God Answers in My Distress

Genesis 35

After the reading chapter 34 I wonder if I was reading a script for a drama movie. The Bible is full of not only interesting stories but also shows human flaws as well as the achievement of God through the men and women he uses throughout its pages.  In this chapter we see a refocus on God’s plan. It kind of takes a break from human drama and bad choices and reaffirms Jacob of God’s plan. God appears again to Jacob, after several years living in the land that God called him back to and we see that God wants an altar built. Jacob tells his family (which includes not only his two wives and sons and daughter but also the servants and their children) to put away all the foreign idols and to purify themselves. During this time the surrounding nations did worship idols (images made out of stone or wood that people worshiped as god). They listened to him and forked over the idols and made the journey to Bethel. Jacob was obedient to God and built the altar and praised the Lord. 

God Gives Jacob a New Name verses 9-15

We see people are getting new names from the Lord. Abram had his name changed to Abraham. Sarai was changed to Sarah, Saul was changed to Paul. God changes the name of people for a reason. Here Jacob’s name will be Israel; this is the name of the nation. His name represents a whole nation, God’s chosen people. God spoke to Jacob and gave him a command to be fruitful and multiply, meaning I will keep you and your family safe. Your children’s children will be many and continue to grow. Jacob then set up a pillar in that place where God spoke to him. A pillar was a symbol or served as a reminder of what happened at that place. It was not a like a road marker but more like a life marker. If people walked by and ever saw Jacob they could ask him what was that pillar up for and Jacob would be able to respond with what God had promised.

Rachel his beloved wife and Isaac his father die verses 16-29

It is sad to have to say goodbye to someone in your family that maybe is ready to die or maybe someone has been battling a disease and you know the time was coming. That is hard but it is even harder when it is unexpected. Rachel died while giving birth to the last son of the 12 tribes of Israel, Benjamin. Not only that Jacob had to bury his wife but his father too. Isaac lived to be 180 years old. 

God who answers me in my distress— 

In verse 3 Jacob gave glory to God by mentioning God answers him in the time of his distress. In verse 5 God protected Jacob and his family on their journey to Bethel from the surrounding nations that may have wanted to overtake his family and his possessions.  God does answer us in our distress. Psalm 61 is a Psalm by David. He says, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer, from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint.” God heard Jacob when he needed the help, like when his brother was coming with 400 armed men. God heard to cry of David several times. In this particular Psalm, David just got word Absalom, his son died. Do you ever feel that you are in this life alone? It gets tough and you do not know which way to go. Let me encourage you that God is the God who hears our requests. He hears our cries. He hears our problems. He not only hears them but he takes action on them. He may wants us to wait, he may want us to grow, and he may say no, but either way God hears our prayers. It is not like when a person who is uninterested listens like, “One ear and out the other.” Go hears them intently and knows how we feel. He knows what we need. He gives us an answer. May you be strengthened to know God hears your prayers.