THINK TWICE, Eat Pray Love, MOVIE

You don't have to walk out of a relationship to find yourself.

by Ken Godevenos

I am not here to debate whether Christians should go to the movies or not. I do. But I've been going to fewer and fewer of them these days. The plots stink or are just variations on a theme. Most of what is available is not the kind of movie that I believe I need to see. Once in a while, you come across a talented actor that you like and you go to see the movie that he/she is in. Many people consider Julia Roberts in that category.

But her latest movie may be one you want to avoid. The movie is called "Eat Pray Love", and really an adaptation of the bestselling book by the same name. I have not seen it (nor read the book), so you can criticize me right away for knocking something I have not seen. Fair enough. But I do have some other input that I believe should be considered. Bear with me for a second.

The movie's director (Ryan Murphy) himself, according to Metro News, a daily Toronto newspaper, "contemplates if (the) movie will cause breakups". When asked if he was "worried the movie is going to break up a lot of couples?" said this: "Well, there's two women in my life who got divorced because of the book, and I hope the movie, is, that it says to people -- particularly, I think, women and gay men -- if you're not happy, change."

He goes on to say, "Be brave enough to walk away from what other people tell you you should be. I hope that it doesn't cause divorces so much as that it launches a discussion of, 'OK, why do you feel you're stuck?'"

He admits everyone can't afford a year off to travel in order to find themselves. He hopes you can do it by reading the original book or seeing his movie.

Murphy was going through a bad breakup and then read the book and immediately related to it.

Okay, let's analyze just a few of these statements and thoughts.

1. The movie is bound to be a hit because it stars Julia Roberts. Even though many that do not agree with the philosophy of the book/movie (possibly conservative Christians), they will feel justified in going to see it, you know -- "hey, I like Julia Roberts; I'm going to see it because of her."

2. Murphy has had at least one bad breakup by his own words. Not even sure if he was married or not and no, I didn't think it was worth it trying to do research to find out. So, you have to consider the experience of the director -- if you see the movie, you will likely see/hear much of what he wants to get across to you along with the original author, on this topic. You really won't get God's view on it. (I could be wrong for as I say, I have not seen it.)

3. Murphy claims two women in "his own" life have divorced over the book. Okay, I understand every one who has read the book can't claim those statistics, but it does beg the question, "just how many have divorced as a direct or indirect impact of the book?" Probably more than we'd like to think or admit.

4. Consider the goal of the movie: Getting people to "change if they're stuck" -- read "get out of the situation". If you're unhappy, get out. If you're feeling 'gay' (pun intended) and you're in a straight family or marriage, get out and get into a homosexual relationship.

5. We all know that "finding ourselves" to the secular mind does not mean "finding who we are in God's mind and eyes". It means, "be happy", "you deserve it", "you're all that matters anyway", "life is short, so have a good time" and many other things that are contrary to a Christian worldview.

Don't let the "pray" word in the title fool you. I want to hear from those that have seen it or those planning to see it. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Or tell me "I didn't miss a thing."

When I read Murphy's concern about the movie causing divorces, I asked myself "why would Christians want to go and see this?" Why would we want to support with our money and our presence those that advocate such philosophies? When will we start saying "I really don't need this"? As for me, now in my 40th year of marriage (to the same woman), I don't have any desire to see the movie, as much as I like Julia Roberts. But clearly, 100's of 1000's of Christians will -- I just want to know why?

That's the way I "see" this one. How about you? Where do you stand?

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Jacob’s Love for Joseph - Genesis 37:1-4

Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.

As we start our study of this 37th chapter of Genesis, we find Jacob in the land of Canaan. The author starts to relate to us the “records of the generations of Jacob” but immediately focuses on Joseph, who at this time is seventeen years old. Unfortunately, we have no way of relating this point in time to our chronological timetable that we last looked at the time we were studying Genesis 35:28.

We are told that Joseph was taking care of Jacob’s flocks and he was doing it with his brothers. The text takes care to mention that he was doing this “as a youth” implying perhaps this was not a normal situation. In addition, Joseph, the son of Jacob via Rachel, was working as a shepherd boy with his stepbrothers, the sons of Jacob through both Bilhah and Zilpah.

Now there is no indication that all of them did not get along together. Obviously, Joseph knew the difference between himself (a son of Jacob’s beloved Rachel) and his stepbrothers, sons of his mother and ‘aunt’ Leah’s handmaidens. We can only wonder whether or not this gave him a sense of superiority. Perhaps he was just naturally more industrious than the others and he noticed that some of them were not behaving according to the way Joseph would have expected his father Jacob would want them to. So he brings home a bad report about them. We neither know what it was they were doing that was not deemed appropriate, nor do we know if Joseph made the whole thing up. Everything is possible.

It is difficult to ascertain whether the next sentence is in the appropriate chronological order or not with respect to when Jacob had made Joseph his “coat of many colors”. Was it prior to his tattling on his brothers or after that? We do not know. At face value, if we had to opt for one choice or another, we would argue that following the text and assuming some chronological order to the writing, it was afterward. However, the fact that Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his sons may well have been evident long before Joseph’s report to Jacob about his brothers. If so, it is possible that Joseph felt it his duty to report on his brothers, as he was his father’s favorite son and thus took upon himself the role of being his father’s eyes and ears.

What we do know is that his brothers could see Jacob loved Joseph more than them. And as one would expect, his brothers hated Joseph as a result. So much so, that they could not have a friendly conversation with him.

So, what do we make of all this? I believe there are lessons here for us as parents and grandparents with respect to how we treat all of our children and grandchildren. For me, with respect to my children it has always been a conscious decision to show them all the love I possibly can show, all the time. Yes, there are differences that come into play that would attract us to one more than to another, but we must see those as simply characteristics of who they are, not reasons to love them in varying amounts. Some of these could include their gender, their age, their availability, their choices, their personality similarity to us, and so much more. But we love them equally and totally. I believe that is what God does with all of us.

Secondly, as parents in the sandwich generation (having parents that are still living and having children), we need to be careful that we referee any preference our own parents may show towards one or more of our children over any other of our children. This happens not intentionally but more due to the values of the older generation. It takes a wise son or daughter to guard their children from it well and to encourage their parents to refrain from showing such differences without alienating them. But hey, no one ever said it was going to be easy being a parent and a child.

Finally, I think there is something here that children and grandchildren need to be aware of as well. If we detect some “special treatment” from our parents, we need to be careful how we deal with it. We need to be sure that it does not interfere, as far as our own actions and attitudes and words are concerned, with our own relationship towards our siblings. There is also a lesson here to us who are “specially treated” in that we need to understand the “human feelings and responses”of those who feel they are not treated or loved as specially as we are. We need to cut them some slack and show them our love goes beyond the love that they feel others may be showing them. Lastly, we may also have a responsibility to gently and indirectly encourage and remind those who show this special love or treatment towards us that they have other children and other grandchildren. Many an adult is moved to the correct action by the words of a child, regardless of the ‘child’s’ age.

