Hitting the Reset Button

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 119:137-144

Psalm 119:137–144 ESV

Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words. Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live.

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10

1 Peter 2:4–10 ESV

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Sermon

Good Morning Church! I was Glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

This morning we turn our attention to Genesis chapter 35. And in many ways, we are going to attempt. What Jacob is likely trying to attempt In this text... Those of us who were here might remember, how just awful? Genesis chapter 34 was. It was a living embodiment of no one is righteous. No, not one, no one seeks God. It was, we felt the weight of human sin. We felt the weight of.

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Sinful decisions. It was not a positive or uplifting text to read. And we just had to read it. We studied it, Jacob. His family lived through it. And so, as we come to chapter 35, it feels a bit like. We're just gonna try to hit the reset button. Like, this is. Too much has gone on. It's gotten too bad. The things are so. Fallen in our grace group that we had on Thursday nights. I was sort of talking about how in Genesis, we've we felt the roller coaster. Abraham. He lived by faith. That's awesome. He says his wife is his sister. Not so great. He does these things that are good. He it wavers back and forth. There's a roller coaster that we've been going on since.

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Genesis. But it's felt like. In particular in the life of Jacob. The highs have not been as high, and the lows have been much lower. There's a sense I think where that's true. All of this, ultimately pointing us to one thought. It's not really up to us. That God's the one working in a lot of these things, and even when Jacob is a scoundrel when everything's going wrong. God is. Sure that salvation will be provided for his people. That's really the main point. Jacob illustrates this the verse we've been memorizing since we've been in this passage. Jacob's life, I think, illustrates it in a very particularly.

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Difficult but poignant. But as we come to chapter 35, it's as if we're just gonna hit the reset button. This is what I've titled the sermon today. Okay, we gotta put everything in the past, just. We gotta just be done with that if we have any hope of moving on any hope of moving the story forward in any sort of positive way. Something has to be done. There needs to be some sort of of starting over. By way of a little bit of of a look forward. We have this text. We have what we'll preach next week, which is.

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The changing of the Guard. It'll be the dying of Isaac's generation. Isaac will have Esau Jacob's brother's lineage. And then starting in chapter 37. We have the story of Joseph and the Joseph Saga. What's interesting is we look at how the Book of Genesis is divided. Abraham's story. It's all about Abraham, really? Isaac's portion of Genesis. Most of it is about his son, Jacob, and Jacob's portion of Genesis. Most of it is about his son. Joseph. And so, we're about to be done with focusing on Jacob as the the main character, the one doing most of the action.

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And it would be nice if we could end on a little bit of a okay note. Turns out it'll be a little bit better than okay. God's going to work in this situation. God's going to show that he's the one. Directing that he's the one orchestrating. He's the one calling. That even in the midst of all of these difficulties and the struggle that has been the life of Jacob goddess Sovereign. And God is good. Genesis chapter 35, starting in verse 1. God said to Jacob. Arise and go to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.

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So, Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourself and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel so that I may make there and alter to God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone. 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 Terabith tree that was near shechem. And as they journey to Terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them.

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So that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to lose. That is Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, and he and all the people who were with him. And there he built an altar and called the place El Bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he was when he fled from his brother. And Deborah Rebecca's nurse died, and she was buried under an oak tree at Bethel. So he called its name, Alain bakuth. God appeared to Jacob again when he came from padana Rama and blessed him.

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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. 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 King shall come from your own body. 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. Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him.

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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. So, Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel. These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open our time together. With the word of prayer.

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Dealer. We thank you for your goodness and Grace. We thank you. For your Sovereign hand Upon Our Lives. We are grateful. That, though we like sheep, have gone astray. You have called us and saved and redeemed us. You have set upon us your redeeming love that makes us afresh and Anew. We are grateful for your grace and mercy. That as we call out to you that as we call out in the name of your son, our Lord, and savior, you look upon us with his righteousness. May we walk in the truth of New Life given to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Our Lord? It's in Jesus name that we pray.

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Amen. And amen.

