 30 miles south of Shechem.  While in Shechem for a few years, one day a young man by the name of Shechem raped a young girl named Dinah. When Dinah's brothers learned of the rape, they were furious about it. Today's passage gives further details regarding how Dinah's brothers were going to respond to the disgrace exacted upon her by Shechem.

In v.13-14 of today's passage we read, "13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us."

In response to the plea of Shechem and his father for him to be granted Dinah's hand in marriage her brothers objected. They objected because they saw through the deceit of Shechem. From the beginning of time no one could make a promise upon no name greater than the name of God. In Hebrews 6:16 we read, "For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute." This had been the standard since the very beginning. But, by Jacob’s time, people by and large were no longer invoking the name of God in reference to their vows. So, the sons of Jacob came together to form a plot against Shechem and Hamor. Since they had been provoked by the evil that Shechem exacted upon their sister, they acted deceitfully.

The sons of Jacob were quite foolish to be defined by the men of Shechem but this is how deceit works. Satan is the author of deceit and he never tries to get us to follow him directly. No, he always tries to get us to follow him indirectly by getting us to put ourselves on the throne of our lives. After all that is what he did. It was wrong for Shechem to have raped Jacob's daughter Dinah, but it was utterly dumb for the sons of Jacob to give in to deceit themselves.

Interestingly, Jacob's sons brought attention to the fact that Hamor and his son were not circumcised and that they could not allow Shechem to marry Dinah until they were circumcised. In their deceit, they used religion as a cloak to cover their diabolical plan to get even. They knew that circumcision was an object lesson that God gave to Abraham and his posterity to remind them of His commitment to them. In the New Testament book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul is adamant that when Gentiles come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ do not need to be circumcised. In fact, he utilized the object lesson of circumcision to assert that religious activity does not garner the favor of God in our lives.

If we trust that the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is sufficient for our salvation, then circumcision is unnecessary. But if we attempt to be justified before God by getting circumcised then he says that we will become estranged to Christ and become debtors to the entire law. The sons of Jacob used the word of God as means to accomplish their wicked purpose.

In v.15-17 of today's passage we read, "15 But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone." 

The sons of Jacob had absolutely no intent on consenting. The rest of the story will bear this out. They were making a show of their personal standards as superior to those of Shechem and using them as a tool against them by supposedly claiming that they will be joined to them through the sacred rite given to Abraham for his descendants. God never intended circumcision to be a practice for the Gentiles.

The sons of Jacob appeared to be bargaining with Hamor and Shechem in order to bring about reconciliation, but instead it was a trap which would end in death. Using the covenant reminder of circumcision as a ploy to kill one's enemies is wicked. It would be like using baptism to drown people. Sadly, Jacob's sons showed no concern whatsoever about the spiritual condition of Hamor and Shechem. Just because our sin is forgiven and Christ has earned our salvation doesn't mean that we are not capable of the worst imaginable things. It is the wickedness that is yet within us all that screams out our need for the Savior in every possible way.

While living in Shechem, Jacob was threatened by a much more difficult problem, ease and prosperity. Though his major struggles seemed to be over, Jacob's most difficult struggle with maintaining his faith in the God of the Bible during a time of ease and prosperity was his most difficult. Throughout this chapter Jacob was like a deer in the headlights. He was silent! This is why Scripture says we should rejoice in various trials and tribulations, as they are useful at pushing us to follow the Lord. It is much harder to be faithful to God in ease than in difficulty. And it appears that Jacob and his family began to neglect God during this season of their lives.

Genesis 34:7-12

For the Genesis 34:7-12 PODCAST, Click Here!

7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done. 8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9 And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10 So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.” 11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.” ~ Genesis 34:7-12

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 34 where the daughter of Jacob and Leah, Dinah has been raped by the boy whose dad was the ruler of the land. This young man named Shechem was used to getting his way and he wanted Dinah to be his wife desperately. What he thought was love was nothing more than lust.

