Genesis 35

Two Deaths, A Birth, and a New Beginning

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16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. – Genesis 35:16-29 ESV

After worshiping God at Bethel, Jacob, now going by his new name, Israel, made his way to the town of Ephrah, better known as Bethlehem. But along the way, his wife, Rachel, went into labor, and gave birth to her second child. But her labor proved to be difficult and she failed to survive the delivery. Just before her death, Rachel was able to verbalize her choice for the baby’s name: Ben-oni, which means “son of my sorrow.” But Israel, while grieved by his wife’s unexpected death, chose to see the positive side of this momentous occasion, and named his new son, Benjamin, which means, “Son of my good fortune.” From his perspective, the loss of his wife was balanced by the birth of his son. His memory of Rachel would always be associated with Benjamin, the son of his good fortune. In a sense, Israel was glorifying the fact that God had brought life from death.

It should not be overlooked that, at one time, the formerly barren Rachel had demanded that her husband do something about her condition. She desperately wanted to bear a child and, somehow, held him responsible for her condition.

When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” – Genesis 30:1 NLT

While Jacob was incapable of doing anything about his wife’s dilemma, God graciously stepped in.

Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.” – Genesis 30:22-24 NLT

And it’s interesting to note that God also answered her prayer, providing her with “another son” as per her request. But while she had believed that her ongoing barrenness would be her ultimate undoing, it was actually the bearing of children that would result in her death. In a way, her barrenness had been a divine form of protection. She had survived her first delivery, but the second one proved to be deadly.

After having provided Rachel with a proper burial, Israel continued his journey to Bethlehem, where he settled for a time. And somewhere near Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” Israel would experience a devastating breakdown in family etiquette. Reuben, his firstborn son born to him by Leah, committed an act immorality with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.

Moses provides no explanation for Reuben’s actions. But, besides the obvious motivation of sexual satisfaction, there is probably more going on here than meets the eye. By committing incest with Bilhah, Reuben may have hoped to diminish her status in Israel’s eyes. With Rachel dead, Reuben’s mother, Leah, would have assumed the role of favored wife. And his illicit affair with Bilhah would assured that she was seen as damaged goods in his father’s eyes. But there is also a good chance that his actions were meant to declare his rightful role as the firstborn son and, therefore, heir to the role of leadership over the clan.

This kind of thing would not have been rare or unexpected. In fact, we see one of Israel’s descendants playing out that very scenario in the book of 2 Samuel. Absalom, the eldest son of King David, aspired to his father’s throne. So, Ahithophel, a former advisor to King David, gave him some advice that he guaranteed would help make his dream come true.

“Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines. – 2 Samuel 16:21-22 NLT

Reuben’s actions, while unexplained, were immoral and ungodly. And they mirror the behavior of Shechem, who allowed his lust to get the best of him and ended up raping Dinah, the only daughter of Israel. He eventually died for his behavior but there is no indication that Reuben faced any repercussions for his crime. In keeping with the inaction he displayed at Shechem’s defilement of Dinah, Israel did nothing to avenge his Bilhah’s honor. It appears that Reuben went unchallenged and unpunished for his actions, and his name appears alongside all the other brothers in the brief genealogy found in verses 22-26.

These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram. – Genesis 35:22-26 NLT

But there is more to the story than Moses relates. It is not until he penned the book of 1 Chronicles that Moses divulged the consequences for Reuben’s actions, and they were severe. Like Esau, Reuben threw away his birthright in a moment of passion.

The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph. – 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 NLT

His little fling cost him dearly. And if he had been hoping to prove his superiority over his father by forcibly raping his concubine, he had made an epic error in judgment. A mistake he would regret for the rest of his life.

But, while Reuben would pay dearly for his lack of judgment, he would hold no grudge against Joseph, his younger brother who inherited his birthright. In fact, as the story unfolds, it will be Reuben who attempts to protect the life of Joseph when his brothers plot to murder him.

But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. – Genesis 37:21-22 NLT

But that’s another story for another day. In this chapter, the defilement of Bilhah is followed by the death of Isaac. At some point, Israel made the long-delayed trip back to Hebron, to visit his aging father. And he made it just in time because, having lived 180 years, Isaac was knocking on death’s door.

With the death of Isaac, the entire focus of the narrative turns to Israel. the son of Isaac formerly known as Jacob. God was bringing the fulfillment of His promise full circle. It had passed from Abraham to Isaac and would now belong to Israel (Jacob). And as Isaac’s two sons buried his body, the stage was set for the next phase of God’s grand plan for the further fulfillment of His covenant promise to Abraham.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

What’s In A Name?

/ kdmiller55 / 1 Comment

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.

5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.

9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. – Genesis 35:1-15 ESV

Ten years earlier, when Jacob had been fleeing from Canaan to escape the anger of his older brother, he had stopped at Bethel. While there, he had been received a vision from God in which he was given a divine promise that he would be the inheritor of the Abrahamic Covenant. The promise given to his grandfather of land, a seed, and a blessing would be his.