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As I mentioned here, we have what I would call a bit of of hitting the reset button. We're starting the story over in new and profound and important ways. We have. Jacob, who. Has not been acting, praise worthily. He, he's gonna finally get things very right. We have God coming in and speaking to this man working in him working in such a way. That this man Jacob? Can be called. And can be. A scene for what he needs to be. A patriarch. Someone in the line of Salvation that God is bringing.

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This is one of those stories we talked about this again in our grace group on Thursday. I feel like all of today is just a good. Commercial. For Grace group, there's good conversation, and I think talking through these studies together is is very helpful. But, as we talked about it on on Thursday for us, there was this reminder that. When we go through and when we see the darkness and the the awfulness. It's good to have these sorts of stories on the other side, so we know that you know, what if God can use Jacob? God can use me.

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And I certainly think there's a part of that in this story here.

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There's also this thought of.

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When things go wrong? When things go crazy? When things are broken. We should look to the one. Who's Sovereign? And who can fix all of these things? If Genesis 34 was the problem of man trying to fix man's problems, Genesis 35 is the glory of God fixing man's problems. And our passage starts. With a re-commitment. In some ways, it's a recommitment from God to Jacob. How does the story start? God says 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.

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There's an intentionality that we'll see throughout all of this portion of scripture to remind us of things that have happened before in Genesis. This is one of those chapters where. Knowing that this is chapter 35, and that comes after chapter 12 and chapter 17 is very important. You might be thinking, well, duh. Chapter 35 comes after chapter 12 and chapter 17.

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But do you remember what happened in chapter 12 and chapter 17? Chapter 12, we were introduced to a man named Abraham. This is

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how God first spoke. To Abraham. Genesis. Chapter 12. Now, the Lord said to

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Abram go from your country. And from your father's house to the land, I will show you. God says to Jacob in 35 arise and go. There's a call. Jacob is being called by God in a similar way to the way Abraham was called by God, get up and go. But here, God is reminding Jacob of what God has already done for Jacob. Genesis 12 was our beginning of of the story of Abraham. Here we're at the end of the story of Jacob's life, so God reminds him. Remember, I already. I already talked to you once we already had this conversation one time.

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I already

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spoke with you. I said, go to your brother, your I said, I would.

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Jacob, remember, remember when you were writing for your life? Because you'd mess things up. Because you'd lie to your father, you'd lied to your brother. You'd conned all of these things you and your mother had done of this nonsense. And you were fleeing. And I spoke to you. What did I promise you? Well, chapter 35 also. Comes after chapter 28. When God appeared to Jacob at Bethel? And he said, I will give you this land Genesis 28, 13.

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I will give you Offspring Genesis 28, 14. I will give you land. I will give this to you. Verse 15, I will be with you, and I will keep you wherever you go, Jacob. You need to go back. Because you need to remember the promise I gave to you. To save you to bless you to keep you. The last time we heard from Jacob, his sons had done a vile thing in response to the prince of shechem's vile thing he had done, and Jacob's only concern in this whole time is, like, well, what if the people come out to get me? What if the people are going to hurt me? What if the people come against me? I'm weak. I can't do this. I can't fight if they try to fight me. I'm doomed.

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Do you not remember the commitment I made to you? Do you not remember what I told you do not remember what I promised you? So, Jacob, go back. Go back to the place where it happened. Go back and remember what I said. God is in some sense recommitting to Jacob. But the beauty of this text is. Jacob is ultimately the one who fully recommits he recommits to God. So, God says to Jacob. Go back to Bethel and Jacob says. What have I been doing? What have we been doing? He gathers his whole household. His wives, his children, his servants.

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He gathers everyone, he says. All these foreign Gods. All these false gods. All of these Idols. Or maybe he looks at Rebecca, remembering the the turmoil that her stealing of her father's househood Gods caused him as he fleed from Laban. He probably looks directly at her at some point in this. But it looks to everyone, he says, put away the foreign Gods. Put away these Idols. And it's not just put away these Idols, but also purify yourselves. Here's the Old Testament language here, saying a word very. We're very familiar with repent. Purify yourself. Get rid of the sin. That's so easily entangles. Get rid of these false gods.

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Purify yourself inside and change your garments. Purify yourself outside. Remove this sin from among you. Get rid of these false gods.