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The Records of the Chiefs of Esau’s Descendants - Genesis 36:40-43

Now these are the names of the chiefs descended from Esau, according to their families an their localities, by their names: chief . . . .These are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of the Eomites), according to their habitations in the land of their possession.

In the previous section we read about the kings of Esau. Here we read about the chiefs that descended from Esau. These duke-like individuals ruled at the same time in several places across the land. In the case of the Edomites it is possible they copied the style of government they found in the land and practiced by the Horites. If one looks back to verse 29 of this chapter, one finds the “chiefs” that had descended from the Horites. Whatever the origin, Edom now had kings and dukes and a great dispersion of power throughout the land.

Perhaps another way to look at this hierarchy of rulers and power, all within Esau’s descendants, is to consider how much God blessed a man that was not chosen as a means by which He would bless the nations or carry out other parts of His plan for mankind. If Esau was blessed that much, can one really fathom the eternal blessings of those that are chosen? What a thought.

Finally, verse 43 says the Edomites dwelled in their own “habitations” including the fact that they possessed Seir. Meanwhile the Israelites only had a promise of great blessing that would be theirs someday. As Christians today survey the lay of the land, we notice that most of our contemporaries who are not children of God seem to have it all. In fact, they do likely have all they will ever have at their immediate disposal right now. Some of them do not even have to hope for anything, according to their own thinking. As children of God however our wealth is currently vested in the “certainty of the hope” that is still before us, the eternal promises of God. While to some it may seem like a bad deal today, true and experienced believers are convinced the best is yet to come, having confidence of spending eternity with God.

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The Records of the First Kings Before Israel’s - Genesis 36:31-39

Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel. . . .Then Bela died, and Jobab the son Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. . . . Then Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, . . .

What we have here is two groups, the newcomer Edomites and the resident Horites, now living in the same area, but having their own separate governments. The kings listed here ruled prior to the kings that reigned over the children of Israel. You will remember back in Genesis 35:11, God promised Jacob that kings would come from his descendants, yet here is his brother Esau seeing royalty first. Does it not seem odd that often those not in the very center of God’s will, seem to get the better deal first or in a bigger way? Evil does have its way of succeeding first or quickly, but its impact is relatively short-lived. What those who walk with God and rely on Him are blessed with gifts that are everlasting.

Finally, here it may be important to note that some have supposed that Jobab is the same as Job, the main character of the book of Job. And that the Eliphaz referred to earlier in this chapter (vs. 4,10,11,12,15,16) was the same person as the one who was Job’s friend in that book. There is no conclusive proof to these assertions. If the assertions are true, it means that there is some connection timewise between the book of Job and what is going on here in this chapter. Eliphaz could have been one of his uncles that had come to visit him during his afflictions. These assumptions would also imply that Job was living at the same time as Jacob and Esau and these events. All things are possible, and some even probable. However, we cannot make any definitive statements about things that are not clearly ‘definitive’ in scripture.

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Study Interruption: Pure Descendants of Ishmael and Esau

As we were studying these portions of scripture, someone requested a study on the “pure descendants of Ishmael (not those mixed with Isaac's progeny) and the descendants of Esau as they exist in the Middle East today). I was happy to oblige to the best of my ability.

1. Ishmael was born to Abraham and Hagar (Genesis 16:15).
2. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarai (Genesis 21:3).
3. Esau was born to Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 25:25).
4. Ishmael then was Esau’s half-uncle as he was his father’s half-brother.

5. Ishmael gets married but we are not given his wife’s name (Genesis 21:21). We do know she, like his mother, was from Egypt.
6. Ishmael has twelve sons (Genesis 25:13-15).
7. Ishmael has at least one daughter whom he gives to Esau in marriage (Genesis 28:9).

That much we know from the Bible. But from there things start to get complex. Let’s start with what we know about Ishmael’s genealogy. Most Jewish and Islamic traditions hold that Ishmael was an ancestor of the Northern Arab people. Another designation to this group for the sake of emphasis and distinction is “Arabized-Arabs”. They are different or separate from the group of Arabs who were descendents of Ya’rub. Think of Northern and Southern Arabs as occupying the whole of Arabia (as the land came to be known around the first centrury B.C.). The Northern “Arabized-Arabs” lived in the northern, central and western parts of Arabia. This group is also know as Adnan, Ma’add, or Nizar, after some key ancestors.

The Qahtani Arabs lived in the south and southeastern part of Arabia. They are the Kahtan or Semitic peoples who originated from or claimed genealogical descent from Yemen and the surrounding southern extent of Arabia. According to Islamic tradition the Islamic prophet Muhammad descended from Qahtan, the ancestor of this southern group of Qahtani Arabs. Having said that, some believe that some modern Arabs see their ancestry as being of Isaac’s bloodline.

Here’s where we are: the Qur’an contains no genealogies. And neither does the Holy Bible tell us anything more about this Ishmael, Abraham’s son.

Into the story comes a place or site known as Kaaba. According to Wikipedia, the Kaaba is a cube--shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The building predates Islam, and, according to Islamic tradition, Abraham built the first building at the site. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. Qur’an 2:127 tells us that Abraham and Ishmael “raised the foundations” of this site. It is not clear whether that means ‘built’ or ‘rebuilt’ as some Islamic traditions claim Adam was the original builder. Do you see the emerging weaknesses in all these various claims?

Returning to Ishmael, you remember that he was about to die of thirst when an angel showed his mother a well and told her again that he would become a great nation (Genesis 21:18). According to Genesis 25:9-18, Ishmael’s twelve sons had ancestors of twelve tribes that dwelt from Havilah to Shur, land that was crossed, on route to Egypt, on route to Assyria.

There is no undeniable evidence to be found which can correctly and with total certainty identify Havilah with a modern-day location. The same is true for the place called Shur. Thus it becomes difficult to pinpoint who Ishmael’s exact descendants are today.

In Rabbinical literature, we read that the angels protested to God on the issue of Ishmael being given water when he was dying of thirst because they believed his descendants would destroy the Israelites by thirst. The literature goes on to say that God replied that at that point in time, Ishmael was innocent and that He judged him according to what he was at that time. (Which by the way, is an interesting take on God’s view of both the time we operate in and how he deals with us during various stages of our lives.) Rabbinical literature goes on to claim that Ishmael returned to his father Abraham in his later life and did in fact repent of his evil ways.

Switching to Esau’s genealogy, we find this in the Jewish Virtual Library: “Traditional enemies of the Israelites, the Edomites were the descendants of Esau who often battled the Jewish nation. Edom was in southeast Palestine, stretched from the Red Sea at Elath to the Dead Sea, and encompassed some of Israel's most fertile land. The Edomites attacked Israel under Saul’s rulership. King David would later defeat the rogue nation, annexing their land. At the fall of the First Temple, the Edomites attacked Judah and looted the Temple, accelerating its destruction. The Edomites were later forcibly converted into Judaism by John Hyrcanus, and then became an active part of the Jewish people. Famous Edomites include Herod, who built the Second Temple.” I’ll let our readers study that on their own for more details and in order to arrive at their conclusion.

