The God Who Reforms

Genesis 35:11-15 ESV

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. 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.

Today as we finish out our series of messages from the 35thchapter of the book of Genesis, I want us to dwell on everything that had taken place leading up to this point in the narrative and what God has in store for Jacob once he arrived at the place that God had called him to.

We said early on in this series that Jacob originally found himself away from home when he was running from his vengeful brother, Esau, after he had stolen his blessing from him.

Jacob was told by his mother to flee to her brother, Laban’s home in Haran. On his way to his uncle Laban’s home, Jacob stopped for the evening in a place called Luz where he had encountered the Living God through a dream in which he saw a ladder on earth and the angels of God ascending and descending this ladder with God Himself atop this ladder.

God swore to Jacob that He would protect him while he was away from home, that He would ensure that Jacob eventually got back home, and that the land of Canaan, the land that God had sworn to Jacob’s fathers Abraham and Isaac, would eventually become his descendant’s land. All of which when Jacob heard it, he responded by saying that if God would be faithful to bring him back to that very place, that he would worship Him as his God.

After this, Jacob went to his uncle, Laban’s home and dwelt there for many years, acquiring a large family and much wealth in the process. But after being taken advantage of and after being cheated by his uncle over and over again, Jacob left Laban’s home in Haran and headed back to his father’s home in Canaan.

It was on his journey home that he discovered that his brother, Esau was coming to meet him. Jacob wasn’t quite too sure what to make of this as the last time that he saw his brother, he was running for his life to get away from him. But the Lord softened Esau’s heart and ensured that he did not harm his brother.

But Jacob knew his brother’s temperamental nature, so once he was able to shake himself free of Esau, he determined to get as far away from him as he possibly could.

But once Jacob got away from Esau, there was the whole debacle in Shechem where Jacob’s daughter was defiled, and two of his sons decided to get revenge and kill all of the males in the city while they were in a compromised state.

So, Jacob has his uncle, Laban behind him, he has his brother Esau behind him, neither of which does he trust in the least bit. And now he is surrounded by bloodthirsty Canaanites who want to take him out because of what his sons had done in Shechem and thus here is Jacob and his household, out in the wilderness, with seemingly nowhere to go, and with enemies on all sides.

That was when God called Jacob to come back to the place where He had appeared to Jacob before, the place that God had promised to eventually bring Jacob to, the place that had formerly been called Luz, but now was called Bethel, which means, “House of God”.

And as we read last week, when Jacob returned to Bethel, God gave him a new beginning, a new identity, a new heart, as He proclaimed that from then on out, he would no longer be known as Jacob, the finagler, but instead, he would be known as Israel, the one who wrestled with God and was conquered by God.

From that point forward, Jacob would no longer live for his own self-pleasing interests, but would live solely for the glory of God, as Israel, as God had sought him, overcome him, and made him His very own.

So, with all of this in mind, with everything that has happened in this narrative up to this point, we arrive at our reading for this morning.

And when we arrive at our reading, we see that while God had given Jacob a new identity, God reveals to Jacob just Who He is, what His identity is as we read the following words in the beginning of verse 11 of our reading:

Genesis 35:11a ESV

11a And God said to him, “I am God Almighty:

As Jacob stood there, now having a new identity and a new heart, being called Israel. And as God tells Jacob, “You shall be called Israel. You shall be known as the one whom God apprehended and conquered.” He says, “As for Me, I am El Shaddai! God Almighty!”

Now to say that one is almighty is to say that one has all power at his disposal, that there is no one to stop him from doing what he wants and that he has more than enough power to do whatever he wants.

Well, there is only One Who is truly almighty, holding all power, with no one to stop Him, to thwart His plans, and this is God, Who is indeed almighty.

Therefore, this tells us that whatever God wills to happen, it is that which happens. The sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening because God wills for the sun to rise in the morning and to set in the evening. The rains come in due season because wills for them to come in due season. And when the rains are withheld, it is because God has willed for the rains to be withheld.

