‏ Genesis 35

* God commands Jacob to go to Beth-el, He puts away idols from

his family. (1-5) Jacob builds an altar, Death of Deborah, God

blesses Jacob. (6-15) Death of Rachel. (16-20) Reuben's crime,

The death of Isaac. (21-29)

1-5 Beth-el was forgotten. But as many as God loves, he will

remind of neglected duties, one way or other, by conscience or

by providences. When we have vowed a vow to God, it is best not

to defer the payment of it; yet better late than never. Jacob

commanded his household to prepare, not only for the journey and

removal, but for religious services. Masters of families should

use their authority to keep up religion in their families, #Jos

24:15|. They must put away strange gods. In families where there

is a face of religion, and an altar to God, yet many times there

is much amiss, and more strange gods than one would suppose.

They must be clean, and change their garments. These were but

outward ceremonies, signifying the purifying and change of the

heart. What are clean clothes, and new clothes, without a clean

heart, and a new heart? If Jacob had called for these idols

sooner, they had parted with them sooner. Sometimes attempts for

reformation succeed better than we could have thought. Jacob

buried their images. We must be wholly separated from our sins,

as we are from those that are dead and buried out of sight. He

removed from Shechem to Beth-el. Though the Canaanites were very

angry against the sons of Jacob for their barbarous usage of the

Shechemites, yet they were so kept back by Divine power, that

they could not take the opportunity now offered to avenge them.

The way of duty is the way of safety. When we are about God's

work, we are under special protection; God is with us, while we

are with him; and if He be for us, who can be against us? God

governs the world more by secret terrors on men's minds than we

are aware of. 6-15 The comfort the saints have in holy ordinances, is not so

much from Beth-el, the house of God, as from El-beth-el, the God

of the house. The ordinances are empty things, if we do not meet

with God in them. There Jacob buried Deborah, Rebekah's nurse.

She died much lamented. Old servants in a family, that have in

their time been faithful and useful, ought to be respected. God

appeared to Jacob. He renewed the covenant with him. I am God

Almighty, God all-sufficient, able to make good the promise in

due time, and to support thee and provide for thee in the mean

time. Two things are promised; that he should be the father of a

great nation, and that he should be the master of a good land.

These two promises had a spiritual signification, which Jacob

had some notion of, though not so clear and distinct as we now

have. Christ is the promised Seed, and heaven is the promised

land; the former is the foundation, and the latter the

top-stone, of all God's favours. 16-20 Rachel had passionately said, Give me children, or else I

die; and now that she had children, she died! The death of the

body is but the departure of the soul to the world of spirits.

When shall we learn that it is God alone who really knows what

is best for his people, and that in all worldly affairs the

safest path for the Christian is to say from the heart, It is

the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. Here alone is our

safety and our comfort, to know no will but his. Her dying lips

called her newborn son Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; and many a

son proves to be the heaviness of her that bare him. Children

are enough the sorrow of their mothers; they should, therefore,

when they grow up, study to be their joy, and so, if possible,

to make them some amends. But Jacob, because he would not renew

the sorrowful remembrance of the mother's death every time he

called his son, changed his name to Benjamin, the son of my

right hand: that is, very dear to me; the support of my age,

like the staff in my right hand. 21-29 What a sore affliction Reuben's sin was, is shown, " and

Israel heard it." No more is said, but that is enough. Reuben

thought that his father would never hear of it; but those that

promise themselves secrecy in sin, are generally disappointed.

The age and death of Isaac are recorded, though he died not till

after Joseph was sold into Egypt. Isaac lived about forty years

after he had made his will, chap. #27:2|. We shall not die an

hour the sooner, but much the better, for timely setting our

hearts and houses in order. Particular notice is taken of the

agreement of Esau and Jacob at their father's funeral, to show

how God had wonderfully changed Esau's mind. It is awful to

behold relations, sometimes for a little of this world's goods,

disputing over the graves of their friends, while they are near

going to the grave themselves.