The majority of the material that I was able to peruse came to the conclusion that either Edomites no long exist today, or we really do not know who they are. One possibility is that indeed if we consider Esau’s blessings, we would have to admit that his descendants would also multiply and scatter throughout the world. It is possible they have done just that and integrated many other diverse societies and culture. They are still around, but not as Edomites. If we accept that possibility, then who we think they may be today depends greatly on our worldview. Some may believe the descendants of Esau have given up their hatred of the Judaic people. Others may think they have gravitated towards those cultures and peoples whose very singular goal in life is to obliterate Israel. Perhaps one day, and maybe soon, we will know. In the meantime, I will leave the guesswork to you.

In summary, the bottom line is still this. Ishmael did come from Abraham’s line. Esau did come from Isaac’s line, which in turn came from Abraham. Jesus came from Jacob’s line, which in turn came from Abraham. Today we have Jews and Arabs. The great majority of original Jews (those not converted to Judaism) come from Jacob’s line. It is possible that some descendants of both Ishmael and Esau may have at one time or another converted to Judaism, but for the most part the rest existed as Arabs and either integrated into more vibrant Arab cultures or died off. As a result, we must contend ourselves with the realization that what matters today, from this perspective of this discussion, and with respect to the end times is this – there are Arabs and there are Jews. And of course, there is God.

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The Records of the Sons of Seir, the Horite - Genesis 36:20-30

These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land . . . of Edom. . . . These are the chiefs descended from the Horites, according to their various chiefs in the land of Seir.

For some reason, the author of Genesis, inserts in the middle of the genealogy of the Edomites, Esau’s people, the genealogy of the Horites. These people are Canaanites or more specifically Hittites. In Genesis 26:34 we learned that Esau had married two of their daughters. They were the natives of Mount Seir as we first learned in Genesis 14:6. But why here, why now, is their genealogy given?

It is possible that this was inserted as a reminder to us that if we allow people into our lives, they remain, in one form or another, ‘with us’ forever. The Edomites, beginning with Esau, had intermarried with the Hittites. By so doing, they likely adopted the ways of the Hittites in many respects and thus corrupted themselves and the pure monotheistic faith they had in God Almighty. When Esau lost his blessings he turned to and joined the Hittites. Their impact on him and his family remained forever.

If a young man falls into a group of bad friends and gets into trouble, he will always have that experience in his life’s databank and while he may be able to rise above it some day, its impact will have taken its course. Similarly, if a person has an affair, he/she does not easily forget the circumstances of that relationship, no matter whether it is cut short or not. If someone intentionally pursues an action or activity that results in permanent physical damage or loss to part of his/her body or faculties, he/she is reminded of that each time they go to use that part of the body or that ability. God once again, even with this simple genealogy inserted here, may well be suggesting, that life is indeed about choices that are ours to make. But once we make them, we must accept the fact that the positive outcomes of Godly decisions or the negative consequences of poor ones, are also part of the package, and cannot easily be abandoned.

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A Need for Clarification re. Esau’s Wives

As we studied Genesis chapter 36, I realized that a need for a potential clarification arose regarding the number and the names of Esau’s wives. We step back for a moment to address that issue.

In Genesis 26:34 and then again in 28:9, we read that Esau’s wives were as follows: Judith (the daughter of Berri the Hittite); Basemath (the daughter of Elon the Hittite); and Mahalath (the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth).

Yet, in Genesis 36:2,3 his wives are recorded as follows: Adah (the daughter of Elon the Hittite); Oholibamah (the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite); and Basemath (as above).

Basemath is mentioned in both accounts. However, Judith and Mahalath are mentioned in the first account and not the second, while the reverse is true for Adah and Oholibamah. So, is there a contradiction in the book of Genesis? If not, how can the differences be explained?

The literature on this is extensive and interesting. Here are some possibilities as I see them:
1. One of the early wives died and was replaced, so there were still three at the time the genealogy in Genesis 36 was written down.
2. Esau divorced one of his wives and remarried, so again there were still three at the time the genealogy in Genesis 36 was written.
3. While five different wives’ names are mentioned (Judith, Basemath, Mahalath, Adah, Oholibamah), one and/or two of those names have alternative names or nicknames (common in the Patriarchial Era).
4. A combination of two or three of the above possibilities.
5. The author did not record all of the wives in one or both occasions.
6. There were in fact four wives, a concept that would nicely parallel Jacob’s four wives.

The last suggestion above would work out like this:
1. Judith – group one original from Genesis 26:34
2. Adah -- group two, Genesis 36:2 (also known as Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite – group one original from Genesis 26:34)
3. Oholibamah – group two, Genesis 36:2
4. Mahalath -- group one, but from Genesis 28:9 (also known as Basemath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth – group two, Genesis 36:3.

The above-supposed scenario would likely mean that in the case of Wife 2 and 4, Adah and Mahalath were their original foreign names, and Basemath their nickname or alternative. No other Israelite woman used these original names to our knowledge.

I have spent several hours working through all the possibilities. There are some interesting points to note. For example:
 There is some support in historical literature for the use of nicknames.
 Basemath (named in the first group of references) and Adah (in the second both have as their kinship reference “the daughter of Elon the Hittite”, leading us to at least entertain the possibility they are one and the same.
 Mahalath (named in the first group of references) and the Basemath (in the second) are both referred to as “the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth”, leading us to entertain the possibility that they are one and the same.

I have decided that one cannot come to any conclusive decision, only conjectures. I do not even want to venture an opinion. My study, however, has led me to believe that all four possibilities are certainly probable if not possible. While some may not be satisfied with that, I am. While the idea of ‘four’ wives has some merit, the problem I face is twofold. First, the text especially that given with the genealogy record seems to clearly favor three wives. Second, in total we are given five different names in the text but only three at a time. Four sounds like a possible good compromise. All suggested possibilities require some restructuring of that offered by scripture. In addition, I have discovered that compromises do not always lead to the absolute truth. For that, we’ll need to wait for the end of our journey. Feel free to ask the question when you get ‘there’.

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The Records of the Sons of Esau - Genesis 36:9-19

These then are the records of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. . . . These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.

The Bible provides us great details in respect to the generations that followed Esau from his five sons. We have left out all the verses with all their names. What matters for us is that here is clear evidence that God cares about each one of us. True it records only male children for in those days the culture was indeed very patriarchal in nature. It is not a statement against women. Women were revered as we have seen time and time again even up to this point in Genesis. In fact, the records provide the names of the male offspring based on who there mother was, even when that mother was a concubine rather than a full spouse.

In verse 15 we are introduced to the ‘chiefs’ or as the King James puts it, the “dukes” of the sons of Esau. It appears that the clan were divided into tribes, whose names were taken from the different sons. The word ‘duke’ here is likely equivalent to the sheiks or emirs of the modern East rather than a reference to high rank and wealth as in the British peerage. There are fourteen of these dukes or chiefs in Esau’s Edomite people. Each likely had command of a certain number of soldiers. You will remember back in Genesis 27:40 that Esau and his people were to live “by the sword”.

