Genesis 35-37

Genesis 35


God spoke to Jacob, and sent him and his family to Bethel to live there and make an altar to God. They buried their foreign goods, including the earrings that the women were wearing. He told his family to purify themselves, and put on clean clothes. They would build an altar and worship the God that has helped Jacob in his troubles! Jacob built an altar once he got there. God reaffirms his plans for Jacob's life. He tells him to have many children, nations and kings will spring from Jacob, and God will give him the land that he promised Abraham and Isaac. Bethel was a very special place, where God spoke to Jacob!


Rachel died while in a difficult child birth with Benjamin.
Reuben had an affair with one of his father's concubines. When Jacob heard about it, he was furious.
Then Isaac died, and Esau and Jacob buried him.

My family has nothing on Jacob's family. They win for one of the most dysfunctional families.
One of the things I notice is Jacob continued to find places where God spoke to him. Where I can go, so I can speak to God? How can I invite God into my daily life, so I can hear His awesome voice?


Genesis 36


Just as Abraham and Lot had to part ways, Jacob and Esau had to part ways. Between the two of them, they had too much livestock and property and their city cannot support them. So, Esau moved away from Jacob with all his property, wives, children, and livestock. Esau moved to the hill country of Edom. Many tribes descended from Esau and his children. In verses 31-39, we see the beginning of the kings in Edom. Esau was the start of many tribes in Edom.


Genesis 37


Joseph was 17 years old, and tended his father's flock.
It is written that Jacob loved Joseph more than the rest of his sons, because he was born to Jacob while he was old in his age. I think an important fact to be noted is Joseph is his first born from Rachel. Remember, Jacob really loved Rachel. I think that is an important observation to be made, as we look at the passage. Jacob flourished Joseph with a long coat as a gift. Joseph's brothers did not just not like him, but they hated Joseph. They were jealous of his relationship with his father, Jacob.

Jacob had a dream. He told his brothers about his dream, which did more harm than good. It just drove them to hate Joseph even more. In his first dream, his brothers would bow down to him. In his second dream, the universe bowed down to him. He shared the dream with his father as well. While his brothers hated him and were encompassed with jealousy, Jacob pondered his son's dream.

Joseph's brother plotted to kill him once he followed his father's wishes to go check on his brothers to ensure that they are safe.  His brothers sought to sell him instead of entrapping him in a well. The purchasers of Joseph took him to Egypt. The brothers instead killed a goat, dipped his coat in its blood, and took it to Jacob---creating the idea that Joseph had died a horrible death.

Joseph was, then, sold to one of the kings's officers in Egypt.

Questions to ponder:
Am I jealous of anyone?
Are my relationships in need of mending?
How have I damaged my relationships?
How can I pray for those who I am jealous toward?
What harm have I done to those around me?

Joseph has some serious relationship problems with his brothers. It makes me thankful for the calmness of my life, and the fact that there is not quite so much drama. I do not have siblings seeking to kidnap, leave me in a well, or try to sell me to foreigners. Reading this chapter really puts perspective on situations that we may think are bad---they really are not that bad!