Genesis 35:27-29 Gathered to his people.

The Death of Isaac

27Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt.

28And Isaac lived 180 years. 29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

From these verses we don’t know how much quality time Jacob was able to spend with Issac before his passing or if he blessed Jacob again. But we know Issac was 180 years old and full of years.

What does gathered to his people mean? 

"Gathered" (Hb. acaph) is defined as "to be collected, gathered together . . . used of entering into Hades, where the Hebrews regarded their ancestors as being gathered together. This gathering to one's fathers, or one's people is distinguished both from death and burial" (Gesenius' Hebrew And Chaldee Lexicon, p. 626). 

William Wilson commented, "To be gathered to his fathers, is a peculiar phrase deserving notice; it is distinguished from death which precedes, and from burial of the body which follows: Gen. xxv. 8; xxxv. 29; 2 Kings xxii. 20. It seems to denote the being received by his own people, or among them. We read in the N.T. of being received into Abraham's bosom, or of sitting down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, as at a feast; so that to be gathered to his own people, is to be with them in joy or torment in Hades" (Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies, p. 182).”

One of my favorite memories when performing visitations with the veterans at the ASVH was telling them I looked forward to sitting down with them in the kingdom of heaven at the Lords feast. 

Notice the end of verse 29, “And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”

I wonder what their reunion was like? 

Blessings, David 

Genesis 35:21-26 Tower of Eder

The Sons of Jacob

(1 Chronicles 2:1-2)

21Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

26And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher.

These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Reuben the first born son, we would have expected better behavior from him. Jacob heard about it and what did he do? We read nothing of consequences in these verses. 

The dysfunctional family continues but God chose to use then because of grace.

“We are greatly amazed in reflecting upon the event as a whole that descendants of the worthy patriarch Abraham should almost immediately after his time already have sunk to the level upon which Jacob’s sons stand in this chapter.” (Leupold)

https://biblehub.com/library/leupold/exposition_of_genesis_volume_1/chapter_xxxiv.htm

What is the Tower of Eder? "the tower of the flock"

https://bibleatlas.org/eder.htm

Blessings, David 

Genesis 35:16-20 Rachel’s Tomb.

Benjamin is Born, Rachel Dies

16Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. 17During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”

18And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.

19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.

Ben-oni; son of my sorrow.

Benjamin; son of my right hand.

Genesis 30:1 (ESV)

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!”

Both came true, she had children and died as a result of giving birth.

“Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.”

Have you made plans for your end of days? 

Blessings, David 

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