Genesis 35:9-15 Israel is born!

Jacob is Named Israel

9After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel. ” So God named him Israel.

11And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. 12The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from him at the place where He had spoken with him.

14So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken to him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. 15Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

The reminder of the new name is important, Jacob came to Paddan-aram and God met Jacob and made him into a new man. God does the same thing with us, when we come to Him and accept Christ He makes us into a new man, (or woman) and slowly changes our heart into a heart of Christ.

“Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel. ”So God named him Israel.”

Israel is born!

“The next thing that came of it was a confirmation to Jacob of his title of prince, which conferred a dignity on the whole family. For a father to be a prince ennobles all the clan. God now puts upon them another dignity and nobility which they had not known before, for a holy people are a noble people” (Spurgeon).

Jacob had gotten rid of the idols in his family, finally followed Gods instruction of returning to the land of his fathers so God met him there.

What idols do you have?

Blessings, David 

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!

Psalm  23: 3 NLT 

3 He renews my strength. NLT

Cast sheep 

A sheep that has rolled over onto its back is called a "cast" sheep. It may not be able to get up without assistance. This happens most commonly with short, stocky sheep with full fleeces on flat terrain. Heavily pregnant ewes are most prone. Cast sheep can become distressed and die within a short period of time if they are not rolled back into a normal position. When back on their feet, they may need to be supported for a few minutes to ensure they are steady.

"As soon as I reached a cast ewe, my first impulse was to pick it up. Tenderly I would roll the sheep over on it's side. If she had been down for long, I would have to lift her into her feet. Then, straddling the sheep with my legs, I would hold her erect, rubbing her limbs to restore the circulation to her legs. This often took quite a little time. When the sheep started to walk again she often just stumbled, staggered, and collapsed in a heap once more.

When I read the story of Jesus Christ and examine carefully His conduct in coping with human need, I see Him again and again as the Good Shepherd picking up cast sheep.

And so He comes quietly, gently, reassuringly to me no matter when or where or how I may be cast down.

As with sheep, so with Christians, some basic principles and parallels apply which will help us to grasp the way in which a man or woman can be "cast."

There is, first of all, the idea for looking for a soft spot. The sheep that choose the comfortable, soft, rounded hollows in the ground in which to lie down very often become cast. In such a situation it is so easy to roll over on their backs.

In the Christian life there is a danger in always looking for the easy place, the cozy corner, the comfortable position where there is no hardship, no need for endurance, no demand upon self-discipline. " W.Phillip Keller 

Is it any wonder Jesus is referred to as "The Good Shepherd" and we are referred to as His sheep? We get comfortable in our walk with Christ, maybe a little lazy. We stop doing the things we should, letting our fleece get a little too long. Next thing we know we are down. We struggle, wrestle, flail. As hard as we try we cannot get up, not alone, not on our own. We need help. We need Jesus, The Good Shepherd. He lift us back up to our feet, restoring our strength, walking with us, carrying us if need be, until we are once again able to stand, walk and eventually run the race once again for Him.

Blessings, Cecilia 

Genesis 35:5-8 A terror from God!

5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. 6So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel,b because it was there that God had revealed Himself to him as he fled from his brother.

8Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth.

“a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities”... I wonder what that looked like? 

Think about it, a terror from God!

Jacob needed protection after his sons murdered Shechem and all the males of the city. The Canaanites hated Jacob and his family but God showed them compassion and grace after their sin.

“They came to Bethel, and I can almost picture the grateful delight of Jacob as he looked upon those great stones among which he had lain him down to sleep, a lonely man. Perhaps he hunted out the stone that had been his pillow; probably it still stood erect as part of the pillar which he had reared in memory of the goodness of God, and the vision he had seen. There were many regrets, many confessions, many thanksgivings at Bethel.” (Spurgeon)

Allon-bachuth, translates Oak of Weeping. We know nothing of Rebekah’s nurse other than she came with Rachel. By the name Jacob gave her burial plot we can tell she was part of the family and Rebekah cherished her.

God shows you compassion and grace too, after all He sent His Son to redeem you!

Blessings, David 

Genesis 34:25-31 The Revenge!

25Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

27Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field. 29They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.

30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me repugnant to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31But Simeon and Levi answered, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

“Crudely performed, circumcision could be quite incapacitating, particularly after two or three days” (Kidner).

The Revenge! Jacob’s sons slaughtered every male and his other sons looted the city!

“By way of making some amends for their sister’s defilement, with dastardly treachery they slay the whole of the Shechemites, and so bring the guilt of murder upon a family which ought to have been holiness unto the Lord.” 

“All was out of order, and threatened to become much worse. Even the heathen outside began to smell the ill savor of Jacob’s disorganized family, and the one alternative was—mend or end.” (Spurgeon)

“Jacob! You brought that trouble on yourself. You passed your own deceitful nature into your boys. You set them a constant example of guile. They heard you lie to Esau at Peniel and start northwest after he went southeast. They saw your interest in the fat pastures when you pitched your tent in Shechem. You said nothing when Dinah was violated… Talk to God about your own sin before talking to these boys about theirs.” (Barnhouse)

Simeon and Levi’s punishment didn’t fit the crime, it was excessive and ungodly.

Romans 12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

Have you taken revenge on someone?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 34:20-24 The Plan!

20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city: 21“These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them. 22But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are. 23Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”

24All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.

The plan, circumcise every male.  Hamor believed the painful operation was worth the risk it because there was much wealth to be gained from Jacob’s family. Shechem went along with it because he longed for Dinah.

“and every male of the city was circumcised”.

Jacob stood by and allowed his sons to carry out the plan. He was the head of the household and didn’t intervene!

Revenge for Dinah’s rape is coming!

Blessings, David 

Genesis 34:13-19 The Deception!

The Revenge of Dinah's Brothers

13But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. 14“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. 15We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males. 16Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people. 17But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

18Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

The Deception....the holy sign of Gods covenant with the Jewish people is going to be used for deception, ”that you become circumcised like us”....

Will this plan work?

Notice verse 19, “The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household,”... the rapist is the most respected!

There are people including the devil that use Gods word for deception. We need to be careful that we don’t do the same. Whatever the motive it’s wrong.

Have you ever deceived someone using Gods word?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 34:8-12 The rapist demands the victim!

8But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”

11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”

“Intermarry with us”, not part of God’s plan. How could the Messiah come forth from intermarriage with the Canaanite’s?

“You may settle among us”, this isn’t where God wanted Jacob to settle.

Shechem, the rapist demands the victim, “Only give me the girl as my wife!”

As I prepared for today’s study it occurred to me how the victim, Dinah was written about for a generations to read!

Locally our newspapers print arrests, with mugshots and alleged crimes of accused criminals but usually don’t provide personal information of the victims.

Deception and revenge is coming, stay tuned.

Blessings, David