God’s Guiding Word: Promise

June 9

Introduction

Genesis 35:1–15: Today’s reading has Jacob returning to Bethel (see yesterday’s reading). In the intervening years, Jacob has married, had children, and reconciled with his brother Esau (see Genesis chapters 29—33). Jacob receives God’s blessing and is given a new name as God again reiterates the promise made to his ancestors Abraham and Isaac.

Today’s Key Verse: Genesis 35:11

God said to him, “I am Almighty God. Have many children. Nations will be descended from you, and you will be the ancestor of kings.”

Reading

35 God said to Jacob, “Go to Bethel at once, and live there. Build an altar there to me, the God who appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau.”

² So Jacob said to his family and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that you have; purify yourselves and put on clean clothes. ³ We are going to leave here and go to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who helped me in the time of my trouble and who has been with me everywhere I have gone.” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and also the earrings that they were wearing. He buried them beneath the oak tree near Shechem.

⁵ When Jacob and his sons started to leave, great fear fell on the people of the nearby towns, and they did not pursue them. ⁶ Jacob came with all his people to Luz, which is now known as Bethel, in the land of Canaan. ⁷ He built an altar there and named the place for the God of Bethel, because God had revealed himself to him there when he was running away from his brother. ⁸ Rebecca’s nurse Deborah died and was buried beneath the oak south of Bethel. So it was named “Oak of Weeping.”

⁹ When Jacob returned from Mesopotamia, God appeared to him again and blessed him. ¹⁰ God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but from now on it will be Israel.” So God named him Israel. ¹¹ And God said to him, “I am Almighty God. Have many children. Nations will be descended from you, and you will be the ancestor of kings. ¹² I will give you the land which I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, and I will also give it to your descendants after you.” ¹³ Then God left him. ¹⁴ There, where God had spoken to him, Jacob set up a memorial stone and consecrated it by pouring wine and olive oil on it. ¹⁵ He named the place Bethel.

Reflect

What did Jacob tell his family to do (verses 2–3)? What was God’s message to Jacob (verses 10–12)? What new name was Jacob given? Jacob set up and consecrated a memorial stone at Bethel (verse 14), as he had done before (Genesis 28:18). In what ways does your community of faith consecrate items or places as memorials?

Pray

Almighty God, daily I thank and praise you for your blessings. Help me serve you and share your blessings with those I meet today. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.

Tomorrow’s Reading

Psalm 61: Finding safety with God.