Let us note also that what we have here is simply a listing of names of Esau’s sons and grandsons. Their history is not given. The author of the book seems to want to focus on recording only that part of Abraham and Isaac’s history through which the Promise is fulfilled. Those names that would come after these names here are for the most part, at least in Esau’s lineage, lost forever. But, as we will find out, that is not the case for Jacob’s bloodline of the Israelites, those who are rightfully heirs to the Promised Land. There is no reason to think that Esau’s dukes and chiefs did not prosper or become great in number through the generations that came after them. In fact, God allowed Esau to prosper numerically before He made that a reality for Jacob as we found out from our earlier studies. Worldly men do indeed prosper. The problem is that the prosperity does not last forever. Kingdoms fall. But when God decides to bless His own, it lasts longer and leads to full spiritual eternal prosperity.

Titles of ‘human’ honor seem to be more at home outside the spiritual family of God. In the true spiritual family of God, we will see the title of “shepherd” and “shepherd boy” play the prominent role.

So should we as Christians bestow titles on each other? (Honorary degrees come to mind.) There is nothing in scripture to prohibit it as I read it. The problem is not the title; it is whether or not the title owner overestimates his/her worth because of it. True honor comes from God and God alone. In the history of mankind, it is better to be a King or a Priest appointed by God than one appointed by man.

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Esau and Jacob Separate Again - Genesis 36:6-8

Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land away from his brother Jacob. For their property had become too great for them to live together, and the land where they sojourned could not sustain them because of their livestock. So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.

Here again we are reminded that not only Jacob, but Esau as well, had done well. Esau takes his three wives, his five sons, and his daughters – again we are not told at this juncture how many there were – and all his servants, livestock, cattle, earthly goods, and moves away from his brother Esau. He moves the scripture say to “another land”.

After Esau had sold his birthright blessing to Jacob for the potage he so badly craved, he cried out to his father Isaac for a second blessing. It appears that because he was Isaac’s son, God did bless Esau in the only way that really mattered to him – materially.

The scene is reminiscent of Abraham and Lot parting ways when their wealth was expanded and the land could not sustain both effectively, strictly from an agricultural perspective because of their livestock and cattle. However, it is interesting to note that wealth does often create separation. I have seen this over and over again, especially between brothers. They are left a vibrant business by their father and they grow it together. Yet at some point as so often happens, they turn it into two businesses, or one leaves to head up a new offshoot or a totally different organization. For some reason, they cannot co-exist. They cannot co-manage the blessing that God has given them. But does it need to be that way? One would think that if no egos were involved, they could work together.

There is a need for us to examine our egos when it comes to both business and ministries. In Africa recently, I observed so many national pastors working under very poor circumstances trying to establish their own local churches – often within literally yards from each other, and both evangelical protestant in nature. I am working to try and bring unity in both purpose and efforts in this regard. A while back I attended a missionary conference in Toronto and to my disappointment I noticed close to a dozen different missions trying to reach the Jewish people in Israel for Christ. Can you imagine how much more effective and efficient they would be if they joined forces? We need to check our egos at the door of ministry.

As I write this account, the Lord has given me a desire to help Christians in developing countries “learn how to fish” in order to make themselves, their families, and their ministries self-sufficient. My first preference for this ministry is to seek the cooperation of my current mission to expand our mandate to do so. My second is to work with another existing charity to do so. My last resort is to start another mission – yet I realize that sometimes, that is what needs to be done. I just think His preference is that we work together as one.

The land of Seir was first mentioned in Genesis 14:6 with reference to the Horites, one of the groups that waged war against other groups in the area. In Genesis 32:3 we note that Esau was already living in the land of “Seir, the country of Edom (Esau)”. And in our current verses he “dwells” here after he apparently moved away from Esau who had returned to Canaan. It is possible that either the timing of the account is not provided chronologically or that Seir is a much larger portion of land and that the place Edom is only part of it, implying that Esau moved within Seir. In fact, the latter is more likely as Seir is a mountain range extending from one part of the dead Dead Sea all the way to its eastern gulf.

In the end, God’s plan remains in tact. Esau may have wanted, and indeed struggled during his life for, Canaan, yet now finds himself settling in Seir.

The lessons for us are twofold. First, we must realize that God does bless others, even those that may not appear to us to have walked closely with Him. He is God and has the right to do whatever He wants. Secondly, while He may bless, He never does so in a way that detracts from His original and main plan for mankind and us.

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Esau’s Sons - Genesis 36:4-5

And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

These two verses name the five sons of Esau through his three wives. A closer study of each yields the following information:

Eliphaz is translated as “my God is (fine) gold”, or “to whom God is strength”. Reuel or Raguel is translated as “a friend of God”. Jeush is translated “assembler” or “whom God hastens”. Jalam or Jalaam is translated as “concealed” or “he whom God hides”. And Korah is simply translated “bald”.

Interesting that at least four out of the five sons of Esau were all given names related to the family’s strong belief in God. There are two things we can think about here. First, how do we go about naming our children these days? Secondly, while God’s promise to Abraham may have come through Jacob’s branch of the family, it is clear that Esau’s branch, at least to this point, still was deeply rooted in a belief in God.

As we watch the world conflicts today between Jew and Arab, we can see that strong belief at play as the Muslims everywhere communicate on their mosques, “None to be worshipped but Allah”.

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Esau’s Three Wives - Genesis 36:1-3

Now these are the records of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan:
Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and
Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; also
Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.

Here the Bible makes this portion of the family tree very clear for us. Esau is also known as Edom. The word is translated “red”. He was called that in Genesis 25:30 when he was famished and asked his brother Jacob for some ‘red’ pottage.

As can be seen from the rest of the text, his Edomites multiply through his three wives from various backgrounds. The first was a daughter of a Hittite. We first heard of the Hittites, when Ephron the Hittite agreed to sell Abraham a burial place for his wife Sarah in Genesis 23.

Esau’s second wife was a Hivite. We first hear of the Hivites in Genesis 10 where the generations of Noah are recorded. There in verse 17 we learn that the Hivites were descendants of Ham, Noah’s second son.

Esau’s third wife was none other than Ishmael’s daughter. In the King James Version her name is given as Bashemath. Ishmael you will remember was his grandfather Abraham’s eldest son, borne to him by Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. Muslims today believe that Ishmael is indeed the child of promise and it was Ishmael that was going to be sacrificed by Abraham, not Isaac, according to them. Needless to say, Islamic traditions see Ishmael as the father of Arab people. His descendants in this branch of Abraham’s family tree are today’s Muslims.

With this background, we can follow the generations that came after Esau, as we will see in verses that follow.

What’s your family tree look like? Have your relatives been part of a major world movement, perhaps one you haven’t identified yet? It is worth taking a look at our history. The development of Abraham’s family tree went on to create a major split that has lasted for centuries, more notably since the end of the 19th century, between Jews and Arabs. That conflict today monopolizes much of the world political scene. It certainly is central to how Christians view the second coming of Christ. Many believe that all the political talk by all the parties involved means nothing and the only thing that matters in this issue is what God has planned and will carry out in His own time. Those of us that follow the situation in the Middle East would do well to follow it with eyes wide open, looking through the third lens of scripture, especially as outlined in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

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The Death of Isaac - Genesis 35:28-29

Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. And Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Scripture records that Isaac lived 180 years and then simply breathed his last. We can return to our chronological timeline that we last updated in Genesis 31:41. But to relate the timeline to Isaac’s life we have to go back and add the timeline we developed when we were studying Genesis 25:26.

