September 19 Sermon: The Continuing Promise

Think on these questions as we look at Genesis 35:1-29:

1. How does Jacob's journey in Genesis 35 highlight the ongoing struggle between faithfulness and human sinfulness in the midst of life's challenges?

2. What significance do you see in the removal of idols and the call for purification as Jacob and his household prepare to go to Bethel?

3. Reflecting on the experience of loss in Jacob's life, how does this narrative illustrate the tension between God's blessings and the harsh realities of living in a fallen world?

Transcript:

Life is filled with blessings but life is also filled with many struggles. In our lives we know that we will come in contact with suffering because we live in a fallen, sin cursed world. As happy as you are in any given moment and as sure as you are of God’s blessings we know that life can be difficult. Sickness and disease could be around the corner. An accident could happen and tragedy could bring us feelings of loss and pain that we would find difficult to bear. There are ways in which to respond to these things. I’m guessing that you know people who have encountered these kinds of hardships and it has caused them to turn their back on God. They don’t understand how he could allow such a thing to happen and in looking for someone to blame God becomes an easy target. Others, find that instead of running away from God they run towards him and find in him the comfort that they need.

‌In pastoral ministry and chaplaincy work you have the opportunity to come into contact with people who are experiencing some of the most difficult times in their lives. There is an unbelievable blessing that comes from those who are able to look you in the eyes and in spite of the difficulties they are facing they tell you that they have been blessed and whatever comes their way, they trust in God and the salvation he has given them in Jesus.

‌As we wrap up our current stretch in Genesis with Jacob we find ourselves at a place where we see Jacob receiving a blessing and seeing a confirmation that the hand of almighty God is upon him, but then we find ourselves at a place where this one who has the blessing of God on his life loses his father and his beloved wife. How can this be? Shouldn’t the blessed one who is the one through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed be immune from bad stuff. He’s come so far in his faith and reliance on God. Shouldn’t his new address be on the corner of Prosperity Avenue and Easy Street? What we see displayed for us here in chapter 35 of Genesis is the truth that ultimately this world is not our home and our hope is not in the things or people of this life but in the God who holds us and cares for us.

‌As we come into this chapter we will once again break it down into three points.

‌The first point that we will notice coming out of the text at us is that Jacob has all the idols removed from his household. Now, you were likely knocked back a little when we read this and found that there will still idols among them. Shouldn’t they have gotten rid of all those things? Well, old habits die hard and sin prevails but we see that as the covenant is confirmed with Jacob he is to remove those things and move forward in faithfulness.

‌Secondly, we see that God is faithful to Jacob. Now, we’ve had nothing but evidence that God is caring for Jacob but as the story continues we are seeing the protection that God gives to Jacob and his people.

‌Finally, we are going to see the loss of two very important people in Jacobs life. Rachel and Isaac die. We have just seen the protection that God gives Jacob but two significant people in his life die, one of them unexpectedly. As blessed as Jacob is, the blessings are not about this life and his personal happiness and prosperity. They are about God and how he keeps his covenant with his people.

‌And so, we drop into our first point and find that there are still some idols sitting around in the tents of Jacob.

‌Now as we approach this story it is very important that we remember what happened in the previous chapter. Shechem violated Dinah and using the ritual of circumcision the sons of Israel deceived the people of Shechem and killed all the men in the city as vengeance for what was done to their sister. If you remember back the chapter concluded with Jacob concerned with how the people in the area were going to view him. His concern wasn’t that had used the covenant sign of God for his covenant people to enact vengeance on the people of Shechem but how they were going to be perceived by the people around them. Now, you can honestly understand his concern. I’m guessing the people who heard about what happened in Shechem didn’t think too highly of it and likely had thoughts of how they would be sure to get Jacob before his people could attack them. It is truly a significant concern to have here and so the idea of God’s protection was certainly on his mind.

