Are you a Jacob or an Israel? Genesis 37:12-17 NLT

SHECHEM 

This is the same place that Jacob,  camped  on his return from Paddan-aram. Here he bought a parcel of land from the sons of Hamor, the Hivite prince of the area, and built an altar to El-Elohe-Israel (God, the God of Israel;  Gen 33:18-19 and  34:2). Shechem defiled Jacob’s daughter Dinah, and this resulted in a formal agreement between the Shechemites and Israel to permit intermarriage between the two peoples. Simeon and Levi, however, took revenge, killing Hamor and Shechem and all the males, plundering the city and taking captive all the women and children with their possessions ( ch. 34). 

There seems nothing strange about this errand, except Joseph’s brothers were in  Shechem, a place where this family was influenced and harmed by worldly influences. 

(Excerpted in part from Bible Gateway) 

Why would Jacob send his sons back there? As we see, in this portion of scripture, God is once again calling him Jacob, not Israel. Does this mean again that Jacob was in a time of his life where he wasn't following God's leading? 

Are you a Jacob or an Israel? Are you in Shechem or Canaan? 

Genesis 37:12-17 NLT 

12 Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem.  13 When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.” 

“I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied. 

14 “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebron. 

15 When he arrived there, a man from the area noticed him wandering around the countryside. “What are you looking for?” he asked. 

16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are pasturing their sheep?” 

17 “Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there. 

Blessings, Cecilia