God Remains Faithful - Genesis 35-36

For all of us, life is unpredictable. We can’t see into the future, and our attempts to plan for what’s ahead sometimes miss the mark. In life, we face a myriad of unexpected events — some that feel inconsequential, and others that are life-altering. Rather than be overwhelmed by what we can’t control, we can look to the One who is sovereign over all things. God is good, and He is faithful to His word.

On Sunday, Austin preached on Genesis 35 and 36, helping us step back and consider the faithfulness of God. On Sunday, we were reminded that through our circumstances and despite our shortcomings, God remains faithful, and we can trust Him. 

In Genesis 35, God spoke to Jacob, telling him to go to Bethel, dwell there, and make an altar there to the God who appeared to him when he fled from Esau. Jacob charged those with him to put away their foreign gods, then collected the idols and hid them under a tree.

As Jacob and those with him went to Bethel, the Lord protected them from being attacked by any of the surrounding cities. After they arrived, Jacob made an altar to the Lord. In the first instance of death recorded in this chapter, Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and was buried below Bethel.

God spoke to Jacob again, changing Jacob’s name to Israel and stating His promise to him. We might remember Genesis 33, where Jacob’s name had earlier been changed to Israel, and wonder why the Lord told Jacob of his name change again. This event, though, was important. The renaming described in Genesis 35 may have been a reminder to Jacob of the new identity God had given him. It also marks a significant shift in the Genesis narrative — a shift where we look less at Israel the person, and more at Israel the nation.

After leaving Bethel, Rachel experienced hard labor. Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin, the twelfth of Jacob’s sons. Though Rachel died, her prayer to have another son was answered. This birth was followed by a despicable act by Jacob’s first son, Reuben, who slept with his father’s concubine. Though Genesis 35 does not unpack the consequences of this action, Genesis 49 later makes clear that, because of his sin, Reuben would not have preeminence. 

At the end of Genesis 35, we see that Jacob came to his father, Isaac, who died and was buried by Jacob and Esau. In Genesis 36, we see that God dealt graciously with Esau, even though he did not receive the special blessing Jacob did.

In these two chapters, we see that God is faithful to His word. He is faithful through life’s journeys, faithful amidst pain and suffering, faithful despite man’s sin, and faithful throughout all generations. We can trust the Lord.

Resources:

Reflection Questions:

  • Do you ever worry about the future? Is there anything in particular you tend to worry about?

  • How does finding satisfaction and hope in Christ help us to live with open hands?

  • How does reflecting on God’s faithfulness in the past encourage you to trust Him?

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