• 3331 Isaac, at age 60, becomes father to Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:26)
• 3371 Esau at age 40 marries Judith and Basemath (Genesis 26:34)
• At least: 3391 Jacob and his family leave Laban’s home (Genesis 31:41)
• 3394 The death of Ishmael (based on his birth in 3257 and Genesis 25:17)
• 3451 The death of Isaac at age 180 (Genesis 35:28,29)

Can you imagine living to be 180 years old today? The world would have changed so drastically. I am not sure that my mind would be able to fathom it. Recently my wife and I returned from a trip to Kenya, one of the more advanced countries in Africa by some accounts, yet the difference between the lives of our new friends there and our lives here is incredible. Perhaps the difference is due to a century of cultural change or modernization. But can you image almost twice that and at today’s exponential rate of change? I for one am happy with our current life spans that we enjoy. When the time comes, I hope I go simply having “breathed my last”.

The text makes reference to Isaac being “an old man of ripe age”. You will remember that in the earlier years of mankind’s history and in the generations that closely followed that of Adam, men did live for several centuries, some most notably lived well into their tenth century. But after that God seemed to have reduced the normal lifespan to a much shorter period of time, estimated at about 120 years. Isaac then, under those terms, could well have been thought of to have lived to a “ripe age” and have been an “old man”. These days when one lives into his or her nineties, we consider that being a “ripe age” and one living for a century is considered very rare. It is interesting that we use the word ‘ripe’ to refer to an advanced age. I cannot help but think that funny. We usually talk of food or fruit being ‘ripe’ – that is the perfect time to enjoy them. They have the most to offer when they are perfectly ripe. I think we need to view our seniors in the same way. But at the same time, it is a sad fact that ripe fruit or food, not properly kept or enjoyed, very quickly decays into something that is no longer desirable. Yes, our seniors sometimes lose their minds or their physical abilities. But it is a known fact that they do so much more slowly if they are given the proper care, attention, and love they deserve. And the rest of us get to enjoy their flavor much longer.

The phrase “gathered to his people” used here for Isaac and meaning to have been buried with his family, relatives, or kin, was previously used in the case of his father Abraham (Genesis 25:8) and also his half-brother Ishmael (Genesis 25:17). The exact meaning is not clear. One can assume that indeed his remains were delegated to join the remains of those among his predecessors that had died before him. And one would assume that his soul would have joined the souls of others whom God would have blessed with eternal life before him. Death has a way of doing just that. It gathers us to our people – those we have loved or known before, depending on whether they and/or we were children of God or not. One way or another, we’ll be joining others.

Finally, I think it is important to note that the death of one often brings others together. We know that Jacob and Esau, Isaac’s sons, had had their differences. We know that even prior to Jacob arriving at Isaac’s place, the two brothers had met en route and worked these differences out. Yet, we have no record of their relations since that point in time. The quarrel they had may have been set aside, but there is no evidence that a strong brotherly friendship had begun and that their families were enjoying each other’s company. But here at their father’s death, we see Esau and Jacob working together as brothers to bury their beloved father. We continue to see that in our funerals today. People who have not seen each other for decades or spoken to each other for years, often set everything aside and unite, even momentarily, in order to deal with their loss. Can you imagine what could be accomplished in our families and circles of friends if somehow we had the ability to bring those people together prior to, and without, our death? Now, that is worth living for.

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Jacob Returns Home - Genesis 35:27

And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

Later this morning my son will be coming to his parents’ and what was formerly his grandparents’ home to visit. Today my second daughter, who lives with us, leaves with her family for a two-week vacation and already I am thinking about when they will be coming back home. On a regular basis, since the beginning of Canada’s involvement in the Afghanistan war, the bodies of men and women have been coming home in a ceremonial convoy along Highway 401, now renamed the ‘Highway of Heroes’. There is something about human nature, both in life and in death, which causes us to one way or another head for home.

While we are alive, we still have the ability to choose when we go or even if we go home. Once we have died, others make that decision for us. But no matter the case, home always seem to be a good place to head.

So Jacob, having traveled afar, having been blessed financially, having met with God and made part of the promise that God first gave his grandfather and later his father, having struggled with the sins of his sons, having lost and buried his beloved Rachel, now comes home to his father’s house. He had been for decades. His children had never seen their grandfather nor he them. There were no telephones, no emails, and no daily mail delivery. Word of each other could only travel by individuals who may be heading in the general direction of the loved you wanted to communicate with. We have no record of too much news traveling back and forth between Jacob and Isaac.

But none of that seems to have mattered. The only thing that counted in our story was that “Jacob came to his father Isaac”. You will remember Mamre, or Hebron, as the place from as far back in the text as Genesis 13:18 when Jacob’s grandfather, before he was even called Abraham, came and dwelt there. Now Jacob returns to that place, now called Hebron, to join his own father, Isaac.

As an aside, permit me to stop and give God glory for His wonderful blessing on my own life. As I reflect on this verse, I realize that when my son and my eldest daughter visit their parents, they are visiting the very place they used to come as toddlers and later as teenagers and even as married adults, to visit their grandfather (my father). For my own grandchildren, these visits connect them back to their great-grandfather. What a joy that is for my wife and I.

One needs truly to be a parent in order to fully comprehend the joy that Isaac must have felt as Jacob comes home after all these years. One needs truly to be a child who loved his/her parents deeply and to have lost them, to know what it means to remember ‘coming home’ to see them. These are indeed precious moments. I believe they are gifts from God to be treasured.

Are you waiting for someone to come home? Do you need to go home to someone else? The pundit who came up with the expression “There’s no place like home” had it right. God wants you home – with your spouse, with your family, in communion with your parents, and most of all, in a personal relationship with Him. It is never too late to come home and if you have done your part, you will find loving arms spread wide open there – be those of people who mean so much to you, or those of the Heavenly Father who gave His Son to die for your sins. Fall into those arms today.

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A Listing of Jacob’s Sons, Grouped By Their Mother - Genesis 35:22a-26

Now there were twelve sons of Jacob –
the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s first-born, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun;
the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; and
the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; and
the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher.
These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

His grandfather Abraham had eight sons through three different women. His father Isaac had two sons and one wife. Jacob himself had twelve sons through two wives and two concubines, each being a maid of one of his two wives. Generally speaking, and especially judging by the number of sons he had, Jacob lived a blessed and prosperous life.

It is interesting to note that the text’s author takes special care to list all his sons in groups, in accordance with the women who bore them to Jacob. While we have not yet discovered it to this point in the text, we will see that these twelve sons play unique and significant roles in the history that unfolds in subsequent chapters of Genesis and other books of the Bible. Their groupings, based on their mother, are also crucial to the outcome of the history of God’s people, right up to this very day. This text, I believe, establishes for us a key foundation on which Israel’s history can continue.

