(Gen 35:2,3 CEV) Jacob said to his family and to everyone else who was traveling with him: Get rid of your foreign gods! Then make yourselves acceptable to worship God and put on clean clothes. Afterwards, we’ll go to Bethel. I will build an altar there for God, who answered my prayers when I was in trouble and who has always been at my side.
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!” by sharing a few more thoughts from the life of Jacob. I wanted to move on from Jacob, but what happened next in his life is worth mentioning. You would think that since Jacob obeyed God and went home that this would be one of those “happily ever after” endings, but real life is seldom that way. Shortly after settling in to their new home Dinah, one of Jacob’s daughters, went to visit her new neighbors. During the visit Hamor’s son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, forced himself on Dinah and raped her. Sometimes terrible things do happen to good people.
There was a big meeting between Hamor, his son Shechem, Jacob, and all his sons. Hamor wanted to make peace and asked for a marriage. He thought that was the honorable thing to do, but how could there be honor associated with a rape? Hamor also offered Jacob property or money, but Jacob was rich and did not need Hamor’s money. During the meeting Jacob’s sons devised a plan out of anger. They said, “You’re not circumcised! It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now. But we will let you marry her, if you and the other men in your tribe get circumcised.” Hamor wanted the families to merge because of Jacob’s wealth, so he and all the men in his family were circumcised.
Being circumcised as a grown man is a traumatic experience and it takes days recover. Jacob’s sons attacked Hamor and his household with swords while they were still weak and they killed every man, including Hamor and Shechem. The boys then pillaged Hamor’s belongings and dragged away the wives and children of the victims back with them. You can just imagine the turmoil in Jacob’s home as he looked at all the crying women and children. Jacob knew something was wrong. He had missed the mark somewhere, but where? So Jacob decided to do what he should have done before buying the land in the first place – Jacob prayed.
God told Jacob, “Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were running from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me.” Bethel is where Jacob was supposed to settle. Jacob was ready to move to where he was supposed to be, but this time he sensed he needed to “clean camp” first. He knew something was wrong. This terrible situation should have never happened. He ordered his family and everyone else traveling with him to get rid of all foreign gods and idols. Jacob had made two major mistakes. First, he bought land and attempted to settle in without consulting with God (he did not pray about it first). Second, he allowed his wives and children to maintain false gods and idols in his home (he had sin in his camp). We will stop here and I will provide one last message about Jacob tomorrow.
So what does this mean to you today? A few quick things:
1. Don’t make major decisions (like purchasing a home) without asking God first.
2. When you are in the wrong place you open yourself up for the wrong things to happen.
3. Don’t allow sin in your camp (your home). Open an altar of worship in your home and make it a sanctuary for God, so it can be a place of peace and rest.
4. We all make mistakes. Those who endure for the long haul are not perfect, but they are quick to repent, to get right with God, and to move forward by faith. Jacob did not hesitate when God spoke and neither should we!
Closing Confession: Father, I learn from Jacob’s experience in this passage. I rid myself of all blessing-blockers. I face every day with a positive attitude and great expectations. No matter how tragic the circumstances, I will always look to You as my help and deliverer. When You reveal to me the fact that I have missed the mark and made a mistake, I am quick to repent, to receive forgiveness, to forgive myself, and to move forward by faith. I will never allow a mistake to get worse by wallowing in it. I dust myself off and move forward quickly. By doing so my stumbling blocks turn into stepping-stones! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