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done."

After someone notified Dinah's brothers about being raped by Shechem, they came in from the field grieved and very angry. There is a time for anger, but we must be careful to not be led into sin by the way we deal with it. The Scriptures remind us to be angry but not to sin. Our anger becomes sin when it defines us in way that are contrary to what God says we should be. For example, when we take things into our hands and we become destructive with our words or actions in a way that promotes an unhealthy environment, it is then that our anger has morphed into some form of sin.

This is the fourth time the name Israel is mentioned in the Bible, but it is the very first time it is used in the collective sense of the family of Jacob who is Israel and thus the people of Israel. The sons of Jacob saw the rape not only as against Dinah but also as against their family. They took it personal and when we do this, our anger most often turns to sin as it did here.

In v.8-10 of today's passage we read, "8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, 'The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. 9 And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10 So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.'"

Hamor thought that since Shechem "longed" to be with Dinah, then she should be given to him to be his wife. He implied that even though his son did something wrong, he wanted to make it right and he promised to do it in love. She would not just be vindicated, as her name implied, but she would be cared for in the process. In order to get the sons of Jacob to become more amenable to the proposal, Hamor stated that marriages would be welcomed between the families. Hamor was trying to make good out of a bad situation. He offered everything to Jacob and his family, even his daughters and his land. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, 'Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.'" 

It was at this point that we see the desperation of Shechem. When his father had finished his petition, Shechem directed his appeal to Jacob and his sons. The first request out of Shechem's mouth was a request for grace. Where there could have been wrath, Shechem desired reconciliation. He also added that he would meet whatever their demand was for a dowry. Shechem thought that forcible rape could be solved by a wedding. This kind of sexual immorality and evil characterized the pagan Canaanites and is not prescribed by God. Just because someone wants something doesn’t mean that he must have it. Desires are not rights. Manipulation is not a firm foundation for a lasting relationship. 

Hamor and Shechem offered a lot but their offer lacked one very important thing. There was no mention of Shechem’s humiliation of Dinah. There was no apology. Their offer didn’t contain one hint that what Shechem did to Dinah was evil and reprehensible. They weren’t interested in making things right. They were only interested in getting what they wanted.   

Shechem had violated the sister of Jacob's sons and Shechem was hopeful that his payment would appease them. But, the sons of Jacob didn't see it that way as we will see in tomorrow's study. Grace was the last thing Shechem would get from Dinah's brothers. However, the lack of grace by the brothers would soon cost them, as well.

At this point in the narrative, Jacob's sons needed to hear the words of the Apostle Paul many years later. We find these words in Ephesians 4:26 which reads, "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath." Our capacity for anger is part of the image of God in us. God-like anger is that which is concerned with others' wrongs. When people are unjustly treated and it bothers us, even to the point of standing up to it, this is righteous anger.

We should not let the sun go down on our anger because anger has a tendency to simmer and fester. When this happens, the evil one is given an opportunity to make the situation worse. When I was a kid, I deliberately annoyed my sisters, especially when they were watching something on TV which prevented me from watching what I wanted to watch. Well, when they had had enough of my annoyances, they would come after me. There were three doors with locks on them in our house, the front door, the back door and the bathroom. Guess where I would run to flee my angry sisters? Yep, the bathroom. If I could get the door locked, I was safe. If any one of them could get their foot wedged between the door and the doorframe, I was toast. This is the idea, when we hold on to anger and do not solve the issue, the devil gets a foothold. This describes the outcome of today's passage as we will see in our next study.

Genesis 34:3-6

For the Genesis 34:3-6 PODCAST, Click Here!

