LET’S GO BACK

TEXT: Genesis 35:1-15

Introduction: The church needs revival. The hearts of believers all over the world are cold and complacent and in many cases unconcerned and indifferent. Few are living godly lives; most are living carnal and fleshly lives. Believers have been caught up in the worldly environment and technology of society, seeking the bright lights and pleasures and comforts of the world. Few believers have a testimony for the Lord any longer; there is no obvious difference between a professing Christian and an unbeliever. People can see little if any difference in the lives of professing believers.

   Believers go to the same places unbelievers go, whether good or bad, moral or immoral.

   Believers too often use the same off-colored language and tell the same off-colored jokes as unbelievers.

   Believers talk about the same subjects as unbelievers, seldom discussing Jesus Christ and His gospel.

   Believers read the same magazines and books as unbelievers, whether moral or immoral.

   Believers look at the same television programs or movies as unbelievers, whether moral or immoral, whether clean or foul-mouthed.

     Believers need revival. They need to clean up their lives, repent, and turn to God with a new commitment to follow Him as never before. Revival—true revival—is the only answer to the overwhelming problems of our society and world.

I.           There is God’s call (v.1).

God called Jacob to revival. Jacob was facing unbearable trouble, a desperation that created a deep sense of need in his heart and life. Jacob was afraid, frightened to the core of his being. His daughter, Dinah, had just been abused and raped by the local prince of the area. In retaliation, his sons had just struck out and killed all the males of the city. They had also looted the city, taking all the women and children as servants.

            Now Jacob was facing retaliation from the surrounding rulers. In fact, he was actually expecting them to join forces to attack and destroy him (Genesis 34:30). He was very fearful of what was about to happen. But other things were bothering Jacob as well.

A.        Jacob had not set a spiritual example before his children.

1.      He had not given them the needed spiritual and moral guidance.

2.      He had often demonstrated a weak character before his children, seldom standing up to others for what he knew to be right (Genesis 27:11-12; Genesis 29:25-28; Genesis 30:1-4, 9; Genesis 31:19-20).

3.      He had lived a carnal, worldly life, and the impact upon his children was now being reaped.

4.      Jacob was heartsick, needing God to step into the life of his dear family and bring revival to them all.

B.        Jacob had a deep sense of disobedience and backsliding.

1.      He had been back in the promised land for some nine or ten years, yet he had never taken time to travel up to Bethel to fulfill his vow to God, that he would worship God at Bethel when he was in the area

2.      There was no excuse for his continued disobedience, for Bethel was only a day’s journey away, only some twenty to thirty miles distance. Moreover, right before entering the Promised Land, God had given Jacob a deep spiritual experience at Penuel Thus when he entered the promised land, he had an unusual sense of God’s presence, and his responsibility to journey up to Bethel was bound to be fresh upon his mind. Yet he had settled down right beside Shechem and soon forgotten Bethel. He had forgotten his vow to God. The growing and convicting power of God’s Spirit was no doubt working on Jacob, convicting him of his disobedience and backsliding.

3.      Jacob was also bothered about something else, deeply bothered about it. He had allowed idolatry, the worship of other gods, within his own household. The point to see now is that Jacob had not made God the Lord of his household, and he was now being forced to face up to his failure.

     With all the trouble that had fallen upon him and his family, Jacob had to search and find out what was wrong, what had caused God to remove His protective hand from him. Jacob’s conclusion was bound to be that the fault lay within his own heart and life, that he had been disobedient and backsliding. And now God was dealing with him in discipline.

     But the truth of the matter was this: God had always been dealing with Jacob. God had never left him alone. It had just taken a long time for Jacob to face up to his failures. In fact, it had taken the crisis of the threatening attack of the surrounding nations.

     What had happened was probably this: Jacob had gone to the Lord in prayer. He was broken and crying out to God for help and understanding. In response, God spoke to Jacob telling him two things: to move up to Bethel and to build an altar there (Genesis 35:1), an altar where he and his people could seek and worship the Lord (Genesis 35:1).

II.         There is God’s message (v.2-3).

After God had spoken to Jacob, Jacob gathered his people together and proclaimed God’s message to them. The message included five points.

A.        The people were to get rid of all their false gods (Genesis 35:2).

1.      What a shock to us! To think that this man of God had allowed idols, the worship of false gods, within his own household! These idols probably included...

a)      The gods taken by Rachel.

b)      The foreign gods taken in the looting of Shechem .

c)      The gods of his servants.

2.      Jacob had no doubt taught his family about God and His promises, but he had failed to demand obedience in the worship of God. He had not made the Lord the God of his entire household. He was still allowing the worship of other god’s right there in his own presence.