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Jacob begins to realize, I believe. The problems that he has that he has, in many ways, stem from this fact. They're far from God.

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I was recently talking to someone. About this idea that? Were saved. And then we live, right? That's correct. Justification sanctification. We can get into that debate. God Saves us by a work of faith is a free gift of God. What the Bible teaches? But then? We're called to live our lives worthy of the calling we have received. That's the language Paul uses. I think Jacob looks around like God called us. God saved us. God said he'd be with me. God has been.

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But about living for him. I'm a living life, right? So he reconvites his life. Purify yourselves. And then let us arise and go to Bethel so that I may make an altar. This is a beautiful name for God. Who talk about names for God names for God? How does Jacob identify God here? So that I may there make an altar to The God Who. Answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone. Praise be to the god. Who answers me? In the day of my distress and has been with me wherever.

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I have.

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Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For you are the God who is with me, wherever I Go.

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Lord. From the depths I cry to you, praise be to The God Who answers me in the day of my distress. Jacob commits to The God Who has been with him who will be with him, who has promised to be with him.

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His family responds. They too commit. They gather all their foreign Gods, all the Rings that are in their ears, and they say that, oh, they're wearing earrings. These are cultic things, right? They put earrings in their ear that symbolize. Oh, I serve and Worship this God and I serve and worship this God, and they have it here close to them. They take them out, they put them away. Bigger berries them. He hides him under the tab of the tree. And we read hiding here. It's not like, oh, he's hiding because he's going to come back and get him.

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It's like I'm putting them away where no one can find them. These are good for anyone.

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It's not. Oh well, these aren't good for us, but I'll give them over here. No, these false gods are not good for anyone. And so we get rid of them. We bury them under a tree where no one can find them. They're. He has recommitted. His life, his family, God doubles down on his commitment. Jacob comes and says, you are the God who has answered me in the day of my distress. You are the God who has been with me wherever I go. As for me, in my household, we will serve that God. And they go.

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As they go, God protects them as they journey the terror from God fell upon the cities around them. As Jacob was afraid if they hear what's happened, they'll come against me. They'll attack me, he forgot. God will protect him. So, God protects Jacob, he Journeys, and he comes here. To lose. Also known as Bethel. It was called lose. Jacob had a dream. He named it Bethel. He goes back. He's here.

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He builds an altar. He builds an altar and calls the altar El Bethel. God is the god of Bethel. If we remember, Bethel means the house of God. So, we're getting a little redundant here, Jacob. But he's trying to make a point for us to get God is the god of the House of God. El Bethel. Because there God had revealed himself to him. God comes, or sorry, rather, Jacob comes. He goes back to this place. And he rededicates. We're moving in some ways, past just a re-commitment. Yeah, I'm gonna follow God. He comes. He builds another altar.

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He rededicates this place, right? The redundancy again here helps. This isn't just Bethel. This isn't just the house of God, but we need to understand that God is in the house of God that the God who has answered me in my distress and has been with me. Wherever I go is in the house, and he is with us. He builds an altar here. It's important, it's an altar again. Genesis 35 comes after Genesis. 28. There, Jacob had a dream. Here at Bethel. And he sets up a stone for a pillar. It's a monument of remembrance.

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When he comes here again. He builds an altar. A place of worship.

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A place of offering. Of yourself. To the god. So he comes and says he recommits. We will serve the God who has answered me in my distress and has been with me wherever my go, I go, and he comes. And he says, and we will worship. Serve. And we will be dedicated to we be devoted to this same God. It's a life lived in his actions. It's a life lived in his heart. He's coming back. We could use modern terms that I'm not a huge fan of. Re-Centering.

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God has spoke and moved Jacob's heart, and God's heart is drawn to the God who cares for him who loves him and who has saved him. He remembers God did. When I fled for my mother, God provided. Though I though I was in Exile for 20 years when I came back, God was still good. He was still Sovereign. He still protected me when I was in Exile. God was still providing he gave me wives. Some difficulty there, but he gave me children. He said I'd come back and he would protect me. And when I came back, he protected me.