3 His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” 5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.  ~ Genesis 34:3-6

Today, we return to our study of Genesis 34 where we find Jacob and his family settled in the town of Shechem. This town was either named after the son of Hamor or he was named after the town. Either way, this son of Hamor the ruler of the Hivite land was rather spoiled and whatever he wanted he believed he had the right to it whatever it was. Shechem was drawn to Dinah, he then loved her, and then he spoke to her. This was all backwards. The first thing he should have done was to speak with her, then he should have gotten to know her, then he should have learned to love her, and then as he was being drawn to her in his soul, he then should have made a commitment in marriage to her. Since Shechem knew not God and His culture, he pursued her through the desires of his flesh.

In raping Dinah, Shechem displayed the kind of possessiveness that often follows this type of an assault.  After an incident like this, there is often a period where the abuser wants to pull the victim in and make them think that they are the greatest. An abusive and controlling person will often do something horrible and then make it seem like everything is alright and that they aren’t a bad person and if the victim disagrees, then they’re blamed for not loving or forgiving the abuser.   

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman."

As mentioned before, Shechem was the son of the ruler of the land and he therefore felt that he had the right to do what he wished. After Shechem saw the beautiful young daughter of Jacob, he just had to have her. It was then that he raped her and after that he felt a strong attraction to her. The original translation of this verse gives clear indication that Shechem spoke to the heart of Dinah. This meant that he loved her and wanted her to love him. Of course, Shechem did not know what love was. The sequence here was that he spoke to her heart after he forced himself upon her.

Our emotions for another are to be a result of the commitment made unto them, not as the basis for the relationship. If we get this wrong, when the emotions change, there is no support for the commitment. This was the case with Shechem who knew not for himself the love of God for him. Even though he would not have admitted it, Shechem believed love was solely the passion he felt for this young attractive girl. This is why divorce has been so high in America since the beginning of the eighties. We truly do not know what love really is.

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, 'Get me this young woman as a wife.'"

The request from Shechem to his father for Dinah was lust not love. When we have sex with someone there is a bond created. During sexual intercourse, in the female brain there are more receptors for oxytocin, and in the male brain there are more receptors for vasopressin. Both hormones cause the person to feel emotionally attached to the other, even with just one act of intercourse. Sexual intercourse creates an invisible bond that works like super-human glue, attaching us permanently to all past lovers — emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Inside marriage, God designed sex as a powerful, unifying bond. Outside of marriage, the bonds of sex can be devastating. Long after the lover has gone, the bond we’ve created stays with us, impacting our lives and our future relationships. 

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him."

When Jacob heard that Shechem violated his daughter Dinah all of his sons were out in the fields tending to their flocks. The fact that the name of God does not appear even once in this chapter is a clue as to why these events happened as they did. When Jacob learned of the rape, he was passive. In the moment Jacob lacked the wisdom of God even though he had been growing in his faith in God rather rapidly. You will remember that the place where God made Himself known to Jacob was at Bethel which means the house of God. It was there that Jacob built an altar to the Lord. It was a place of intimacy and fellowship between God and Jacob.

Bethel was the place where Jacob should have gone to when he entered the Promised Land but he kept his family in Shechem for ten years. Jacob's lack of wisdom in this context was due to the fact that his relationship with God was as stagnant as he was in the land. Satan is always busy trying to lure us away from the only culture that promotes harmony in all of our relationships and that is God's culture. Satan always is out to convince us that the thing we need is the thing that God forbids. He offers promises for our joy that contradict God’s promises for our joy.  And then when we follow him, he turns it around on us and accuses us for believing his promises. God doesn't work like that. In fact, even when we have ignored Him and we have resisted being defined by Him, He still stands ready at any given moment to deliver His culture into our souls only if we let Him.

Genesis 34:1-2

For the Genesis 34:1-2 PODCAST, Click Here!

