"BEN-ONI OR BENJAMIN"

BEN-ONI OR BENJAMIN"

Genesis 35:16–18 (KJV 1900)

And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin.

Rachel has just left, Bethal along with Jacob & a caravan of people. It's been quite a Journey for Jacob.

Jacob has just made a sacrifice unto God, And now we are expecting God to bless Jacob because of the sacrifice he gave unto God. God does bless Jacob, bible says.....

Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth.

Jacob goes to Bethel to give the Lord of sacrifice, and it appears that the Lord answers the prayers of Rebecca because of the sacrifice of Jacob.

But the bible says Rachel had great diffuculty.

In the process of life, sometimes God will answer our prayers but it Will cost us a price that we never imagined. Rachel asked God for another son, but she did not know, that the son would cost her, her own life.

Sometimes we ask God for things in life, never knowing what we will lose to get what we asked for. So when you ask God to use you, keep in mind that God will use you, but as well he will take things away from you, and break you, in ways that you could never imagine.

For a while everybody was celebrating in Jacobs care of them saying, "look how God has blessed Rachel and Jacob". "Jacob built an altar and offered a sacrifice, and look now Rachel is having a baby". But somewhere in the process of giving birth things, turned for the worst. Rachel dies after giving birth to her son,

Another point about life or an observation

In our lives something is always dying, while other things are coming to life.

Examples:

1. You give your life to God: Your old friends die to you, but you gain Godly frienships.

2. You die to deadly addictions and you gain healthy and beneifical ones

3. you die to old, bad habbits, but create new and healthy habbits.

There are some people here that have had triumph in their life but as well trouble.This is not “YOUR BEST LIFE NOW”

The bible says if ANY (OPTION) wants to follow me, let him take up his cross (suffering) and follow me.”

Follow Christ is not for the weak, but for the strong.

Verse 17 says:

“And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, ‘Don’t despair, for you have another son”

What the midwigfe told her was: Don't despair for God has answered your prayers.”

Sometimes we need people like that to speak life into our situation, to tell us I know it doesn't look pretty right now but God has a greater picture and plan for your life. God is giving you what you prayed for.

18 As she breathed her last – for she was dying – she named her son Ben-Oni.[a] But his father named him Benjamin.

Something in life is always breathing it's last breath, but something else it's giving its first breath.

As her son cries the first cry in his life, she cries the final crying in tears

With her last breath and her last words in her life the last thing that she does, is name her son, "Ben-oni"

"But, his father named Benjamin"

Now there are some really weird names, when I went to my brother in laws graduation:

Give examples

Rachel with her last breath, says, "name the boy Ben-ONI."

Ben- means son

ONI - Sorrow

Son of my sorrow and we understand why. She died in childbirth

For she realizes that God has answered her prayer and added, another son into her life she will not be able to see this child grow. So she named her child out of her pain and calls him:

"Son of my sorrow"

ONI can also mean, strength, but it means sorrow in this text. The same word can mean "sorrow" and "strength"

This name meaning is confusing because how could it mean something totally the opposite from one word to the other "sorrow" & "strength"

But what if great strength is always born out of great sorrow.

Perhaps Real strength is only born out of real sorrow. Perhaps the strongest people you'll ever meet, went through extreme sorrow. Perhaps the

greatest trials that you've gone in your life, are the ones that made you the strongest you'll ever be.

Examples:

Jesus - Isaiah describes him as a man of sorrow, which produce to strength to endure the cross. Sorrow produces strength.

Examples of garden of gethsemani

18 As she breathed her last – for she was dying – she named her son Ben-Oni.[a] But his father named him Benjamin.

That's kind of rude, right? Her dying request, is call my son "Ben-ONI" Jacob says, nope.

You know that Jacob was hurting, and was sorrowful as well because he has to live without Rachel and raise up his two children.

The Bible never says that Jacob loved God, but it says that he loved Rachel that he worked 14 years for her, so you can see the picture that Jacob was very sorrowful and in agony.

But Jacob refused to name the child that was born out of sorrow, according to the sorrow that gave the child birth.

He refused to name this child's destiny according to the moment in the child's history, he wouldn't do it.

So Jacob named him Benjamin. In the ultimate decision, the father had the right to name the child. Such Rachel had a suggestion or what she wanted to name the child, but ultimately Jacob had the final say.

Sometimes people try to label you, or named you, but only your father in heaven has the right to label you and to name you.

So Jacob names him Benjamin.

Jacob has a lot of experience with new names, Its The theme of his life. Not only has Jacob been renamed, but he has renamed several places along the way, Luz to??? - Bethal. When Jacob wrestled with God, he renamed that place Peniel because he had seen the face of God.

Now at the most sorrowful moment of his life, he thinks to himself, " if I can rename places, if God can rename me, maybe I can rename this to"

So he calls him, Benjamin......

Ben = Son

Jamin -= Son of .

You must remember that Jacob is looking at a tragedy Jacob is looking at a tremendous loss in his life. He lost the love of his life. Benjamin means - son of... Remember when Jacob was coming to get the blessing of Easu, and Isaac could see no see and took his right in and put it on his forehead, which the right hand refers to the hand of blessing. Benjamin means - Son of my righ hand.

Jacob all of his life, has been trying to get the right hand of blessing. But now in a situation, that other people would have called a curse.

Jacob says hold on, I have a right hand too and I'm choosing to call this a blessing in my name, call it Benjamin call it a blessing.

Someone say,

"CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT”

It's time for you to use your hand! Some of us are still waiting to be blessed and waiting for our blessing, but God says why don't you be a blessing turn your situation around and turn it into a blessing!

Question:

Where did Jacob learn this?

Where did he learn how to do this?

He learned it from Adam!

When Adam was named the animals did not have names yet. God gave Adam a job, to name all of the animals I'm giving you naming naming rights to name all of these animals, Adam did not create these animals, God did, but yet still God gave Adam the right to name all of these animals.

You don't get to choose everything that comes into your life, But you do as a child of God get to call or name whatever comes into your life!

“CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT”

Some people say, "I just call it like it is" Anybody can say that, it don't take much faith.

Examples:

1. This is so depressing

2. This is so discouraging

3. Etc. And yes it might be depressing, and yes discouraging. (Give examples) So you can call it what it is, but it will always be what it was

Or!!!!!!!!

Rachel wasn't wrong, she said son of my sorrow, and that's what it was.

But Jacob says, Out of Ben-oni Comes Benjamin Out of sorrow, I choose to see strength

So I'm not gonna call it what it is, I'm going to call it what God says it is

What it can be in his names

because..... YOU HAVE NAMING RIGHTS!

You have naming right over every situation

PICK ONE SORROWFUL SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE & GIVE IT A NEW NAME.

Genesis 35:20–21 (NKJV)

And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

Then Israel journeyed (MOVED ON) and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

THE NEW YOU!

That's the part that abuse, and the neglect could not destroy!!!

The devil couldn't take away, ISREAL MOVED ON!!!!!!