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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 283

"Look upon me and be merciful to me, As Your custom is toward those who love Your name." Psalm 119:132

Text: Genesis 35:1-29

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Bethel had great spiritual significance. It was there that Jacob had met with the Lord – again! But this place was not able to sustain the huge flocks and herds that Jacob now possessed. Soon it was time to move from Bethel.

“Then they journeyed from Bethel.” GENESIS 35:16a

The land of Canaan was huge. Jacob had barely begun to explore the Promised Land. The next stop was Ephrath (the ancient name of Bethlehem).


THE FULFILMENT OF A BIG WISH

Rachel had always wanted children! How happy she must have been when she found that she was with child! But this happiness was short-lived!

“And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath,
Rachel laboured in childbirth, and she had hard labour.
Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labour,
that the midwife said to her, ‘Do not fear, you will have
this son also.'”
GENESIS 35:16b-17

It would appear that the household of Jacob had midwives. The midwife who attended Rachel appeared to have been there with her when she gave birth to Joseph, Her words, ‘Do not fear, you will have this son also’ would indicate that she was there when she gave birth to her firstborn (Cf. Genesis 30:22-24). At the birth of Joseph, Rachel cried out, ‘The Lord shall add to me another son.’ Her wish was fulfilled in the birth of the second son.

Rachel must have been in her third trimester when the whole family fled Shechem. The horror of the sons of Jacob murdering of the men of Shechem, the flight from the city, the long journey to Bethel, the fear of reprisal from their enemies – all these factors must have taken a toll on poor Rachel!

Before too long, Jacob decided to move from Bethel. Given the limited amount of medical knowledge in those days, Jacob could not have guessed how the recent traumas experienced by the family could have such an effect on Rachel. She went into hard labour and suffered terribly.


HAPPINESS TINGED WITH SORROW

The birth of the second son cost Rachel her life. Perhaps, due to the hard labour, Rachel lost a lot of blood, and soon found her life ebbing away.

“And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died),
that she called his name Ben-Oni;
but his father called him Benjamin.”
GENESIS 35:18

What should have been a very happy event was now heavily tinged with sorrow!