Fri.’s Devo- Jacob Returns Home

Read: Genesis 35:1-36:43; Matthew 12:1-21; Psalm 12:1-21; Psal 15:1-5; Proverbs 3:21-26 God told Jacob to move to Bethel and reestablish the altar to God he had set up when he was fleeing from Esau. Jacob told everyone in his household to get rid of their pagan gods and change their clothes. This was a call to return to God. Jacob had not led his family spiritually as the head of his household, but God was calling him to change that. Jacob took their objects of pagan worship and buried them under a tree in Shechem. (Remember they had destroyed Shechem and had taken the women and children from that town with them. No doubt, they had brought idols with them.) I wonder if Rachel gave up the household idols she had stolen from Laban. *** Jacob and his family came to Bethel and Jacob built the altar and named it Elbethel which means “God of God’s house.” *** The nurse, Deborah, who had taken care of Rebekah when she was a child, died. She was buried in Bethel. *** God appeared to Jacob and once again told him that he was to start using is new name, Israel. God also gave himself another name - El Shaddai which means “God Almighty.” He told him to be fruitful and multiply and he would become many nations. Kings would come from his offspring and he would be given the land God have to Abraham and Isaac. Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark its place and poured wine over it as an offering then anointed the pillar with olive oil. He named that place Bethel which means “house of God.” *** Jacob continued traveling and when he got close to Ephrath which means “fruitfulness”, Rachel went into labor and died having her son. She named him Benoni which means “son of my sorrow” but Jacob changed it to Benjamin which means “son of my right hand.” Jacob buried Rachel in Bethlehem. *** Jacob traveled on to Migdal-eder which means “tower of flock” and there Reuben slept with Bilhah who had been Rachel’s servant and Dan and Naphtali’s mother. This dishonorable act cost Reuben his birthright. *** Jacob finally made it back home. Isaac was still alive and lived a total of 180 years. When he died, Esau and Jacob buried him. *** Esau’s lineage is given. He had married the two Canaanite women which his mother loathed, then he had married a Hivitte and then his cousin on Ishmael’s side. He had 5 sons by these wives. From his descendants came princes and eleven clan leaders. They lived in the land of Edom and Seir. The kings of Edom were listed, also. *** In Matthew, Jesus was walking through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. The religious Pharisees saw this and accused them of harvesting grain on the Sabbath. (This was what Jesus called, ‘straining at a gnat to swallow a camel’) *** Jesus reminded them of what David did when his men were hungry. They broke the law by eating the shewbread that was reserved for the priests alone. He also reminded them of the work the priests do in the Temple every Sabbath. He told them they would have not condemned his disciples if they realized who was there among them and understood the scripture that said, “I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.” Then he told them that the Son of Man was Lord, even over the Sabbath.” I bet this ticked them off. *** Jesus went into ‘their’ synagogue and noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees were ready to charge him with blasphemy so they asked him if the law permitted them to heal on the Sabbath. He asked them if they would pull out a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath. They all would. So he compared the man to the sheep and said how much more valuable is a person than a sheep. Then he answered their question - yes, the law permits you to do good on the Sabbath. What could they say to that? *** Jesus told the man to hold out his hand and when he did, it was restored. This ticked them off even more. They wanted Jesus gone. Jesus knew this so he left that area. He continued to heal those who followed him and to fulfill Isaiah 42:1-4. *** Lord, may we do the things that you did and greater. May we not be afraid of opposition or threats. We see through the ministry of Jesus that you can protect and empower us like you did for him.