1 At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, he took her and forced her to have sexual relations with him. ~ Genesis 34:1-2

Today, we transition into Genesis 34 where we see that Jacob and his family have arrived in Shechem where they will remain for 10 years. Just as Lot pitched his tent near Sodom, we will see that in like manner by building his house in Shechem, Jacob will invite the wrong kind of attention to his daughter. Throughout this entire chapter, until the end, Jacob was never quoted as saying anything, in any way. He is mentioned 12 times as Jacob and once as Israel, but it’s always speaking about him, not quoting him until the end. Jacob remains to be a picture of the Lord and the Lord is not once mentioned in this passage, nor is he prayed to for guidance. This is a chapter devoid of God in many ways. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "1 At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land."

Dinah is the only recorded daughter of Jacob, but she wasn't  his only daughter. Elsewhere, the Bible mentions his daughters in the plural and so it’s likely that he had more. Dinah alone is recorded, certainly because the events of this chapter and what they ultimately picture. Dinah was the daughter of Leah. Leah, as we have seen since her introduction, pictures the Old Testament law. Dinah, was probably about 13 years of age right at this point in her life. She was born right around the same time as Joseph. Joseph will be 17 when he is sold by his brothers, which is seen in Genesis 37:2. So that means that Jacob has been living in this area and the place he came from, Sukkoth, for about six or seven years.

We are informed that "Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land." It was the time of festival, and so, the ladies would have been wearing their best outfits. Being a curious young lady, as most young ladies are, Dinah took the opportunity to see the newest fashions. With too much liberty given raises the chances of bad things happening especially to a pretty young girl. When we aren't careful to be defined by God, we discover danger lurking around the corner. In fact, when Jacob decided to settle down in Shechem, he placed his family in greater danger because Shechem was not known for its love for God and His ways. 

Previously, the place where God had made Himself known to Jacob was Bethel which means "the house of God." Bethel was the place where God had previously spoken to Jacob. As a result, it was in Bethel that Jacob built an altar. For Jacob, Bethel represented the place of intimacy and fellowship with God. Jacob should've gone to Bethel to meet intimately with God once again and to influence his family. But, Jacob didn't go to Bethel, he went to Shechem.

In God-like fashion, there is an incredible message in a study of the names in this chapter. I find it most amazing that Leah's final three children all picture for us the final workings of Christ as He fulfilled the law for us. Issachar means "He is wages." Zebulun means "Glorious dwelling place." And Dinah, means "Vindicated." It was the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled the law and substantiated the truth. He is our wages unto eternal life. He entered "the glorious dwelling place" with His own blood, and He was vindicated by the Spirit through His resurrection. The law was fulfilled and New Testament grace, pictured by Rachel is now bestowed upon all of the people of the world who place their faith in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.

In v.2 of today's passage we read, "When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of the land, saw her, he took her and forced her to have sexual relations with him."

As mentioned before, Shechem comes from a verb which means to "rise early" and a noun which means "shoulder." The two words indicate the wisdom and diligence of a person. Shechem’s father, Hamor, means "a male donkey" which is an unclean animal, just as Gentiles are considered unclean to the Jews. The term Hivite means "villager," and it is related to the noun meaning "village" and the verb which means "to worship." These three names are given to connect us to Dinah and what happen in this chapter further.

Shechem was the son of Hamor, the ruler of the surrounding area. When Shechem saw Dinah, he wanted her. Shechem lusted after Dinah. Lust has as its focus pleasing oneself, and it often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one’s desires with no regard to the consequences. Lust is about possession and greed. This is what happens to someone who is not being defined by the Lord. Shechem was a place known for its ungodly people. In fact, the name of God does not appear even once in this chapter.

Hamor, the father of Shechem was a Hivite. In Genesis 10, we learned that the Hivite was a son of Canaan, who was the son of Ham. Canaan was the one cursed by Noah when Ham did something perverse to his father Noah. These people were Gentile people as opposed to the Jews in Jacob’s clan. They were Gentile because they were not defined by God. Sadly, after spending quite a bit of time around them, Jacob's family found themselves more defined by them than they were by the Lord.

