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Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 284

"Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes." Psalm 119:135

Text: Genesis 35:1-29

BIDDING FAREWELL TO A LOVED ONE

Jacob’s love for Rachel may well be described as ‘legendary’. He slaved for her hand in marriage for seven years! Cheated by Laban, his father-in-law, Jacob laboured for the sake of Rachel for another seven long years (Cf. Genesis 29:19-30)!

Now Rachel was dead! How Jacob must have hurt deeply at the loss of his beloved wife. Before she died, Rachel named her baby, ‘Ben-Oni’, meaning, ‘Son of my sorrow’. It was in sorrow that she gave birth to him. It was this difficult birth that cost her everything! She died after she had given birth to her second son! That was a very sad name to give to a child!

Jacob wisely gave him a new name, ‘Benjamin’. This name means, “Son of my right hand”. The little new born babe will be a special source of joy and encouragement to his father.

“So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath
(that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave,
which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.”
GENESIS 35:19-20

A simple pillar was used to commemorate the significant event of God visiting Jacob. Another pillar was erected to the memory of Rachel, the late beloved wife of Jacob the patriarch.


AN ONGOING JOURNEY

Jacob did not stay in Bethlehem for too long. He went from place to place. He had every right to move from one place to another for the whole land of Canaan had been given to him!

“Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent
beyond the tower of Eder.” GENESIS 35:21

The journeys of Jacob indicate that he was still seeking a place where he could settle down. Places like “Eder” are impossible to identify with any great certainty today.


ANOTHER TRAGEDY

Jacob’s sons had not turned out too well! One would imagine that the massacre of the men of Shechem would be the worst thing that they could perpetrate. The Scriptures record another shameful act of Reuben, the firstborn!

“And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land,
that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine;
and Israel heard about it.” GENESIS 35:22


What was Reuben’s excuse? That Bilhah was no more than a maidservant? Reuben had no excuses whatsoever! Bilhah was the mother of Dan and Naphthali! Was Reuben showing flagrant disregard for his father? Sin does terrible things to people!