Seeds Rarely Fall Far From The Tree Series

Seeds rarely fall Far from the Tree

Real consequences of our Sin

Cleaning house under God’s Providence

Consequences of sins in Jacob’s family

Have you ever known someone who was richly blessed in material things, in knowledge, in wisdom, in relationships?

What did that person claim as the reason for their success?

Was it themselves,

Was it their parents,

Was it the sweat of their brows,

Was it their education,

Was it their spouse,

Was it their community connections,

Or did they give credit to the only real source deserving of credit in any of our lives…Our Heavenly father God.

I like to think of myself as a good provider, I go out most years and bring meat back into our home to be used by our family and God’s family here at Dillingham Bible Fellowship.

But in myself, can I bring about anything?

Let’s walk with Jacob this week as he travels to Bethel under the protection of God.

Cleaning house under God’s Providence

Genesis 35:1-15

1And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. 2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

6So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 7And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. 9And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 14And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. 15And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

Jacob is commanded by God “Arise, go up to Beth-el.” God makes it plain to Jacob that the transaction that had lately taken place rendered it unsafe for Jacob and his family to

dwell any longer at the city of Shechem. It seems that while Jacob was reflecting on the horrible act of Simeon and Levi, and not knowing what to do, God graciously appeared to him, and commanded him to go up to Beth-el, build an altar there, and thus perform the vow he had made, Genesis 28:20, 22.

20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Even though Jacob’s sons had wrought folly in the land, God’s promise would endure because the transaction was one guaranteed by God.

Jacob honors God and shows outstanding stewardship in his command to his family--

Put away the strange gods—øëðä éäìà elohey hannechar, the gods of the foreigners, which were among them. Jacob’s servants were all Syrians, and no doubt were addicted more or less as a number in this current time are to idolatry and superstition. These gods might belong to them, or may have been those which Rachel stole.