Jacob and all other Jews were defined as such by God. The word Jew comes from the name Judah which means in its essence "Thank you!" Gratitude is a weapon against sin because the very attitude of gratitude keeps us close to the cross. Gratitude keeps our memory close to the powerful love of God that overcame sin and death once and for all humble enough to believe in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Thankfulness keeps us near to the Lord Jesus because it keeps us moving forward with the perspective He intended for our lives.

Genesis 33:16-20

For the Genesis 33:16-20 PODCAST, Click Here!

16 So that day Esau started back to Edom. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth. 18 Jacob left Northwest Mesopotamia and arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. There he camped east of the city. 19 He bought a part of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver. 20 He built an altar there and named it after God, the God of Israel. ~ Genesis 33:16-20

Today, we conclude our study of Genesis 33 where Jacob has been enrolled in God's school of sanctification. Jacob had seen God and he had been given a new name and a new limp but the benefits of his experience with God didn't appear immediately. Very often this is the case with our sanctification, I have found that the work that He is preparing me for later has to do with the lessons He is teaching me now. When this is the case, we have a hard time seeing the purpose behind our trials, but when we give Him time, He will make it clear to us. The growth that Jacob was realizing in his life resulted in reconciliation with his brother, Esau. Once Jacob encountered his brother, there was ample enough evidence that he had been changed by God. The most notable change was Jacob's servant attitude and his humility in relation to his brother. 

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 So that day Esau started back to Edom. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth."

On the same day they met for the first time in 20 years, Esau departed for home. Both were probably immensely relieved at the reunion and the end of their animosity that had driven them apart for so long. Esau returned to Seir, the land which means "hairy" a name akin to Esau which also means hairy. Hair in the Bible denotes awareness. Having met with his brother and having cleared up their differences, Esau returned to his normal life with a new awareness of God's work being done in his life.

Jacob journeyed to Succoth which gets its name from the  meeting between Jacob and Esau which pictured the first coming of the Lord Jesus. Succoth was east of the Jordan river and it was there that Jacob "built himself a house." Succoth was named in honor of the building of the tabernacles for his livestock, not his house! In Leviticus 23:34 we read, "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.'" The word translated "Tabernacles" is the word Succoth. This feast of the Lord pictures the dwelling of God with man. It pictures the day the Lord Jesus came and "tabernacled" among us. The house Jacob built pictures the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers who are known as the church in the New Testament.

Jacob's meeting with Esau represented the fact that the Lord Jesus came to remove that which was between us and God. Now that the enmity created by our sin before God is forgiven and removed from us, there is now peace between God and us. In his first epistle Peter tells us that God is now building a house of living stones. All who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ are the living stones that make up this so-called building of believers in Christ. This, perhaps is why so many wrongly refer to the church as a building. No where in the New Testament is the church a building for the church are the people.

In v.18-19 of today's passage we read, "18 Jacob left Northwest Mesopotamia and arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. There he camped east of the city. 19 He bought a part of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver." 

The name Shechem comes from a verb which means "to rise early." The noun form means "shoulder." These two concepts indicate wisdom and diligence. To rise early is indicative of having a good start to the day. Carrying a load on the shoulder also shows wise diligence. These two concepts point us to the Lord Jesus who arose from the grave early on Sunday morning who also and of whom the Scripture says, "The government shall rest on His shoulder."

Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem "in the land of Canaan." Canaan means "servant." It pictures the bringing of a once proud but now wise people into subjection to God. There are those who complain that God is power hungry. This could not be further from the truth, just look to the cross to smash that idea. God knows infinitely what is best for us and we do well to submit to His kind wisdom. 

Jacob "pitched his tent" before the city, in so doing, Jacob yet again pictured the Lord Jesus who came and tabernacled among us. This place was the spot where the Lord Jesus would later sit with in the presence of the woman who had six different men in her life and she was still empty. As her seventh man, the Lord Jesus offered the woman at that well living waters which would flow out of her continuously. This living water speaks of the personal relationship which God offers to all willing enough the believe. The woman at the well received the living waters and her life was dramatically changed that day in Samaria.

