READ GENESIS 35
Genesis 35 opens with God providing Jacob with specific instructions: "Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother." (Genesis 35:1) In the next verse, Jacob promptly gathers his family and directs them to carry out three tasks: Remove the foreign gods among them, purify themselves, and change their garments. Let's explore the lessons we can glean from this set of instructions.
Jacob's initial directive to his family was to eliminate the foreign gods in their midst. It is revealed earlier in the story that Rachel had taken her father's household gods (Genesis 31:19). It can be inferred that Jacob's entire family had been swayed by these false gods, leading them away from the true God. By adhering to God's command at the outset of this chapter, Jacob aims to guide his family towards the same obedience.
The first step towards physically returning to Bethel and spiritually returning to worshiping God involves purging their household of all idols and false deities they had turned to. Following this, Jacob instructs his family to purify themselves. Thus, after disposing of the idols, the immediate task was to cleanse themselves. In the Old Testament, anything deemed "unclean" was unsuitable for use as a sacrifice in worship. The idols they had worshipped had spiritually defiled Jacob's family. While a physical bath could not absolve their sins, it symbolized an inward transformation. Psalm 51:2 states, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." As part of their physical return to Bethel, they needed to cleanse their hearts spiritually. Lastly, Jacob commands his family to change their garments.
Once again, Jacob urges his family to outwardly reflect the inner transformation underway. While clothing may not enhance one's standing before God, it serves as a physical representation of a spiritual renewal. Ephesians 4:22-24 underscores this change: "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man [put off your old self], which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts [desires]; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." The final stage of their physical return to Bethel involved donning new attire that indicated the abandonment of their old ways and readiness to present themselves as pure and blameless before God. By reflecting on the instructions Jacob imparted to his family long ago, we can draw parallels to our walk with Jesus today.
Just as Jacob urged them to discard their foreign gods, we should rid our lives of distractions and idols that hinder us from following Jesus faithfully. Beyond removing such obstacles, we must confess our sins and seek divine purification of our hearts in our journey with Him. Lastly, we must change our garments as a sign of repentance, shedding sinful ways and embodying righteousness, resembling Jesus more closely.
QUESTIONS
1. What false gods or distractions are present in your life that you should eliminate?
2. Take a moment to ask God to cleanse your heart. Meditate on Psalm 51:10, asking Him to "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
3. Reflect on Colossians 3:12-15. Which virtues do you need to seek God's assistance in embodying?