Return to Bethel and Renewed Promises (Genesis 35: 1-15)

God Reveals Himself to those who Sacrificially Obey

Main Point: God reveals himself to those who sacrificially obey him.

Connection/Tension

I think a question we can ask from time to time about our faith is, “is it working?” By that we mean, is this a net gain for my life? Do I feel like life is easier or more fulfilling because I’m following Jesus?

And since often our lives fail to meet our expectations, we feel a temptation towards resentment at God or even the desire to leave his presence and to “try” something else.

What should we do if we ever feel this way? What if we feel like Jesus just isn’t enough or the life of following him is not meeting our expectations?

Context

Before we jump in, just a word about where we are at in the story: Jacob’s family has done it again! Before, Jacob enraged his brother to the point of murder through his deceit. Now, two of his sons, Simeon and Levi, killed the entire city of Shechem because he violated their sister. According to Jacob, this put his family at risk from attack from other surrounding tribes by making him out to look like a killer and a plunderer, thereby making his presence threatening to them (Gen 34:30). As they were perhaps beginning to lay plans to wipe this family from the earth, this happens,

God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

·       “Arise, go” = flee from danger. When made wreck of life, God steps in, gives direction.

·       We are the cause of own demise à God provides a pathway out through trust + obedience

·       Calls him back to the place of provision + rescue (not how God acted, but always acts).

·       Calls for alter b/c God gives Jacob his life, but wants Jacob to offer back up to him.

2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.

·       Saw God before at Bethel à knows holiness. Aware of God’s holiness à own unholiness.

·       Preaches sermon, starts, “Put away… change…” Greatest danger = not conflict with nations around him, but conflict with his God b/c of impurity (most important if God’s presence)

·       “Foreign gods” = anything that shapes our priorities and behavior that’s foreign to heaven + God’s rule.

·       Used to be personal beings like, “Baal,” or “Molech.” Now, impersonal value systems that shape behavior. Almost always sensual or misuse creation (then + now).

·       Paul, “their God is their belly.” How many eat when you feel distress? Gift à God.

·       Also, “foreign gods” can be the political/cultural idols of our day = embrace of abortion, homosexuality, and transgenderism (ideology shapes priorities and beliefs).

·       Changing garments = picture of inner transformation of repentance (death/resurrection)

·       Sermon keeps going ,

3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

·       Jacob invites his household on a journey. Leave behind, false God. Gain, the God of Bethel.

·       Since Abe, journey is an image of spirituality (repent = “return”). Why? Must leave something behind in order to gain something else + Not all at once, but keep making choices in the same direction.  

·       Alter à sacrificial journey à sacrifice = passage into presence of God (think of the temple). Wants to know God!

·       First step on journey? Bury foreign gods! Encounter God à leave behind things opposed to him. To obtain God, you have to long for him more than everything else!

·       What false God (priority, belief, behavior) is God calling you to bury? My idol of comfort interferes with me inviting more people in + having bold conversations.

·       Now that their false commitments are in the earth beneath, they can start taking steps towards God ahead,

5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

·       To obey God, had to risk their lives. Following Jesus, self-preservation à obedience

·       If you go to war with foreign Gods, you have spiritual powers want to de-convert you (can’t!)

·       Brother/Christ shot and killed a few weeks ago for god of secular/progressive (real danger!)

·       God is a protector! Brings fear against these hostile cities! Perfect protection.

·       No one or nothing can take you out of this world as long as God has a purpose for you in it.

·       Our purpose is to bring fear to cities, but life-giving, soul-saving fear of the Lord (sacrifice reveals God is worthy of reverence and fear!)

6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.

·       Jacob (and all!) survives b/c God is strong! Don’t neglect to repent over fear.

·       Builds an alter à God’s presence more valuable to him than possessions.

·       Does it there b/c seeing a pattern, God’s rescuing not something he did, but does.

·       Moment of victory à sad event,

8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.

·       “oak of weeping.” Thankful Moses includes. God protects us, yet loss is inevitable b/c we are not yet safely home.

·       Following God not = no suffer, just won’t suffer alone w/ no purpose.

·       Gets back to intro (right expectations). Jacob could have turned cynical here. But if he leaves now, he’s going to miss what’s about to come. Don’t stop prematurely on journey.

·       Look what happens in the very next verse,

9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.

·       Jacob didn’t know, but going to get to see God again. His sacrifice and loss probably didn’t make sense to him, until he saw the one so beautiful that the longings of his heart are touched.

·       Make a pact: Let’s not stop following God until we see him! If we give up prematurely before we see him, we don’t give him a chance to make sense of it all.

·       And it gets better because God reaffirms all kinds of promises:

10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him.

·       Just about broke brain! Best summary, when you sacrificially obey God you don’t only get his presence, your life begins to bring heaven to earth.

·       Take Jesus, he went on a journey to Jerusalem; didn’t build alter, but went up on it; ever since the kingdom of God has been emerging through lives of people who do the same.

·       Summary of these verse, God is brining a kingdom to earth to displace corrupt Canaanite kingdoms. Lords prayer, “thy kingdom come; they will be done; on earth as in heaven.”

·       When lived with Tony + Emily, I saw the sacrifice of hospitality and neighbors far from God receive love from God through his people. On the journey of sacrifice, heaven comes/ earth.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

·       Jacob sets up a sign of permanence in a temporary world. When see God, you encounter the permanence you are longing for. World to come will never end.

·       Then, Jacob sacrifices. We have to let go of other allegiances to receive God.

·       MP: God Reveals Himself to those who Sacrificially Obey

·       Jesus: “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” To become pure is costly because you have to turn away from the false pleasures of impurity. The reward is better.

·       I want us to take the journey of faith with Jacob, one step at a time, even if it’s costly or even dangerous because I want to see God with you (when Jesus comes back!).

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.