In v.20 of today's passage we read, "He built an altar there and named it after God, the God of Israel."

During the twenty years that Jacob was outside of the Land of Canaan, there is no record of him having built an altar. But now that his time of exile was over he had returned to the land of his fathers just as God promised him, he built an altar. Before Jacob left Canaan 20 years earlier, he made a vow to God that he would do something if God would protect him and return him home safely. The building of this altar was the fulfillment of Jacob's promise, proving that the Lord had been faithful to Jacob.

Jacob stopped in Shechem just 20 miles short of his target. Earlier in Genesis 28 Jacob vowed to return to Bethel but he stopped in Shechem where he stayed for 10 years before he moved on to Bethel, the place where he first met God. This was a bad decision because in Genesis 34 all kinds of horrible things happen to his children while in Shechem due to his procrastination and compromise. When we compromise, we give sin a greater capacity at pulling us away from God. And, before we know it we are diving into all kinds of sin and experiencing the effects of that sin. No one takes large leaps away from God. No, it is through a series of small steps that we find ourselves removed from God. And, it always begins with one small compromise which leads to another and yet another. And, before we know it, we discover sin has taken us to a place we could not have imagined was possible. 

All of this happened because Jacob forgot the message of the altar which is at the center of our sanctification. The altar was the place of the sacrifice. Being a "living sacrifice" is the product of growing in intimacy with God. And, this type of intimacy is only experienced by those who go through deep waters with the God of the Bible. The essence of sin is the self, and, when we follow the self, we will deviate from our sanctification every time. When we die to self, God is always faithful to usher us into deeper intimacy with Him. The way of the self is not the way of our Savior. His way leads us to selflessness or down the pathway of the servant of the Lord. 

Genesis 33:8-15

For the Genesis 33:8-15 PODCAST, Click Here!

8 Esau said, "I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them?" Jacob answered, "They were to please you, my master." 9 But Esau said, "I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have." 10 Jacob said, "No! Please! If I have pleased you, then accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me. 11 So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has been very good to me, and I have more than I need." And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift. 12 Then Esau said, "Let us be going. I will travel with you." 13 But Jacob said to him, "My master, you know that the children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14 So, my master, you go on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master, in Edom." 15 So Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my people with you." "No, thank you," said Jacob. "I only want to please you, my master." ~ Genesis 33:8-15

Today, we continue our study of Genesis 33 where we have been witnessing the sanctification of Jacob whose name had just been changed to Israel. In tandem with Jacob's name change, God gave him a limp that would remind him of his utter dependency upon Him for the remainder of his years on this earth. In addition to Jacob's sanctification, we have also witnessed the reunion of two brothers who were once enemies and now they have been reunited after being apart for twenty years. This is where God is leading us all, to be reconciled to Him and to one another.

In v.8-11 of today's passage we read, "8 Esau said, 'I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them?' Jacob answered, 'They were to please you, my master.' 9 But Esau said, 'I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have.' 10 Jacob said, 'No! Please! If I have pleased you, then accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me. 11 So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has been very good to me, and I have more than I need.' And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift."

The herds that Esau referenced here were the five droves of goats, rams, camels, cows and donkeys that Jacob was giving to him. Esau already knew that these groups of animals were gifts being given to him by Jacob because Jacob's servants had told him. However, he asked Jacob this question directly so that he could have an opportunity to refuse them. As Esau graciously refused the gifts, Jacob knew that he had found favor with Esau. People who have found the favor of God desire the favor of others, whereas those who seem to seek out conflict are themselves struggling with their own inner conflict. Hurt people hurt people.

