Episode 302 - "Jacob returns to worship the LORD at Bethel" - Genesis 35:1-4

Gen. 35:1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. 3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

Do you recall when Jacob fled the land of Canaan to escape his brother Esau? He had lain down, fallen asleep, and had a dream of angels of God who were ascending and descending a stairway to heaven, with the LORD at the top of the stairs making promises to Jacob. Jacob’s response the next day was to make a vow concerning three things: first, “then the LORD shall be my God” (Gen 28:20-21), second, he would set up a stone as a pillar and it shall be God’s house (Gen 28:22), and third, he would give a tenth of his worth to the LORD (Gen 28:22). That’s important to remember because after twenty years, the LORD has fulfilled all of his promises, and effectively directs Jacob to fulfill his vows.

When Jacob told his family to get rid of all their gods, Jacob is demonstrating that he is serious about his dedication to the LORD alone. At this point, the one person we know who had a household god in their possession is Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife. She stole the household gods from her father. I think this suggests something about Jacob’s faith, as I suspect that he strongly suspects or knows that Rachel had those gods. Jacob wants to demonstrate that he will not tolerate other gods in his household.

Furthermore, when he instructs his household to give up their gods, he explains that he will build an altar “to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone” (Gen 35:3). He is testifying about what he has witnessed in the LORD’s actions. It seems to me that this protracted story of Jacob provides a lesson of what faith looks like. First of all, faith isn’t some feeling that one works up inside themselves. Jacob did not appear to trust the LORD when he pulled the deception with his father to get the blessing. The LORD revealed himself to Jacob, and Jacob responded by listening and giving that revelation consideration. Over time, Jacob recognized that the LORD was following through on his promises to be with him wherever he went and to protect him and, ultimately, to bring him home. This confession of his in Genesis 35 is the culmination of God leading and strengthening Jacob’s trust and commitment to the LORD. Some people appear to have a dramatic moment of decision and awareness, where there’s an apparent radical change in them. That may be valid. But in cases like that, it’s difficult to discern what the LORD has done to bring them to that point. In the story of Jacob, the story is really about God’s loving patience in forming Jacob’s faith and guiding him, letting him mess up, worry, and fail. But he doesn’t give up on Jacob. He stays with him and delivers him back home to a peaceful reunion with his brother and finally, to an opportunity to hear himself confess what he has learned about the LORD and to share that with others.

Jacob tells the people in his household to put away their foreign gods, purify themselves, and to change their garments. What is this about? Jacob is now taking what he’s learned about the LORD and leading his household toward an awe of the LORD. He’s saying, “We can’t worship other gods! The LORD is our God.” By example, he is teaching them to have a reverent worship of the LORD because he is trustworthy and holy.

What was their response? We don’t know if any of them had a dramatic conversion experience. But it seems evident that they gave attention to the revelation they were given by Jacob. They obeyed his command to give up their gods and, the text says, “the rings in their ears” (Gen 35:4). I’m not sure about the significance of their giving their earrings. At the very least, it’s symbolic of them forfeiting their possessions of value or identity. They are taking a step toward the LORD without fully understanding everything.

This has tremendous significance for people today. None of us should think we ever have God figured out. Yet, the LORD has chosen to give us revelation about himself through the Scriptures and, most of all, through the life of Jesus. May each one of us be like Jacob and pay attention to it. May we not dismiss it and disregard its value like Esau did with his birthright. Let the LORD lead us to a deeper trust in him each day. We will fail at times and insist on doing things our own way. But the LORD is faithful and will not abandon us. As we understand his patience, compassion, mercy, and grace to us, may we not only confess what we’ve learned to others, but lead others to his self-revelation as well.