‌With all this in the background we find that God speaks to Jacob. We know that this isn’t the first time that God has spoken to him but we are now seeing God speak to Jacob in the land and he is giving out very specific instructions. He is told to arise and go to Bethel and they are to dwell there. They are going to establish themselves at the place where God had revealed himself to Jacob. Remember, Beth-el means house of God. Jacob is to return to where the presence of God was manifested to him. God is calling him to where he wants to be and we see that he is instructed to make an altar there. He is going to make a sacrifice in this place where they are called to dwell. They will live there and they will worship God there. God has appeared to him before. This is where God came down the ladder to him. This is an important place and so Jacob hears the word of the Lord and so he is going to obey but we see that Jacob knows there is an issue. He commands everyone in his household and all that are with them to put away their foreign gods. Now, remember back to the story of Laban pursuing Jacob after he had left. Rachel had stolen those household idols. They were idols that they believed brought their households good luck and it was a reminder to us that paganism still ran deep. They were the covenant family. God had called Jacob and been faithful to him but they just couldn’t let go of their rituals. After all that God has been faithful to do for Jacob you would think this would have been remedied a long time ago but just as you and I have sins that beset us and we struggle to fully put them aside, the idolatry in the household of Jacob remained. As they are faced with this command from God Jacob commands them to finally throw those idols to the curb. We don’t know why he hasn’t done this before but now he is telling them to do so but he has another command for them. They are to change their garments. What’s the deal here? Did Judah and Levi come to the car and they didn’t have matching socks on? Was there an argument about what proper church clothes are? But Dad I know that when someone else went to Beth-el their mom let them wear a brown robe with sandals. This isn’t about style. It is about putting on clothes that are clean. The idea is going befroe the presence of God as one who is clean. Some believe that this was not just a matter of running back to the closet and getting better clothes on. Likely this is all a part of this idea of them purifying themselves. It likely included bathing and sexual abstinence. They are preparing to follow the commands of God and it is a time of purification and that involves getting the idols out of their lives and becoming clean and set apart. The idea her is that they are repentant as a people and once they have done this they will head to Bethel.

‌Notice what Jacob says here. This is an important testimony of faith here. They are going to make an altar to God who answers him in the day of his distress and he has been with him wherever he has gone. Remember, Jacob has not been a picture of faith this whole time we’ve seen him. He’s been a deceiver and a scoundrel. He’s had issue upon issue that show a lack of faith and display his unbelief. Still, in the midst of his failures he has seen the faithfulness of God. The promise that is upon him isn’t about the faithfulness of Jacob because, if it was, that would have been long over many years ago. It is about the faithfulness of God and we see here that Jacob gets it. God has been faithful to him.

‌And so, we see that Jacob’s family hears what he is saying and they bring him the idols and the rings in their ears. The reason they give Jacob the rings are because they were elements associated with pagan worship. They are not only giving up the idols themselves but the other little things that connect them to worship of something other than almighty God. You get the idea. This is a complete repentance but then you read the final line of the verses here for our first point and you might think Jacob isn’t all that serious because he takes all this stuff and hides it under a tree. He didn’t just tuck it on the other side of a tree or in a knot hole. This is a burial. It is getting rid of them and keeping others from getting them. He wants his family to have nothing to do with these false idols.

‌And so the family of Jacob is prepared to go to Bethel and so we move on to our second point. We see that God is confirming his faithfulness to Jacob.

‌And we see that faithfulness displayed immediately. As they went the cities fell into terror of Jacob. He had been worried that the people would come after them but as they traveled God caused fear to be upon them regarding Jacob. They did not pursue them. What Jacob feared did not come to pass because the Lord God had his hand of blessing upon him. They arrived and they build an altar and the nurse of Rebekah dies. We don’t know why this is brought up. Why was the nurse of Rebekah with Jacob and his family? Perhaps Rebekah had sent her to help serve him we don’t know. In the passage it seems to serve as a way to orient the readers to what the names of the various areas around Bethel are and how they got their names.

‌‌But the important part of the text has God appearing to Jacob again and he reminds him of his name change. We initially saw this name change in the morning after Jacob had wrestled with God but here we are reminded of that name that he has given him and then we have a very interesting statement. He says I am God almighty be fruitful and multiply.

‌Wait a second.....Jacob’s nearly an old man by this point. He has been fruitful and multiplied. He has 12 kids. What is this? Notice the switch that has happened through the declaration of the names. You are Jacob but Israel shall be your name. Jacob’s name is Israel but the nation that comes from him is now known as Israel. They are to be faithful to this command from God. We have heard the command to be fruitful and multiply many times in Genesis and now it is being commanded once again to Jacob and more importantly his offspring. And in the process of obeying this command a company of nations will come from them and kings will be from his offspring. And then we get a confirmation of the land promise. They will receive the land that God gave to Abraham and Isaac. All of this is once again confirmed to Jacob. It is the continuing promise and it will continue beyond him and to his offspring and so Jacob once again made a landmark so that those who come after him will be reminded of the promises of God and he confirms the name once again as the house of God, Beth-el.

‌And once again we have a point in the story where it sort of feels like we’ve arrived. We’ve had this throughout the book of Genesis. We feel like the people we’ve been following finally get it and things will finally be good and perfect but as always these high points don’t last too terribly long.

