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Worship Guide for April 14

April 12, 2024


Prepare for Sunday morning worship by using the guide below.

Genesis 35:1-29

1God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. 12 The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Watch the Sermon

livestreamupdatedSummary: In Genesis 35, we are finishing what is called "the Jacob story". While Jacob’s death does not occur in this chapter, his story ends. The plan of redemption continues but now we look at his 12 sons, with a focus on Joseph.  In our passage, Jacob's story is completed as he returns to where it all started, Bethel, where he fled his brother’s murderous rage. While in chapter 34, there was no mention of God, in chapter 35 God is mentioned close to a dozen times. We see God's relentless grace in persevering Jacob and the whole family so that even though broken, God again calls Jacob to faith and obedience, confirming the promises made. While we have seen the best and worst of Jacob, God has remained the same: gracious, faithful and persevering. 

Review & Apply

How does God show His grace to Jacob after the sins of Shechem?  

How does God's willingness to forgive and save encourage you after failures?

How does Jacob respond? How is his obedience encouraged (35.3)?  

What does it look like for you to return to God?  What foreign gods ought to be removed from your life?  How ought we to purify ourselves and change clothes?

How does God confirm his promise to Jacob in 9-15? How does it sound similar to the promises made to Abraham and Isaac?  Why is this important to us today?  

What is the point of three burials in one chapter?  How does God's continuing work help us live in confidence in the face of our own mortality?

How better can you worship God from this chapter?  What characteristics stand out most to you?

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