3.      How many people today still hang on to the gods and idols of this earth? Remember, anything can become a god to us. Whatever consumes us—whatever we give ourselves to, whatever dominates us, whatever we look to for help, whatever we put before God Himself—that thing becomes a god or idol in our lives. It may be things such as...

4.      God’s call is unmistakably clear and forceful: put away all the gods and idols in your lives.

B.        The people were to cleanse and purify themselves (Genesis 35:2).

1.      They were to purge their hearts of all sin, put all sin out of their lives.

2.      This demand may have included some form of ceremonial washing, a washing that symbolized the fact that they were cleansing themselves from all sin.

C.        The people were to change their clothing (Genesis 35:2).

1.      This symbolized that they were putting off the old life of sin and putting on the new life of godliness.

D.        The people were to go up to Bethel, the house of God, and seek God in worship (Genesis 35:3).

1.      They were to seek God, seek His face for forgiveness and deliverance.

2.      Keep in mind that the entire household of Jacob, including all his workers and servants, were very much aware of the threat from the surrounding nations.

3.      They were far fewer in number than their neighbors, so they knew that it was going to take supernatural help if they were going to be saved and delivered.

4.      Jacob’s message was driving across this point: sin had brought the trouble upon the household. Consequently, the only hope for deliverance was to put all sin out of their lives and seek God for revival, seek Him with all their hearts and lives.

E.        The people needed to remember God’s great deliverance in the past.

1.      No doubt Jacob had often shared with his people how God had delivered him at Bethel, delivered him when he was fleeing for his life from Esau.

2.      Now, he reminded the people once again of God’s great deliverance.

3.      The thought is that God would do it again. If the people would just go up to Bethel and seek God, God would deliver them from their present distress and trouble. God would give them a glorious revival, save and deliver them.

F.         God delivers His people always delivers those who turn to Him.

1.      God delivers us from all trouble and evil.

2.      God delivers us from our enemies.

3.      God delivers us from all fears, even from the fear of death.

4.      God delivers us from temptation and evil.

5.      God delivers us from pestilence and disease.

    We need to listen to God; I imagine that God sometimes feels like former President Roosevelt once felt.

    President Franklin D. Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying the usual things at all those White House receptions. So, one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed that big smile and said; “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” People would automatically respond with comments such as “How lovely!” or “Just continue with your great work!” Nobody listened to what he was saying, except one foreign diplomat. When the president said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning,” the diplomat responded softly, “I’m sure she had it coming to her.”

III.       There is repentance (v.4).

A.        The people were obviously convicted of their sins and aroused to seek God.

1.      They gave all their idols and all the rings in their ears to Jacob.

2.      The earrings were jewelry that was considered to be either symbols of worldliness or idolatry.

3.      Jacob then took and buried the symbols of worldliness and idolatry under an oak tree near Shechem.

B.        The picture is that of repentance.

1.      The people were turning away from their old life, giving up everything that took their thoughts and hearts off God.

2.      They were ready to go to Bethel, the house of God, and seek God for their salvation and deliverance.

IV.      There is obedience to God and God’s very special presence and deliverance (v.5-7).

A.        Jacob and the people set out and began traveling toward Bethel (Genesis 35:5-6).

1.      As they did, God had to miraculously deliver them.

2.      What Jacob had feared was actually taking place: the rulers of the surrounding nations were mobilizing to attack Jacob and his people.

3.      But God intervened and struck terror into their hearts to stop them. How? Scripture does not say.

4.      But God used something to frighten the rulers, and the Israelites were delivered, delivered by the power of God.

B.        Jacob and the people arrived at Bethel and Jacob built an altar there.

1.      Jacob apparently built some kind of structure to house the altar: he actually built “the house of God.”

2.      Note that he renamed the place El Bethel, which means either “God of the house of God” or “the strong and mighty God of Bethel, the house of God.”

3.      Remember that El is a Hebrew name for God, a name that means “the strong and mighty God”

4.      Of course once the altar was built, the people worshipped and sought the face of the Lord. There would have been no reason to build the altar unless Jacob and his people were going to worship God there.

5.      The point is this: Jacob and the people obeyed God. They followed through with their decision to repent, to turn from their sins and to turn to God. They sought God at Bethel, at the house of God. They sought God for His forgiveness and deliverance and worshipped Him and Him alone. Note that Jacob had now fulfilled his vow. It had been about ten years since he had returned to the promised land, and so far as we know, he had never fulfilled his vow to go up to Bethel and worshipped there. But now he had. Jacob had now worshipped at Bethel, and he had built a permanent altar and house for God at Bethel. Jacob and the people had followed through, and God had saved and delivered them by His mighty power.

