Jacob Goes to Bethel

Click here to read Genesis 35.

Chapter 35 deals with three communions with God and three funerals. God ordered Jacob to Bethel were Jacob built an altar to Him. Bethel was 60 miles from Jacob's home at Beer-sheba. It was the place where Jacob had the vision of a ladder coming down from heaven and the place where he set up the stones and anointed it and called it Bethel, "the House of God". This time, when Jacob gets there he builds an altar and calls it El-Bethel, meaning, "This is God of Bethel". Here God appeared to Jacob and confirmed his name change from Jacob to Israel.

We have three funerals recorded also:

1. Deborah, who was Rebekah's nurse or mid-wife, was buried under an oak tree and the place was called "Allon-bacuth", meaning, "Oak of Weeping".
2. Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, died giving birth to Jacob's 12th. son, Benjamin, and was buried along the way.
3. Isaac, Jacob's father, died when he was 180 years old and was buried by his sons, Esau and Jacob.

God contacted Jacob three times. Once to tell him to go to Bethel, once to change his name and once to promise him that he would be the father of a great nation and that kings would be his descendants.

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