In one sense, this is no different than following the story of some modern-day people of fame who have been married more than once and tracing the lives of their children. One would find that children of one spouse, as a group, often fair differently then those of another spouse. The differences are even more evident when the children are outside of marriage and a result of adultery. Even within marriage, where a person has been married more than once and has offspring from more than one spouse, the difference in the fairing of the children I believe is more profound when the subsequent marriages are a result of selfish desire or sin. Somehow, when God gets involved as He always is, the consequences are unavoidable, even if observed in generations to come.

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One of Israel’s Chilren Causes Trouble - Genesis 35:22a

And it came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it.

Jacob has just buried Rachel. Life was continuing either in Eder near Bethlehem or in Bethlehem itself. We do not know precisely how long he had to recover from some of his grief when another family tragedy struck him. His firstborn son, Reuben, borne to him by his first wife Leah, had intercourse with his father Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah. Bilhah had been Rachel’s servant and she had borne Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali, when Rachel was not able to conceive.

I cannot imagine what must have gone on in Jacob’s mind on receiving the news. More trouble. Perhaps he thought, “More disgrace”. His heart must have heart. Perhaps he was also angry. How could he bear it?

It is interesting to note that what we have here in the first part of this verse is all that the Bible ever says about this indiscretion. We do not know what Jacob said or did when he learned of it? We do not know how it affected the relationships of those involved. Jacob does speak of Reuben later in a most positive way and Reuben does seem to redeem himself in action that he subsequently took with regard to sparing the life of one of his brothers. But that being the case, that is that no further mention is made of the situation, we should stop to consider why the text even mentions this occurrence.

The First (Old) Testament is indeed, among many other things, the history of the Jewish People. That history and the whole Bible itself for that matter has always been written with several concepts in mind. First, the history is not a defense of the Jews, making every attempt to make them look good. Clearly “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of Israel’s history are all revealed here. This is history; it is not a political propaganda or a ‘justification account’ of what took place. Secondly, scripture always treats sin for what it is – sin. It does not overplay or glorify it as such and it is does not underplay it or try to cover it up. It exposes it at face value. Thirdly, it describes most accurately the natural nature of man and his natural inclination towards sin. Finally, by both what it says and often by what it leaves unsaid, it reflects the concept that the Almighty God can deal with our sins, and can work with us beyond that sin. It is important that we understand the Bible’s view of sin in that way in order to be able to comprehend why a verse like Genesis 35:22a is recorded in its pages.

For us, the implication is manifold. First, we need to recognize that sin exists and it happens. All of us are prone to it. Second, it does not need to be the end of the world. Thirdly, we must recognize it as sin, accept the consequences, and get on with both our life and more importantly with our relationship with God. The latter requires repentance, a true desire to, and a carrying out of a, change in behavior and practice and sometimes environment or circumstances so that sin does not easily reoccur.

We should regard the fact that scripture says no more about Reuben’s sin as a willingness of our Heavenly Father to take our sin and remember it no more!

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Life Goes On - Genesis 35:21

Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

There are many events that occur during the lifetime of an individual where for a fleeting moment he or she may think that life will never be the same again. For people my age, born in the 1940’s, these include the assassination of U.S. President John Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the various wars in the Middle East, segregation ruled illegal, Chernobyl, the catastrophic tsunami, and many, many more. And yes, in some ways, live did change considerably for those directly involved and only minutely for the rest of us. That would be true of any event one could identify, including those I left out or ones I never even heard of.

But in all cases, life does go on. So it was with Jacob after his beloved wife died en route to Bethlehem while giving birth to Benjamin. Life may well have changed for him considerably. Still, the only thing left for Israel (the new name God had given Jacob) to do was to continue on with his journey, taking his family and children with him.

The Bible tells us that his next tent stop was beyond the ‘tower of Eder’ or ‘Edar’ as the word is spelled in the King James, with Strong’s concordance preferring this spelling as well. The word itself meant ‘flock’ and this structure was understood to be a shepherd’s watchtower very near the city of Bethlehem. In fact, it was so close to Bethlehem, that some believe it was used to mean Bethlehem itself, at least in this verse.

Let us reflect on life’s losses for a moment. If you have faced a personal tragic loss in your life, you know your world and life has changed significantly for you. Time alone, contrary to what many say, is not the total answer. It helps, but the truth is that the memories of whom or what was lost will always leave a disappointing gap in your thoughts and life. But yet you know that life must go on. You know you have to keep on traveling towards your destination or goals. And you know that along the way you have to stop and pitch your tent somewhere.

It is my prayer that God continues to give you strength and stamina to continue your life’s journey. I pray He gives you a desire to keep on trusting and hoping that one day your losses will be fully replaced by His blessings and the glory of His Kingdom. I pray He grants you His wisdom to know where to pitch your tent next and that the stop is part of His plan for your life.

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Rachel’s Death & Tomb - Genesis 35:19-20

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

Jacob’s beloved has died. There are some that would argue her death was in fulfillment of the curse Jacob himself had put on the one who stole the idols of Laban as we read in Genesis 31:32. I believe there is no connection. Others see her death as fulfillment of her own vow in Genesis 30:1, “Give me children, or else I die.” Again, I do not see the connection. She had children so the vow to die does not make sense. The physical cause of her death was indeed simply a complicated or difficult birth for that period of time. The Divine’s rationale for allowing her to die at this time is known only Him.

And the text tells us she was buried ‘en route’ to Bethlehem. There was no reason to take her back to Haran, her family’s land, even though strained relationships with Laban had been addressed. And certainly, Jacob had not yet established a home for his family where he was heading. It made sense to bury her on the way to Ephram.

This exact spot still exists today. This Jewish sacred site is located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank. However, the site also has great Christian and Muslim historical and religious significance. For the Jews, this is the third holiest site after the Temple Mount in Old Jerusalem and the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. It has become a key stop on Jewish pilgrimages, especially females unable to give birth.

The structure on the site, a cube with a dome on top, was built around 1620 by the Turks under Ottoman. The famous British Jew, Sir Moses Montefiore and his wife, increased it in size in 1860. Israel gained control of the tomb in 1967 after the Six Day War. The actual tomb lays 460 metres from the city limits of Jerusalem, but Israel and the Palestinian leader at the time, Yasser Arafat, agreed to leave the tomb under Israeli “control” with a constant Jewish presence.

On December 1, 1995, the Palestinian Authority was granted full control of Bethlehem with the exception of the tomb enclave. To reach Rachel’s tomb, Jews had to do so in bulletproof vehicles under military supervision. In 1996, Israel built a wall around the site. The Palestinians retaliated by saying the tomb was on Islamic land and the domed structure was a mosque.

The tomb was attacked at the end of September, 1996 by Arabs who set structures on fire and for several years that followed, made the site a battle-spot between Israelis and Palestinians. This culminated at the end of the year 2000 when the tomb was under gunfire for forty-one days. In May 2001, fifty Jews were trapped inside the tomb when a firefight broke out between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinians. The IDF left the scene in March 2002. A few months later, September 2002, the Israeli government decided the tomb would be enclosed on the Israeli side of the West Bank barrier. Bulletproof buses now take tourists and Jews to the site daily. In February 2010, Israel announced that Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs would become part of the National Jewish Heritage sites rehabilitation plan against much protest from several countries, including the Turkish Prime Minister was said the tomb was “not and never will be a Jewish site, but an Islamic site.” The saga continues to this day.

