In contrast to the last chapter where God isn’t mentioned once, in this chapter we see that God is mentioned twelve times. Jacob had to leave Shechem and go back to Bethel, this was the very place where God first appeared to him when he was running away from Esau.
Jacob’s family starts again, this starts after Jacob gets right with God, and it seems that the children kept household gods just like Rachel. Jacob knew this wasn’t a good idea and so took the lead as head of the family to get rid of them. Obviously, the danger was idolatry and so Jacob buried them under an oak tree at Shechem.
They changed their clothes which was a symbol of new for old, Jude 23 / Ephesians 4:22-24. Even earrings had a pagan connection.
Notice the ‘terror of God fell on the towns’, it seems that the people who lived in these towns must have heard what Simeon and Levi did to Shechem and Hamor, Genesis 34:25-31.
Jacob proceeds to build an altar and called the place ‘El Bethel’ which means, ‘God of Bethel’.
Here we read about the death of Deborah, who was Rebekah’s nurse, afterwards God appears to Jacob and blesses him. Notice also that God now calls Jacob, ‘Israel’. God once again reminds him of the promises He made to Abraham, that many nations and kings would come from his descendants, Genesis 17:5-6.
And so, now as promised, Jacob will have many nations and kings come through his descendants and the land promise if mentioned. God seems to speak to Jacob in bodily form, hence ‘He went up from him’.
Jacob proceeds to set up a stone pillar as a memorial as to where the promises of God were made to him. This was an act of faith by Jacob that he would follow God and keep His covenant with Him.
The drink offerings were a way of expressing gratitude towards God, Exodus 29:40-41 / Leviticus 23:13 / Numbers 15:5-7 / Philippians 2:17 / 2 Timothy 4:6.
Here we read the sad account of Rachel of dying moments after she gives birth to a son. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when Rachel was pleading with Jacob for children, Genesis 30:1, she had a second son and then died.
Rachel named the child, Ben-Oni, which means ‘son of my trouble’, but Jacob changed his name to Benjamin which means ‘son of my right hand’.
It’s interesting that the words, ‘right hand’ speak of authority, Exodus 15:6 / Psalm 16:8 / Psalm 63:8 / Colossians 3:1 / Ephesians 1:20-23 / Hebrews 8:1. It’s possible that Jacob changed his son’s name for good reason.
Jacob honours Rachel by setting up a memorial for her. If this teaches us anything, it teaches us that just because we do God’s will doesn’t mean that everything will be right.
After the sadness of Rachel’s death and the happiness of Benjamin being born, it’s not long before sin raises its ugly head again. here we read that Rueben sins with Bilhah as he sleeps with his father concubine. He obviously had no respect for Jacob, his authority as head of the house and his household.
It’s now we begin to understand why Rueben, Simeon and Levi will be disqualified from the seed promise, it would be Judah who would bring the seed promise. I’m sure Ruben must have thought nothing was going to happen because Jacob doesn’t deal with it there and then, but later Rueben would be excluded as a leader in the covenant, Genesis 49:3-4.
This list of Jacob’s sons is according to their mothers who were Leah and Rachel, with the sons of the handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah placed second. It’s interesting that the list says that they were born in Paddan Aram but doesn’t say anything about Benjamin being born in Canaan.
For Jacob it must have felt like a lifetime ago when he heard his father, Isaac say, he was going to die, Genesis 27:1-2, but Isaac lived until Jacob came back from Laban’s house.
Notice that Esau and Jacob buried their father together, it seems the hostility between them has finally gone.
"And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."