The Bethel Journey

THE BETHEL JOURNEY

PART 2 OF A 2 PART SERIES ON JACOB

GENESIS 35: 9-10

FOCAL POINT: WHAT IS IN A NAME?

INTRODUCTION:

THE OLD TESTAMENT RECORDED SEVERAL NAME CHANGES AND THE NEW TESTAMENT RECORDS ONE SPECIFICALLY (SIMON TO PETER) A NAME CHANGE GENERALLY INDICATED A CHANGE OF CHARACTER AND SOMETIMES A CHANGE IN DIRECTION OR MISSION IN LIFE.

A NAME CHANGE IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE IN OUR SOCIETY OR OTHER SOCIETIES. NAMES MANY TIMES CONVEY AN OBJECT OR MEANING. NOTABLE CHANGES GOD MADE IS ABRAM TO ABRAHAM, JACOB TO ISRAEL, AND SARAI TO SARAH. JESUS CHANGED SIMON’S NAME TO PETER. NOTABLE MAN MADE CHANGES ARE DANIEL TO BELTESHAZZAR, GIDEON TO JERUB-BAAL, HADASSAH TO ESTHER, HOSHEA TO JOSHUA, JOSEPH TO ZAPHNATH-PAANEAH, AND NAOMI TO MARA. PAUL WAS ALSO NAMED SAUL. THIS LIST IS NOT COMPLETE BUT THE POINT IS MADE. . NAME CHANGES CAME FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

EXPOSITION ON GENESIS 35: 9-10

GOD RENEWED HIS EVERLASTING COVENANT (ABRAHAMIC COVENANT) WITH JACOB AT BETHEL. REFERENCE GENESIS 15: 1-21.

JACOB WAS ON HIS JOURNEY BACK HOME TO BETHEL. WHEN HE ARRIVED THERE, HE BUILT AN ALTER UNTO THE LORD AND CALLED IT “EL-BETHEL-THE LORD OF THE HOUSE OF GOD”. REF: GENESIS 35: 7 WHAT A JOURNEY! BACK INTO THE ARMS OF THE LORD!

GOD REMINDED JACOB OF HIS NEW NAME ISRAEL (HE WHO STRUGGLES WITH GOD-OR HAVING POWER WITH GOD). JACOB’S PAST WAS NOT EXACTLY STELLAR. HE MADE MANY MISTAKES. NEVERTHELESS, THE NEW NAME (HE WHO STRUGGLES WITH GOD-HAVING POWER WITH GOD) WAS PROMISING. NOTICE THAT GOD BLESSED HIM; WHAT COULD BE MORE PROMISING THAN A DIRECT BLESSING FROM GOD?

SOME TEACH THAT LIFE SHOULD BE A CAREFREE WALK THROUGH THE PARK WHEN A YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN. WHEN REALITY SETS IN, THEY QUICKLY BECOME DISILLUSIONED AND DROP OUT OR SET ON THE SIDELINES AS A SPECTATOR. JACOB WAS BLESSED, HIS NAME CHANGED, AND THINGS BEGAN TO HAPPEN AFTER A COMPLETE DEBACLE IN A PLACE NAMED SHECHEM (PLACE OF BURDEN). DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE, HOWEVER DISAPPOINTING, CAN GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH IN YOUR SPIRITUAL WALK. YOU WILL NEVER PREVAIL IN GOD UNLESS YOU HAVE TROUBLES TO PREVAIL OVER! AS ONE OLD SAGE STATED, “PROBLEMS ARE BUMPS IN THE ROAD”. JUST KEEP ON CLIMBING!

“IF ONLY WE YIELD OURSELVES WHOLLY AND UTTERLY TO THE HAND OF GOD, OUR LIVES WHATEVER THE PAST MAY HAVE BEEN SHALL BE MONUMENTS, MIRACLES, MARVELS OF THE GRACE OF GOD.” THOMAS

APPLICATION:

BELIEVER, REVELATIONS 2:17 INDICATES YOU WILL HAVE A NEW NAME, PRESENTLY UNKNOWN TO YOU. YOU FIND OUT WHAT THAT NAME WILL BE BY KEEPING YOUR SIGHT OF EL-BETHEL, THE LORD OF THE HOUSE OF BETHEL

REF: NKJV STUDY BIBLE BY RADMACHER, ALLEN & HOUSE, LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE, TSB BY WARREN WIERSBE, BIBLE ANSWERS TO ALMOST ALL YOUR QUESTIONS BY ELMER TOWNS, DR. CONSTABLE’S NOTES ON GENESIS, BLUELETTERBIBLE.ORG, GOTQUESTIONS.ORG