But what else can we reap from this verse? First, if indeed the soul departs from the body at death, does it really matter where one is buried? I think not. People make special efforts to return the bodies of their loved ones ‘home’ for burial. There is something to be said for that. It often helps bring closure to the loss. But as long as we realize that it does nothing for the loved one.

Secondly, there is no mention of any public mourning for Rachel. We can assume that it took place in private. Certainly Jacob mourned for her in his own way. Mourning is indeed best undertaken as a personal private emotion. My father died over three and a half years ago and I still mourn his loss. I often wish he could see his family now, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom he had known before he died, enjoying his fruit trees and his property as we rebuilt and settled on it. I often wish that I could sit in the front yard on a special bench we put there and enjoy a game of backgammon with him, his favorite pastime, as we used to do. That is personal mourning. I cannot help but feel that exhibitions of loud and extended wailings at funerals do nothing to honor either the dead or those that remain, let alone God who is the giver and the taker of life.

You will remember that earlier we mentioned that Jacob was on a spiritual high (having met with God) just before his wife Rachel died during childbirth. God has a way of allowing that to happen even to those that enjoy his blessings; we cannot escape the downs that life often has to serve us. Again, it is where we go from that point on that matters. Earlier in this chapter, verse 14, Jacob set up a pillar in memory and thanks to God for his blessings and joys in life. Here he sets up a pillar of his sorrows. We need to remember both in our lives and to pass both on to our children.

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Benjamin -- Genesis 35:18

And it came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni but his father called him Benjamin.

Now it is important that we really capture this picture. The group is ‘en route’ to Ephrath or what we now call Bethlehem. Rachel is in great pain. The midwife is trying desperately to alleviate her fears and to make her rejoice in the fact that she is having a boy child. Then this text says that in the process of dying, at the time her soul was departing from her, with her last breath and as a final wish, she names her young child Ben-oni. We will return to the topic of the boy’s name momentarily.

From Genesis 1:1 up to this point, the end of life for all our Bible characters has been recorded as a simple death. The actual word ‘soul’ has been used ten times prior to this, but always in reference to life (e.g. Genesis 2:7) or with respect to staying alive (e.g. Genesis 12:13 and 19:20). But here in this current verse, the word ‘soul’ is used in conjunction with death. The text says it was her ‘soul’ that was departing. This is our biblical introduction to the idea of a soul and body being separated at death. While there is no indication here of exactly where the ‘soul’ departs to, we can at least assign its destination to the very nebulous ‘world of the spirits’. We will have to hold that thought for a long time until we get to some later scripture.

And as she was dying, Rachel names her newborn Ben-oni. The word is translated as meaning “the son of my sorrow.” Under normal circumstances, the birth of a newborn would bring rejoicing. In Rachel’s case, this should have been seen as a victory over Leah, her sister who was also married to her husband Jacob. The two had competed viciously with respect to bearing children for their husband. Is it possible that Rachel, now dying, recognizes the futility of the competition she has spent most of her life trying to win? Seeing that death lies immediately before her, she ignores the last victorious ‘battle’ (the most recent son for Jacob), and she names her son as she did, recognizing she has lost the ‘war’.

Our present verse then surprises us by telling us that Jacob changes the boy’s name to Benjamin. The original form of the Hebrew word was thought by some to mean “a son of days” or in Jacob’s case of “old age”. However, the present ending applied in Hebrew clearly defines it as “son of my right hand”, that is, someone of whom one is very fond of and considers critical to his/her well-being. The question still arises as to why Jacob shows apparent disregard for the name that his beloved Rachel gave the boy, especially when one considers that she gave her life in the process of bringing him to this world. The jury is still out on that, but some scholars suggest that the Jacob, because of his love for Rachel, could not bear to be constantly reminded (whenever he referred to the boy) of her sorrow in life that she so strongly wanted to express at the time of her death. Instead, he chose to see Benjamin as a real blessing and someone who would be his great solace in his old age.

One scholar has suggested that Jacob may have understood the special role God had for Benjamin. The reference to the “right side” as in “son of my right hand” is often associated with greater strength and honor, primarily because the majority of people are indeed right-handed. If one searches for the word ‘right’ in scriptures, one would find several references to this idea of strength, honor, and truth.

As we study this verse, we would do well to think about the memory of our life that we will leave behind. Was she primarily glad or sad? Was he at peace with others or basically angry all his life? Was she a person with hope or usually pessimistic? And so on. The choice is ours. There is still time to change if you do not like what you think you will be remembered for. And for memory’s sake, do not botch it up on your deathbed.

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Rachel is Told Of Her Son Being Born -- Genesis 35:17

And it came about when she was in severe labor that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.”

It is not certain whether or not a midwife always traveled with Jacob’s family, but since they knew Rachel was pregnant they certainly had one available on this occasion. In both this and the previous verse, scripture indicates that Rachel’s labor in this pregnancy was ‘severe’. It was in this very adverse circumstance that the midwife tried to comfort her fear. Whether it was fear for her own life or for that of the child to be born is not clear.

The midwife, however, tries to allay that fear of Rachel’s by telling her that she indeed has “another son”. Was Rachel’s soul desire the survival of her newborn? Was it her fear that she may have let her beloved husband Jacob down if it were not a boy or if the child died? These are questions the Bible gives no answers to.

But what we can glean from this verse is most useful in our own times of desperation. Where there is fear, especially fear of death, there is also the presence of life. Rachel sensed a fear. Perhaps it was a fear of death – either hers or that of her baby. In either case, whether it would be her eternal life as a believer in Yahweh or whether it would be the earthly life of her newborn son, a new life would come of it.

When we ourselves are in the midst of the valleys we cross in life, we do not have the advantage of knowing what lies ahead. We cannot read ‘the next verse’ to see how things turn out as we studying Rachel’s story are able to. As a result, fear often sets in. But somehow we must learn to focus on the fact that our God is still with us, that there is an end in sight, and that ultimately, even death is indeed the beginning of life.

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Rachel Labors in Childbirth -- Genesis 35:16

Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor.

Ephrath is not to be confused with Ephraim in the north. Ephrath is the ancient name for Bethlehem. The distance from Bethel almost directly south to Ephrath (Bethlehem) is about thirteen or so miles as the crow flies. One could imagine that with a pregnant woman in the traveling group, the trip could take several days.

We learn here in these verses that Rachel was pregnant again. During that trip from Bethel, Jacob’s wife Rachel began to deliver the child that she was carrying with great pain and agony. This must have been very hard not only on her and the baby, but also on Jacob. He must have been wondering why, right after God’s recent communication and blessing to him, he now had to watch the person he loved so dearly go through this great pain.