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God has been good. Jacob might even look at his own life and be like, though I myself was not. Though I was Unfaithful, God is still faithful. So, he builds an altar. He offers worship to The God Who answers him in the day of his distress and has been with him, wherever he goes. The God who called him, the God who called his grandfather, The God Who covenanted with his grandfather, who coveted with his father, who has made promises to Jacob. He will worship Him.

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Then we have this side note. Deborah Rebecca's nurse died. Rebecca would be his mother. So, this is the nurse of his mother. What we're signifying here is there's starting to be a changing of the Guard.

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And there's sorrow. And so this beloved member of his family is probably the best way for us to understand this. Is buried in by an oak tree in Bethel. This is how Bethel. It's now a place of mourning. So its name is changed. He calls it Alon bakuth. It's the oak of weeping. Even as we're dedicated, there might still be sorrow. Coming back and committing and dedicating? Doesn't mean there'll be no distress. In fact, if we remember the name. That Jacob gave to God here. The God who answered me, my time of distress, and has been with me wherever I go. That means God was with him, even in the time of distress.

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So, however, how we read this distress will still accompany us, no matter how committed we are. There might be distress, no matter how dedicated we are. There will still be distress. God is still good. And so we, we close this section. Here we come to the end of this section.

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With God once again, appearing on the scene. Literally. God appeared. To Jacob. God's will appear to Jacob again. God will bless him. Here, God. Reiterate, we have a reiteration. What do we have a reiteration of Genesis 17, the Covenant God gave to Abraham, the Covenant God reiterated with Isaac? God now is going to Covenant make that same Covenant reiteration to Jacob. He does. So, first, by changing his name and you might be thinking rightly, wait, didn't? Jacob already have his name changed to Israel. Yes, with two important distinctions, both of which we will talk about a Grace group this week, the first he's now in the promised land. Now, out now, not outside of the promised land.

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God wants us to remember, and God wants Jacob to remember Genesis 17, where God changed Abram's name to Abraham. And so, God's saying to him, just like your grandfather's name was changed. So too, your name has changed. I will strive for you. Your name is Israel. And God says to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful. And multiply, because reiterating a command. Here, a command given all the way back to Noah. Coming forward to Abraham, you're going to have many descendants, be fruitful, and multiply to Isaac. You're going to have many descendants, be fruitful, and multiply to Jacob. Now, be fruitful and multiply.

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Reiterating the promise a nation of and a company of Nations shall come from. You and Kings shall come from your own body. Rulers Nations, a nation that will be a blessing.

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Reiterating the promise. The Lamb that I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, I will give to you. So, reiterate here the exact same problems, the same land that they are going to have. That's the same land I'm giving to you. And I will give the land to your offspring after you. This will be for your people. God reiterates to Jacob, the Covenant promises. Jacob screwed up. A lot. He's still not going to be perfect.

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Got to reiterates, I promised. I'm faithful. The God Who answered him in the time of his distress, the god who's been with him wherever he has gone, is saying. Don't worry, I remember all the promises. God reiterates.

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So Jacob. Then there sets up another pillar, reminding us of Genesis 28. Pours out. A drink offering offers worship. Pours oil. Anoint it? And Jacob once again calls the name of the place where God has spoken with him. Bethel. The house of God? God is here.

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This whole story starts. With God coming in and speaking to Jacob. All rise, go, go, get up and go. The story ends with God, speaking to Jacob.

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Yet, there's Beauty. Waiting responsibility in the middle part. Where Jacob does what he needs to do? He recommits himself and his family. He rededicates he offers worship to God, builds an altar.

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What a beautiful testimony to us!

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God still works the same way. He calls us.

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He works in our heart. He softens our stone hard heart.

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And as we move to him. As we rededicate as we recommit to him as we come to him. He will respond. But ultimately, it's God who keeps us. It's God who radiate reiterates his promise. He who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it. Our life, then, is understanding what is the right response? To The God Who answers me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever? I have God. May we offer him praise, adoration, and worship to his name. Let's pray.

Communion:

Thoughts and Ideas about how to tie to communion:

Announcements:

Fifth Sunday

Grace Groups (note change of Location for the Friday Group

Congregational Meeting

Youth Group

Easter Potluck