Esau responded to the graciousness of his brother with the words, "I already have enough." The fact that Esau had more than enough to satisfy himself and his people proves he was not beyond the blessing of God. No one is beyond God's blessing. In Matthew 5:45 we read, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Oh, the selfless love of God known as grace. Everyone is a recipient of God's grace while on this earth. The question is: Will God's grace lead them into a personal relationship with Him? 

Sadly, it appears that the kindness of God did not lead Esau to repentance before Him for in Hebrews 12:16 we read, "Be careful that no one takes part in sexual sin or is like Esau and never thinks about God. As the oldest son, Esau would have received everything from his father, but he sold all that for a single meal."

In v.10 of today's passage, Jacob used an idiom found elsewhere in the Bible. Someone’s face being compared to seeing the face of God is to say that just as God favors them when His face shines on them, so it is when a person favors another. The high priestly blessing of Israel included, "The Lord make His face shine upon you." Jacob saw God’s favor to him in Esau’s favor extended to him. Jacob was learning to see the world through God's eyes as God continued to define him.

In this interaction between Jacob and Esau, we are reminded that when we repented from trying to be our own savior and we invited the Lord Jesus to be our only Savior, we demonstrated our understanding of the Father's acceptance of us through the Lord Jesus death on the cross. It was Adrian Rogers who once said, "Grace is God’s acceptance of us. Faith is our acceptance of God accepting us."

In v.12-14 of today's passage we read, "12 Then Esau said, 'Let us be going. I will travel with you.' 13 But Jacob said to him, 'My master, you know that the children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14 So, my master, you go on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master, in Edom.'"

In a sign of both acceptance of the gift and of a happy relationship restored, Esau offered to travel with Jacob, leading the way and helping him as they traveled. Despite Esau's offer, Jacob turned him down due to the fact that Esau would be slowed down by the needs of Jacob's family to not travel at a brisk pace. Jacob was a changed man who once was quite selfish but now was becoming more selfless. When we serve more, we take less. When we give more, we need less. When we are more grateful, we will want less. When there’s more of God in our lives, we tend to be more selfless. This is the point of our sanctification.

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "So Esau said, 'Then let me leave some of my people with you.' 'No, thank you,' said Jacob. 'I only want to please you, my master."

When Jacob declined Esau's first offer, Esau offered to leave some of his men with Jacob. This was a gesture of protection and help on his journey, but Jacob declined again. Jacob had all the help and servants he needed. A subtle picture that we are being given here is that as we tend to God's flocks on this earth, his people, we don’t need secular man’s help in the process. The people of God are God's flock, and His responsibility. If a church cannot sustain itself, it needs to close. If the mission isn’t productive, it needs to be ended. There is no reason that we should have to rely on the secular world to have God's business accomplished. 

Jacob was learning that it was the Lord who was His protector. This is what happens when we are being defined by the Lord. We begin to see life through His eyes. I'm reminded of that scene at the end of the movie, Bruce Almighty, when God played by Morgan Freeman asks Bruce the question, "What do you want?" Bruce surprised God when he answered, "Grace! I want her to be happy, no matter what that means. I want her to find someone who will treat her with all the love she deserved from me. I want her to meet someone who will see her always as I do now, through Your eyes."

Genesis 33:1-7

For the Genesis 33:1-7 PODCAST, Click Here!

1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. ~ Genesis 33:1-7

Today, we transition into Genesis 33. We live in a world which is constantly trying to divide us. When He came to this earth, the Lord Jesus said, "For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior." God is not the author of division. No, He is the author of reconciliation. But, we must be willing to yield our will in order to enjoy the reconciliation that He desires to give us. C.S. Lewis once said, "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'"

When man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, we were all immediately separated from God due to the entrance of sin in our existence. With the entrance of sin into this world, two paths were presented. One path, the path of Lucifer, is natural, easy to do, yet it leads to our destruction. The other is supernatural and it requires the brokenness our will to access. His path leads to eternal life. This path was earned for us by the Lord Jesus Christ who went to the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty that our rebellion created. 