‌As we move on to our final point we see that there is loss in the family of Jacob.

‌The first thing we find is that this nomadic family continues to move and we sort of see a surprise in the story. You may have not noticed that we haven’t come to the 12th son of Israel yet. Benjamin hasn’t been born. We haven’t read that Rachel is pregnant but suddenly we discover that she goes into labor and as she hears she has another son she calls him Ben-oni and dies. Which means son of my sorrow or son of strength. We see that Jacob immediately changes his name to Benjamin, which means son of the right hand. Now, it seems to us rather disrespectful to change the name a mother gives but likely the change was so that he would not have to say this sons name and consistently be reminded of his sorrow any more than he already would be. He has lost Rachel. The wife that he labored for 14 years. The one that he loved on first sight.

‌And so, despite the blessing of another son and despite the promised blessing upon him there is sorrow in the house of Israel and we once again see a landmark. But the family continuest to sojourn on.

‌It is at this point that an interesting aside in the story is given.

‌‌Reuben goes into lie with Bilhah, who was one of Jacob’s concubines and we read that Israel heard of it. One sentence and a whole lot of questions, right? This is a passing statement but we will hear of it again later on in the story of Genesis. Reuben is the first born but his claim to the birthright is taken away because of this. We aren’t going to dwell on this today but it will come back and we’ll have to remember this strange aside at a later time.

‌And so back to the main story we go. We have the sons of Jacob listed and then we Jacob coming to Isaac and we see that he dies. He is gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

‌Jacob seemed to have arrived and in a few short verses we are reminded of the pain of the curse. For all the promises made to Jacob the sting of death has not yet been removed. That promise is yet to come. Jacob is a hero of the faith but he is not the hero of the faith. He is in the line to the seed of the woman but he is not THE seed of the woman. He is still subject to the curse but God is doing something. Through this family that has displayed sin and deception and missteps at every turn God is going to bring the one who will once and for crush the head of the serpent and bring salvation to his people. The sting of the curse is on display as this chapter concludes but we can look forward knowing that the promise was truly fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ and while we will still have pain in this life we can know that the pain of the curse is ultimately soothed in the pain Christ suffered at the cross and in the victory of his resurrection from the dead.

‌And so the people of God have been on an interesting journey in this passage we have looked at this morning but as God’s people today what do you and I do with this story.

‌I would like us to come away from the passage today with two applications as we head out to serve in God’s world this week.

‌The first is to pursue repentance. At the beginning of this chapter we saw Jacob and his household burying their idols and purifying themselves as they prepared to go to Bethel. In the first of the 95 theses Martin Luther nailed to the door of the castle church at Wittenberg he stated that the Lord Jesus Christ when he called us to repent willed that the entire life of believers should be one of repentance. To repent means to change your mind. To understand your sinfulness and reject your own righteousness and instead pursue the righteousness of Christ. There are no days in our lives where we don’t need to turn from sin. What idols are there in our lives? Where do we need to purify ourselves? Have we, like Jacob, been complacent with the things that are sinful in our lives and around us? The answer is, yes, we have and we need to be honest with ourselves and seek to bury those things and instead seek out holiness. This is hard because the pull of the world is so terribly strong. To do this we must be seeking the Lord where he is found and that is in his word and we must trust the Holy Spirit to be at work to convict us of areas of sin and unbelief in our lives so that we can seek to purify ourselves of them and instead pursue the things of God.

‌The second things that I want us to remember from this passage is the pain that reality of life in a fallen world can bring. Jacob is the blessed one of God and yet he experiences loss and hardship. He isn’t pulled from the world. His loved ones aren’t immune to sickness and death. Life is still hard, even for the ones who are blessed by God. Because of this we must always remember that our hope is not a hope in the things of this world. We will still experience pain and loss. Suffering is a very real reality on this side of glory. To prepare ourselves for this we must continually remember the one who defeated the curse for us. He is the one who abides with us in the midst of pain and loss and we know that he knows what we experience. He wept at the tomb of a friend. He lived among those who needed healing. He felt the real struggles of what we experience in this fallen world and he went to the cross to experience very real pain and suffering to rescue us from it. And so, whether you are in grief from loss or whether you are thinking yourself of how to live well and finish the race faithfully we keep our eyes not on the things of this world but on the one who is seated at the Father’s right hand. The one who is victorious over sin, death, and hell.

‌o seek the Lord Jesus Christ for he is the one who leads us all the way home. His promise continued through the people of God in Genesis and that promise that was fulfilled in Jesus is our only hope as well.