“I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” – Genesis 28:13-15 NLT

Despite all that Jacob had done to deceive his brother, God had assured Jacob of His continued provision and protection. And on that occasion, Jacob had made a vow, stating that, if God kept His end of the bargain and returned him safely to Canaan, he would make his way back to Bethel and worship the one true God.

“If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”– Genesis 28:20-22 ESV

But ten years had passed since Jacob had left Paddan-aram. For an entire decade, he had failed to return to Bethel (the house of God) and worship. Instead, he had chosen to settle outside the city of Shechem, and that decision had resulted in the rape of his daughter, Dinah, by the son of the king of Shechem. And while Jacob had been prepared to make a peace alliance with Hamor and his clan, permitting the intermarriage of their people, his sons had chosen a different path. To avenge the dishonoring of their sister, they slaughtered all the men of Shechem and enslaved all the women and children of the city. And just as Jacob had feared, the rumors of this gruesome act spread to the surrounding nations, creating a permanent stain on Jacob’s reputation.

“You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!” – Genesis 34:30 ESV

But Jacob’s assessment of the situation was not quite right. Rather than painting a target on their backs, the actions of his sons had struck fear into the Canaanites.

…a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. – Genesis 35:5 ESV

God used the slaughter of the Shechemites to instill a fear of Jacob and his people. The surrounding nations refused to take up arms against the much small and relatively defenseless Israelites, leaving Jacob free to travel from Shechem to Bethel unmolested.

But sadly, Jacob’s return to Bethel had not been his idea. His first response after the debacle at Shechem had not been to seek God but to escape the scene of the crime. But Moses indicates that received divine directions, ordering him to “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau” (Genesis 35:1 NLT).

What Jacob did next is quite revealing. In preparation for their return to Bethel, he commanded his people to purify themselves, and this was to include the removal of all their pagan idols. Evidently, the household idols that Rachel had stolen from her father were not the only ones in the possession of Jacob’s people. And it appears that Jacob had tolerated their presence for ten years. Perhaps he had turned a blind eye to these pagan gods in the hopes that they might provide an additional source of security and blessing. But now that he was returning to Bethel, he knew it was time to clean house.

“We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” – Genesis 35:3 NLT

God had been faithful. Now, it was Jacob’s turn. So, with all his family and possessions in tow, Jacob slowly made his way from Shechem to Bethel, a distance of about 30 miles. Upon his arrival, Jacob obeyed God’s command and constructed an altar. Then he “named the place El-bethel (which means ‘God of Bethel’), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau” (Genesis 35:7 NLT).

It is important to note that, prior to building the altar and worshiping Yahweh, Jacob had taken the effort to purge his household of false gods and to purify themselves from the bloodguilt incurred by the slaughter of the Shechemites. It could be that God provided these instructions to Jacob so that the Israelites would not enter into His presence defiled and guilty of idolatry. There was a cleansing and a purging necessary before they could expect to enter into the presence of God Almighty.

On an interesting side note, Moses relates the death of Deborah, the handmaid of Jacob’s mother, Rebekah. She had accompanied Rebekah from Haran in Mesopotamia when Abraham’s servant had come seeking a wife for Isaac. Moses doesn’t reveal how she came to live with Jacob, but it could be that she joined him upon his return to Canaan and after the death of Rebekah. But this faithful servant of Jacob’s family died and Jacob honored her by burying her beneath an oak tree in a valley near Bethel.

For the second time since returning to the land of Canaan, Jacob received a divine message regarding his new identity. Upon his arrival back in the land, Jacob had camped beside the Jabbok River, where he had a physical and life-changing encounter with God. He literally wrestled with the Almighty, eventually receiving a debilitating injury and a blessing for his efforts. And God changed Jacob’s name in the process.

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” – Genesis 32:28 ESV

Now, as he stood before the altar in Bethel, Jacob received a second reminder that his name had been irreversibly changed by God.

God blessed him, saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. – Genesis 35:9-10 NLT

It would appear that Jacob had failed to use his new God-given name, choosing instead to retain his old one. And, in a sense, Jacob had retained many of the habits associated with his old name. To a great extent, he remained a trickster and a deceiver. But by reminding Jacob of his new name, God was reinforcing His intention to not only rename His servant but to renew and remake him. God had great things in store for Israel.

Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” – Genesis 35:11-12 NLT

The Abrahamic Covenant was officially passed down to the newly named Israel. As the grandson of Abraham, Israel was the rightful heir to the promise of a land, a seed, and a blessing. God was going to fulfill His covenant promise through Israel and his descendants. And it is essential to remember that one of those descendants would be Joseph, the only son born to Israel through Rachel. He will come to play a major role in the future of God’s chosen people. The other descendant of Israel who will factor into the fate of God’s people will be Judah, from whom the Messiah will come.

The stage is set and the future of Israel is secure. God has been working behind the scenes to prepare the way for the unfolding of His divine redemptive plan for mankind. And while the newly named Israel remains oblivious to God’s plans, he and his family will play a vital role in its fulfillment.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.