What God wills to happen, always happens, and therefore, what He declares will happen, will indeed happen. Therefore, when He told Jacob, “You are no longer Jacob the finagler, but are now Israel who was contended with and been conquered by God” it was so!

It had its effect, and God declaring that He is almighty here relays to Jacob that what God has spoken here has effectually come to pass.

Another thing that this declaration of God concerning His almighty nature relays to Jacob is that what He is about to say to him next will also come to pass.

So, let’s go ahead and look at what else God said to Jacob in the remainder of verse 11 and all of verse 12, where it says:

Genesis 35:11b-12 ESV

11b 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.”

God commands Jacob to be fruitful and multiply. Now, I believe that this command of God is twofold: in telling Jacob to be fruitful and multiply, He is telling Jacob that as a result of his new nature given to him by God, he and those who come after him are to display the new nature that God will give to them. But He is also, of course, declaring that Jacob will have many who come after him.

The Lord declares that from the seed of Jacob there will be a nation, namely the people of Israel who come after him. And a company of nations, namely, the various tribes of Israel. And even kings, namely, the kings of Israel and Judah, who will come from his body, or directly descend from him.

Furthermore, God declares that the promise that He had made to Abraham and Isaac concerning the land that He would give to them would continue, not through Esau, but through Jacob, as Jacob’s descendants would occupy the land.

Now, like I said, because God is almighty, when He wills something, and when He declares something, it happens. Thus, Jacob can be most confident and assured by God Almighty’s declaration here.

Then after God had appeared to Jacob and declared His will, we read of what comes nest in verse 13, where it says:

Genesis 35:13 ESV

13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him.

After God had finished His revelation to Jacob, He went up from the place that He had spoken to him.

This shows two things: One, that that which God had declared here was settled, there was no more discussion to be had, it would come to pass, therefore He left off from it. And two, in saying that God “went up” from that place it shows that God now returns to high and lofty heavenly throne from where He would powerfully put into effect what He has decreed.

But how does Jacob, now called Israel respond to all of this? How does he respond to God’s awesome and effective decree concerning he and his descendants? We see how he responds in verse 14 and 15, the last two verses of our reading, where it says:

Genesis 35:14-15 ESV

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.

As God had promised, He brought Jacob back to this place, sustaining him for years and years, even causing him to prosper in a land that was not his home.

And now that Jacob sees and experiences everything that God had faithfully and graciously provided him with, he then does what he swore he would do when God brought him back to this place; he worshipped the Lord and made Him his God.

Jacob sets up a pillar of stone, used to worship God. And after erecting the pillar, he worshipfully poured out a drink offering of either water or wine on it. While also reverently pouring oil upon it.

And thus, after it was all said and done Jacob said once again, “This place, God has appeared to me, therefore this place shall be called Bethel, House of God!”

Jacob had seen and experienced firsthand what God had done in his life, how He had been faithful to him, how He had preserved him all this time, and how He had now powerfully made him a new creation, giving him a new heart, and a righteous standing before God.

And thus, as Jacob meditated on these great facts, in devout worship, he offered himself to his God, reckoning that a humble life lived in service to Him was indeed the only way to truly live.

He had lived for himself, for his own self-interest, for his own glory, looking out only for himself, but now he sees that all of those years, he had lived in vain as he now dwells at Bethel, the house of God, and he says to Him, “Lord, I fully offer myself to Thee to Thy great majesty! For Thou alone art worthy!”

Finally, Jacob had gotten it, he had finally seen what his purpose on this world was, and that was to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Has God revealed that to you? Have youreceived this new heart? Have you received your new identity, your new person in Christ? Have you, my friend, been washed in the blood of the Lamb?

I certainly cannot answer that question for you. There are only two who know the answer to that question, that is you and the Lord. But if at the hearing of the Word of God proclaimed today you feel inclined to come unto the Lord as never before, then my friend, God is calling you, now answer that call today!

Amen?