Tues.’s Devo - Jacob’s Return

Read: Genesis 35:1-36:43; Matthew 12:1-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 3:21-26 God told Jacob to move to Bethel where he had built an altar to the Lord when he was fleeing from Esau. Jacob had everyone in his household get rid of all their pagan idols and changed their clothes to purify themselves. (I wonder if Rachel got rid of hers?) Jacob took the idols and buried them under a tree near Shechem. God put fear in the nations around them so they didn’t harm Jacob. Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried in the valley below Bethel. They mourned greatly for her. Jacob went on to Bethel and was met by God again. God changed his name to Israel and blessed him. He told him that His name was El-Shaddai which means “God Almighty”. Jacob would become a mighty nation - even nations would come from him. He was giving him the land he gave to Abraham and Isaac and to his descendants after him. Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God spoke to him. He poured wine over it and anointed the pillar with oil. He called the place “God’s house”. They moved on toward Ephrath. On the way, Rachel went into labor and was dying. The midwife told her it was a son and she named him Ben-anoi which means “son of my sorrow”. Jacob changed his name to Benjamin which means “son of my right hand.” Jacob returned to his father, Isaac and was there to bury him when he died. He was buried in the same burying ground that Abraham and Sarah were buried in. Esau had three wives who had children. When Jacob moved back home, Esau left and moved to the hill country of Seir. Esau’s sons became kings of nations. They were called the Edomites. In Matthew, the Pharisees watched every thing Jesus and his disciples did to find fault in them. When the Pharisees saw the disciples break off some heads of grain and eat them on the Sabbath, they accused them of harvesting on the Sabbath. When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, they accused him of work on the Sabbath. Jesus gave them examples of great men like David who broke the Sabbath for good reasons. He told them that God wants us to show mercy over sacrifices. Jesus was the lord of the Sabbath and what he said goes. Jesus explained that people were more valuable than law. Isaiah had prophesied that Jesus would cause justice to win and his name would be the hope of all the world. Lord may we be those who lead blameless lives, speak the truth from sincere hearts, refuse to gossip, honor the faithful and cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. May we stand firm forever.