V.        There is a new power to confront day to day trials: symbolized in the greatest of trials, death (v.8).

A.        This is symbolized in the greatest of trials, death itself.

1.      Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died; and Jacob buried her under an oak tree.

2.      Scripture never mentions that Jacob visited his father, Isaac, after returning to the Promised Land. But Deborah’s presence with Jacob is strong indication that he did. How else could she have been with Jacob?

3.      Her presence with Jacob also shows that Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, was dead. On one of Jacob’s trips to his father’s, he must have asked if Deborah could come to live with his family. Deborah had meant much to Jacob as a young man. She had nursed him as a baby and taken care of him through his childhood and teenage years. Since Scripture regards her death worth recording, she was probably a godly and wise woman who managed Jacob’s household. She was perhaps a grandmother to Jacob’s children as well as an advisor to him, perhaps counseling him during difficult and trying times.

B.        Note the name Jacob gave to the oak tree where she was buried:

1.      Allon Bacuth, which means “the oak of weeping”

2.      This fact, plus the fact that Jacob brought Deborah home to live with his family, strongly indicates a deep love and attachment between Jacob and her.

3.      The point is this: the revival Jacob had just experienced had given new power to bear the trials of life—in this case, the loss of a loved one.

    In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push.

    After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave his car running. He used this ingenious procedure to two years.

    Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.

    For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting the power to work.

    J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians 1:19-20 “How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God”, when we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us.

VI.      There is the renewal of God’s promises to one’s heart (v.9-12).

A.        God reconfirmed the new name He had given Jacob years before, the name Israel (Genesis 35:10).

1.      Remember that Israel means either “the man who prevails with God” or “God prevails and rules over the man.”

2.      Jacob had once again prevailed with God. He had sought revival for himself and his people, and God had heard, giving them true revival.

B.        God assured Jacob of His very special presence, the presence of God Almighty (El Shaddai).

1.      The name stresses God’s power and sufficiency to meet every need that man can have.

2.      God was giving Jacob the absolute assurance of His presence and power throughout the remainder of his life.

C.        God reconfirmed the promised seed to Jacob, meaning a great nation of people (Genesis 35:11).

1.      Note that God also added the words of a company or community of nations.

2.      This probably referred to the twelve tribes of Israel and the distinctive nature that each was to have and maintain down through the coming centuries.

D.        God reconfirmed the Promised Land (Genesis 35:12).

1.      Jacob’s seed was to inherit the land, the land of Canaan. God Himself was going to give them the land.

2.      God did not specifically mention the very special seed, the Savior, in this meeting with Jacob. Why? Scripture does not say why. A challenging thought is this: it was just unnecessary at this time in Jacob’s life. His faith was so strong in the promised Savior and he held so firmly to the promise that it just possessed his mind. The very thought of the coming Savior so filled his thoughts that God did not have to reconfirm this part of His promise. May God grant that our minds be so filled with the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has now come.

VII.    There is private worship (v.13-15).

A.        When God finished renewing His promise to Jacob, He went up from the place where He had been speaking (Genesis 35:13).

1.      Jacob memorialized the place by setting up a stone pillar and anointing it with oil.

2.      Remember, this was an act of dedication and consecration. Jacob set the place apart as a very special place of worship

3.      Jacob thereafter publicly called the place Bethel.

4.      This means that he publicly, in the presence of other people, referred to the place as Bethel. He gave public testimony to the fact that God had met him at Bethel, at the house of God.

Conclusion: There are many of us today who need to go back to bethel. Go back to the place where God first spoke to our heart. Let God know once more that He can count on you.

    God told Jacob to go back and dwell there, go back to bethel and stay there. Bethel represented that place where we talk to God and He talks to us. He is longing for your return, for your close attention, for that special relationship where you and He walk hand in hand. We need that communication with God again.

    Jed Harris, producer of Our Town and other plays became convinced he was losing his hearing. He went to a specialist, who gave him a thorough checkup. The doctor pulled out a gold watch and asked, “Can you hear this ticking?” Harris said, “Of course.” The specialist walked to the door and held up the watch again. “Now can you hear it” Harris concentrated and said, “Yes, I can hear it clearly.” The doctor walked out the door into the next room and said, “Can you hear it now?” Harris said, “Yes”.

    The doctor said, “Mr. Harris, there is nothing wrong with your hearing. You just don’t listen.”

    It is time to listen to what God is saying. Make the necessary “steps” to get back in tune with the Lord. Go back to Bethel One More Time