Today in our Dust to Life series in Genesis, we are coming to the close of Jacob’s journey back to his hometown, Hebron, the home of his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. On the way there, Jacob meets the God of the house of Bethel where God, once again, reassures Jacob, now called Israel, of the covenant promise and the blessing waiting for him and his descendants.
However, even though Israel was a changed man with a covenant promise from God, it didn’t spare him of the sorrows awaiting him on this path to promise. Let’s read from:
Genesis 35:16-29
16 Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. 17 And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son!” 18 And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set up a memorial stone over her grave; that is the memorial stone of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22 And it came about, while Israel was living in that land, that Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.
Now there were twelve sons of Jacob 23 the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s female slave, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had resided.
28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 Then Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
As we have been reading through Genesis and throughout the Scriptures for that matter, you may ask, “Why is the Bible so focused on dysfunctional families and quiet on harmonious ones?” Because, most families aren’t harmonious, people aren’t harmonious because we were all alienated from God and each other. This is a recipe for a hot mess as we see in this passage.
Even if we have made our peace with God and are part of His family, it doesn’t exempt us from having to face:
? Joys and Sorrows
? Twists and Turns
? Transitional Moments
What were some of Jacob’s:
1. Joys and sorrows
Rachel had been the absolute love of Jacob’s life. From the first day he met her, he had been crazy about her, single-handedly moving the stone from the well’s entrance so she could water her sheep. Then volunteering to work seven years for her hand—and laboring seven more years on top of that! He had shared the pain of her barrenness and the unexpected joy of Joseph’s birth. How sweet it was when she conceived again, and especially because it took place in the Promised Land! Though she was well along in her pregnancy, neither she nor Jacob expected any trouble when they left Bethel to travel south to Hebron where Israel’s father Isaac lives. This was their time to rejoice, but somewhere, just a few miles north of Jerusalem, tragedy fell.
As Rachel is giving birth, she experiences hard and severe labor pains. The midwife knows she is dying and was trying to comfort her by letting her know she was giving birth to a second son. In other words, God was answering the prayer that she prayed while giving birth to her first son Joseph (Gen 30:24). How ironic that as Rachel was bringing a new life into the world hers was ebbing away. As Rachel was breathing her last she named him Ben-oni (which can be translated: son of my sorrow, pain, or deception). But Jacob named him Benjamin, which can be translated - son of my oath, of my strength or right side.
What I find interesting in this passage is that they loved each other but as she is dying they are arguing over a name. There is no other conversation, no record of Jacob's emotional response to the death of his beloved wife. What might be going here in these last moments? Why these names?
Several ancient rabbis suggested there is a message being communicated behind these last moments. If you remember back when Jacob escaped from Laban his wife Rachel had stolen her father’s idols. Once Laban realized the idols were gone, he chased Jacob and accused him of stealing his gods. Jacob reacts angrily, and responds:
If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! (Gen 31:32)
The ancient rabbis' interpretation of what’s happening during the last moments of Rachel’s life is that Jacob is remembering his curse on Rachel - the one who stole the family idols. Rachel, knowing the guilt Jacob is suffering, names the baby Ben Oni - “the son of my deception.” Rachel was saying to Jacob - It was my fault. I was the one who stole from & deceived my father—not you.
But Jacob, now Israel, renames the child: Benjamin - son of my oath, because he believed it was his own oath that caused the tragedy. As they said goodbye to each other, Rachel was ensuring that Israel doesn’t live for the remainder of his life with guilt; Israel was ensuring that Rachel does not blame herself for her death. It was his fault, not hers.
Other scholars suggest Rachel was naming the boy, son of my sorrow, knowing she would die and not be there to raise him and Israel named him as a memory of the one who came from the woman he loved (son of my right hand). Whatever the case was, their last words to each other were to bring comfort because they loved each other and were trying to make sense of all that was happening. As Israel is mourning his wife’s death he is now forced to navigate some unexpected:
2. Twists and turns
(V. 22) Now that Rachel is gone, Israel’s oldest son Reuben commits incest with Bilhah, Israel’s concubine. It could be that Reuben sensed that with Rachel’s death, her servant Bilhah would become Israel’s favorite over his mother Leah. So Reuben seduced Bilhah to ensure that she wouldn’t rival Leah’s position making her a “living widow.”