Many of us have gone through similar experiences. We had just been on a mountaintop high with God and then He seems to allow us to fall into a major personal valley in our lives. It is during those travels in the valley that we need to remember that the God of the mountaintop has not changed. He is also present in the valleys. He is also committed to seeing us through the valley. He wants to take us to the mountaintop once more, only this time as stronger and better individuals for having experienced yet another valley with Him.
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I believe the most critical response or attitude to have during life’s lowest and darkest experiences is to know that we are, as children of God, being carried in His arms as we move through the valley. We must focus our gaze on the One who holds us. We must be confident in our belief that a mountain that will be climbed, stands just ahead.

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Jacob Erects a Pillar at Bethel -- Genesis 35:14-15

And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a libation on it; he also poured oil on it. So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

This was another momentous occasion -- God coming down to speak with Jacob. There was no option but to build a memorial at the site. You will remember back in Genesis 28:18 after God had appeared to Jacob in a dream, Jacob had set up a pillar to God using the stone on which he had laid his head that night of the dream. Given his humble state, having left his father’s home in fear because of what he had done to his brother Esau, this simple pillar was acceptable. However, now after he had become so successful over the years, he now erected a more solid edifice that would have a more permanent nature.

We are told that he also poured some oil and some form of a drink on it in memory of his communication with God there. He did want this place to become known as the ‘house of God’ and thus he called it ‘Bethel’.

Has God spoken with you lately? Do you know where it was? Have you somehow made a memorial there to commemorate that occasion? We need to. We need to highlight for ourselves, and for our children, these significant times in our lives. So that they and the world might now that the Lord Almighty is indeed our God.
demonstrate His ongoing love for me.

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Can An Omnipresent God Move Around? -- Genesis 35:13

Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him.

In Genesis 35:9 we read that God simply appeared to Jacob. Here in this segment of the text we gain a further understanding as how He may have done that. When God was finished meeting with Jacob, the scriptures say (35:13) He “went up from him (Jacob)”. One can assume, but never definitively, therefore, that God ‘had come down to meet with Jacob’ in the first place. Once again, the modern western mind has a dilemma. We have been taught that God is everywhere. We say He is omnipresent. If that is true, then why did He likely come down to meet with Jacob, and more certainly, why did He go “up form him”, from the place where He had spoken with Jacob?

My learning during a recent trip to Israel a month ago for a ‘rabbinical model’ pilgrimage helped me put it into perspective. The Jewish mind would have no problem with these two concepts. God is both omnipresent (from a divine perspective) and He is present in specific places and times (from a human author’s perspective). Both ideas can coexist with God.


I believe there is much to be gained by the believer with such an arrangement. Our almighty God is indeed everywhere at the same time. Understanding that, I receive the comfort and the peace of knowing He is fully in control and in charge of all events going on in the universe. He is able to see it all simultaneously and act accordingly as He deems appropriate. While my limited human capacity can fret about so much, His infinite authority is still in control of all. He is still on the throne and His plan for mankind is being fulfilled. I am thankful for that and realize it could not be any other way.

Yet this almighty God, in His role as a loving Holy Father, cares enough to come down and meet with one of His children. He cares enough to come meet with you and me, right where we are, in order to comfort us, assure us of His promises, share with us His plans for our lives, meet our very desperate needs, and so on. I am also very thankful for that. As a needy child, I could think of no better way for my Father to demonstrate His ongoing love for me.

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God Blesses Jacob -- Genesis 35:11-12

God also 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 forth from you. And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendents after you.”

As I study this section today, Israel is once again the target of global criticism for its military and political stance with respect to the Palestinians, both in the Gaza strip and the West Bank. And yet, when I read the text, I see clearly that the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been given the ‘promised land’ as theirs. If all the parties involved had the same worldview with respect to the Word of God, there would be no dispute whatsoever with respect to the Jews’ right to all of present-day Israel; there would be no middle-east crisis that involved Israel. Unfortunately, we are not all on the same page.

God had indeed given the ‘promised’ land to Jacob’s descendents. And over thousands of years, perhaps because of their rebellion against God, various empires were allowed to take it away from them. The Jews spread all over the world. As time passed, they yearned for a land they could once again call their own. In 1948, God allowed them to re-establish the Promised Land as their very own, a land politically recognized by almost the entire world, as the state of Israel. There the truly ‘chosen people’ are indeed recognizing God as the Almighty, although many have not accepted His Son Jesus as their Messiah yet. God is both protecting and blessing them. They are being fruitful and multiplying just as this verse promised.

The phrase “A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you” is a reference, going back in history, to the fact that Jacob’s descendents will consist of all the tribes of his people, the Israelites, each with their leaders. If we accept that this verse is written in such a way that the events described therein were to occur in a chronological order, then we can establish that it will be after all of these tribes are formed that the ‘land’ would be given to Jacob’s descendents. As we study the early books of the Bible, we will see exactly that. What is occurring today in the modern Middle East is a battle with respect to that ‘ownership’ promise God had made back in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In these verses and the one before (verse 10), God is simply reminding Jacob of a few things, beginning with the revised name He had given him earlier. Jacob, as a man close to God, knew all that God had to say to him. He needed nothing new, only to be reminded of what in fact God has already said, promised, done, and expects. God does that with us periodically. That is one reason why we today have His Word. It is a reminder of what He has already said, promised, done, and expects. May we gladly receive these reminders from a loving God, and an Almighty Father.

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God Reconfirms Jacob’s New Name -- Genesis 35:10

And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel.

When God appeared again to Jacob to bless him, we note He first wanted to reconfirm a new name He had given to Jacob earlier.

God had also given a new name to his grandfather. In Genesis 11:26 we simply read that Terah begat Abram. But in Genesis 17:5 God changed Abram’s name to Abraham.

In the case of Isaac, Jacob’s father, God had selected the name Isaac before he was even born as we read in Genesis 17:19. When we get to Jacob, we read in Genesis 25:26 that his parents first named him Jacob, but soon thereafter in Genesis 32:28, when Jacob ‘strove’ with God, God changed his name to Israel. What is interesting is that from Genesis 34:7 to this present verse, Genesis 35:10, he continues to be referred to as Jacob until God once again reiterates the name He has given him, that is, Israel. At that point, Scripture refers to him sometimes as Jacob and sometimes as Israel. Later, in Genesis 46:2, we will see that God Himself calls him “Jacob, Jacob” in his dreams. And right up to today, both Jews and Christians refer to him as Jacob.

God seems to have wanted to be the name giver to these three patriarchs of ‘His people’. While the Christian mind may find it problematic that God the name-giver, at least in Jacob’s case, did not appear to stick to the name He Himself gave Jacob, the Hebrew mind has no problem. There is no contradiction in the fact that God may have given Jacob a new name from a divine perspective and at the same time the human Moses may have recorded or used another name when referring to him. Thus, both Jacob and Israel are used interchangeably.

What is important for us is to note two things: First, that people who are close to God and are to be used mightily by God are the ones that may get a new name. Secondly, that whether or not God gives us a new name is not the issue, but rather that when He gives us a new purpose, a new task, a new responsibility to carry out on His behalf, we be willing and ready to do so. Before we start looking for a new name, perhaps we need to focus on identifying what God has in store for us to do.

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