From schemer to worshipper

June 22, 2008

Genesis 35:1-15

• Jacob came from the line of Abraham and Isaac. It was foretold to his parents that he, not his twin brother Esau, would carry on the godly lineage. Even though Esau was the eldest, who usually carried on the family line, God chose Jacob from the womb to do so. Jacob’s parents knew about God’s choice yet each of them was disobedient concerning it (Genesis 25:27-28). Isaac favored Esau, while Rebekah favored Jacob.
• In chapter 22 Isaac had willingly placed himself on the altar of God as a sign of obedience. In Genesis 25 he trusted God to choose his wife. In Genesis 25 he knew how to pray and seek the mind of the Lord for his home. Yet with all these advantages going for him, he, because of favoritism, sowed seeds of discord and self-destruction that would plague his family for decades to come.
• Let’s pick this story up in Genesis 25:29-34. When you don’t trust God you’ll attempt to steal even that which God was planning to give you anyway. Jacob, his name means supplanter. As a schemer, he preys on his brother’s weakness to his flesh. He knew the story from his mother how God would give him the birthright, but instead of trusting the Lord, he relies on trickery and deception. In Genesis 27:11-24, Isaac is ready to hand down the family blessing. His wife overhears him telling Esau to hunt his favorite meal so she calls Jacob and devises a scheme to trick his father who’s blind and bedridden.
• Esau realizes he’s been tricked out of the blessing and vows to kill Jacob. Remember, he’s an outdoorsmen and Jacob is a homebody, so it wouldn’t be too difficult. His parents who caused this mess with their favoritism attempt to fix it by sending him away to his uncle Laban’s house. And on his way there the Lord spoke to him (Genesis 28:13-22). Jacob finds his uncle, falls in love with Rachel, but is tricked into marrying them both, which results in him to serving 20 years to his uncle. The very thing his parents did to him, he repeats in his relationships.
• Jacob loves Rachel more than Leah, so God opens her womb (Genesis 29:31-35). Rachel seeing this turns to scheming and not the Lord (Genesis 30:1-10). Afterwards a childbearing contest ensues. By the time they’re finished 12 sons and 1 daughter are born. Also, God did open Rachel’s womb and gives her children also. Jacob then breaks away after 20 years of servitude to his uncle, yet God says there’s unfinished business with Esau your brother whom you wronged all these years.
• Genesis 32:22-32 - He’s so afraid that he gets alone and wrestles all night with God. Some of us know that feeling. Afterwards, the Lord gives him favor with Esau (Genesis 33:3-10). Because Jacob has been living by his wits all these years, his scheming and worldliness has rubbed off on his children, which led to disaster – she’s raped (Genesis 34:1-4).
• Jacob’s sons are outraged that their sister was taken advantage of, so they, following dad’s footsteps, devise a scheme to get back at the city (Genesis 34:21-31); this brings us to chapter 35.

Chapter 35

V1-4

• Scheming and deception had brought Jacob much cattle, servants, and wealth, but with it came sorrow, pain, and disrespect from his children. There was no sign that he had known the ways of God, in fact he hadn’t heard from God until he wrestled with God. And so he doesn’t forget, God reminds him of his wayward ways through the lack of spiritual integrity of his kids; He does the same with us.
• His daughter is raped, his sons are mass murderers; Jacob’s family is falling apart. So what to do? Verse 1 - it’s back to where Jacob made those promises when he said Yahweh would be his God, Bethel is His house, and that He would honor God first with all that he gained. No matter how many times you fail the Lord, you can always go home if you repent. We’ve seen it with David, Peter, the prodigal, and Onesimus.
• Verse 2 - before reaching the house of God, there is some sanctification to God, as Jacob says, “Give me your idols, your trinkets, and everything that’s associated with past sins.” Jacob’s cleaning house, as he knows God does not permit any rivals for His worship. We are exhorted in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6 to avoid keeping the sin that has kept you down, as that will only hinder the Lord from lifting you up. Jacob understood this.

V5-12

• The Lord now gives him favor with the people who undoubtedly heard how his sons murdered their neighbors. God extends to them grace because of Jacob’s obedience. Rid of his idols, he’s back at Bethel or house of God. Not a moment too soon, his nanny dies. But instead of relying on scheming or human psychology, for the first time in a crisis we see the Lord speaking and not Jacob scheming. He even reminded him of his name change from Deceiver (Jacob) to Governed by God or Israel. He goes from con-man who schemes to prince of God that trusts. In verse 12 the Lord reassures him that the promise given before his birth will come to pass.

V13-15

• In verses 13-15 we see how a man can go from schemer to worshipper, as…
  1. 1. God speaks and Jacob listens (v13)
  2. 2. Jacob offers worship and God accepts (v14)
  3. 3. Jacob cries out and God listens (v15)
• No matter what you’ve done in the past, this story should bring you hope. No matter how bad your household is, this story should encourage you. If you instruct your household in the ways of God, He will protect you and your household, and receive them into His household. Amen!