In v.1-3 of today's passage we read, "1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother."

After 20 years, the long-awaited and greatly anticipated meeting between Jacob and Esau finally was to happen. Jacob had deceived Isaac and had stolen the blessing from Esau. As a result, Esau had threatened to kill Jacob as soon as their father was dead, so Jacob fled to Haran at the behest of his mother. Now, these many years later, still before the death of Isaac, Jacob was returning home as directed by God. As Jacob moved to the front of the line, he was noticeably limping, exposing his injury from the night before. His vulnerability had granted him a deeper intimacy with God and it would render a great reunion with his brother.

The many expressions of our brokenness are often useful at weakening our wills to the point that we might be strengthened in our faith in God. Faith is what we need to face our fears, even our fears of losing control to God. Faith is not the absence of fear but the courage to face our fears with trust in God. Like Jacob, with faith we have "crossed over" that place between the Esau's in our lives and ourselves. We must not placate or appease or impress those with whom we are at odds. No, we must choose to bless them. And we bless them by being ourselves, not by being someone we think they’ll like better. We must show up with our true selves, not our false selves. We come close to them, not to take, as the old Jacob, but to give, as the new Israel.

When Jacob divided up the families of Leah and Rachel, he unknowingly provided for us a picture. While Jacob was a picture of the Lord Jesus, Leah pictured the law, Rachel pictured grace, and their two maidservants pictured man's captivity to sin. And, their children represented the people of Israel as a whole. Jacob divided each up in such a way that the Gospel of the Lord was presented. Captivity to sin was pictured first by the maidservants, then came the law whom Leah pictured, and finally, pictured by Rachel, was the grace of God. Jacob, pictured the Lord Jesus as he went before them. 

Jacob bowed himself before his brother seven times. These bows half way down to the ground were a sign of respect to the older brother. Jacob's deference to Esau was striking especially in light of the blessing that he had stolen from Esau 20 years earlier. This story reveals to us man’s reconciliation to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is when we recognize that it is truly impossible to navigate our existence into eternity that we are prompted to run to the Lord Jesus for our salvation. 

In v.4-5 of today's passage we read, "4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, 'Who are these with you?' So he said, 'The children whom God has graciously given your servant.'"

In light of the fact that Esau was a picture of fallen man, this meeting pictures for us the coming together of the Lord and repentant fallen man. Reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son, this story reveals what is required for a sinner to be saved. It was Esau who initiated the embrace followed by the kiss. I think of Psalm 2:12 which reads, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

After their embrace, both Esau and Jacob wept. This is the heart of God and the glory of the gospel of the Lord Jesus who was so moved by the plight of the broken that even He wept over man's waywardness. The embrace between these once adversaries was largely due to the fact that Jacob consistently humbled himself to Esau. He consistently refers to himself as Esau's servant. In like manner, the Lord Jesus humbled Himself by coming as a descendent of Adam to be the Savior of all humble enough to believe in Him. And, although our justification before God depends solely on the Lord Jesus' death on the cross, our sanctification is largely realized by us as we consistently choose to humble ourselves before God.

In v.6-7 of today's passage we read, "6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down."

It is clear that Jacob could not have known the ultimate significance to how he aligned his family to meet his brother Esau but a careful look into their placement spells out the greatest story in the history of man on this planet. Most interestingly is Joseph mentioned before his mother Rachel in today's final verse. Further study of the Scriptures reveals that Joseph was a clear picture of the Lord Jesus Christ at that time. This accentuation of the name of Joseph and especially before Rachel is to show us the coming of the Lord Jesus born under the law for Joseph means "He shall add." It was He who went to the cross of shame and woe in order to fulfill the law and to remove the condemnation of the law from all who would trust in His finished work on the cross. Positioning Joseph before Rachel pictured for us how the Lord Jesus introduces the repentance sinner to the marvelous grace of God.