Second, Reuben’s incest was also a claim of patriarchal authority over his father’s inheritance. In the Near-Eastern back then, the possession of the concubines of a man’s father or vanquished enemies validated succession. But Reuben tried to succeed his father by force and in the end this act actually disqualified Reuben from first born rights. Levi and Simeon were also disqualified because they murdered a whole village which angered and brought shame on their father, Israel. This left Judah as the next in line. Israel knew about the situation with Bilhah but said nothing for now. His sons were not turning out as he had hoped and life’s plot in this dysfunctional family was thickening with its twists and turns. But God's promise continued in spite of sin and death.
Just as Abraham had two sons and only one was the son through whom the promise would come, and just as Isaac had two sons and only one was the son through whom the blessing would come, so now Jacob has two wives (Leah and Rachel) and each has a son who can rightfully lay claim to be the promised inheritance. Israel faced joys and sorrows as a man, twists and turns because of the family dysfunctions, but at the same time he continued to seek God, the only steadfast, immovable, all-powerful, good and perfect Person in his life. It was because of God and His promises that Israel could face the:
3. Transitional moments
(V. 27) History tells us that Israel mourned Rachel till his death yet he continued his journey back to Hebron and his self-imposed wanderings had temporarily come to an end. He was returning in peace and prosperity to the land of his father and grandfather and God gave him 10 more years with his father Isaac. After Isaac’s death Israel and Esau came together to bury their father and his death, the death of his mom and her maid were the end of an era. Through all the joys and sorrows, twists and turns, and transitional moments it was God who guaranteed the promise to Israel’s family.
What can we take away from Genesis ch 35? What I saw is that often times, as God’s people, we try to present ourselves and our families in our “Sunday best.” We want people to be impressed by our “good manners,” and “problem-free” family life. We want to portray ourselves as model citizens, act like we never argue, never harbor bitterness, never have tantrums or meltdowns or sarcastic “episodes.” We don’t mention the stories in our lives that may taint our image and make us out to be too human.
First, God is not looking for picture perfect humans or families… He’s looking for people who are honestly and earnestly seeking after Him. Maybe God wants us to realize that life isn’t about us and putting on a good face, a good show. People aren’t the focus of the Scriptures like in many novels or movies. God is the One who is glorified in the Bible, He is the One we focus on as the object of our faith, He is the faithful One, the source of our strength and comfort. He is the one who we put our trust in in the midst of joys and sorrow, twists and turns and transitions in life. He is the hero of the story.
Our focus is on God - the one who can use anyone who is willing to surrender his or her life into His Hands for His purpose. Jacob’s family was far from perfect, but they were in a covenant relationship with a perfect, all-powerful God and in a place to experience and reveal His goodness, protection, grace and mercy for His glory and their good.
Second, life isn’t static - it’s full of transitions. Our situations change, our lives change, our locations change, our strength changes, our friends change, the world is always changing - but in the midst of that… are we as God’s people revealing the only One who never changes.
We started watching a marriage video series by Francis and Lisa Chan with another couple. What really struck me about them is that they were trying to let their audience know that they are ordinary people with struggles just like everyone else. Yet he was the pastor of a megachurch in California and resigned because he started hearing his name mentioned in church more than the name of God and the Holy Spirit. It became all about his amazing messages, his gifts as a pastor and that’s when he realized it was time to step down and just start developing leaders in small groups in homes with people willing to do the work of the Lord.
Life is not about us. God is just looking for ordinary people who are willing to surrender their lives to Him so that His name will be lifted up in the earth. People who desire to advance His Kingdom. Everything we do as a church, as imperfect people as members of His family will be used to point others to Christ and bring people into His Kingdom. If we are willing, God can use us in His plan to take people from dust to life - in His path of promise. Let’s pray.
