READ: Gen. 35:1–15: Then God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you…So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments … And the terror of God was upon the cities that surrounded them, so they did not pursue the sons of Jacob… And God appeared to Jacob again… God also said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply… The land… I will give to you and to your descendants after you.
What a tragic ending it would be for Jacob and his family if the LORD did not intervene directly after the terrible events at Shechem. Without His action, they would face their deserved fate.
But the LORD steps in here, wholly undeservedly and perhaps even unexpectedly, to save them. His grace and faithfulness shine through His first words to Jacob. He does not reject them, even though they deserve it. He calls Jacob to do what he should have done ten years earlier: return to Bethel to fulfill his vow to God and then move on to his family circle (Gen. 31:13).
Jacob is aware of these commitments and listens to the LORD’s command. He also recognizes that the level of unholiness and impurity which have crept into his family require a thorough conversion and purification before they can approach the holy God.
Jacob begins this process immediately, even before they set out on their journey: all idols and other worldly decorations must be surrendered. Jacob obeys God’s Word so faithfully that it leads from deformation to reformation.
God then allows Jacob to travel safely to Bethel without encountering hostility from the surrounding cities. There, God appears to Jacob once more. He blesses him and reiterates His glorious covenant promises. Jacob honors the LORD appropriately.
Why does God call Himself “the Almighty here?
Sing: Ps. 51:2