Genesis 10/28/2017

GENESIS

October 28, 2017

By Pastor Kim Hickcox

(All Scripture taken from One New Man Bible unless otherwise noted)

 

The remainder of chapter 35 of Genesis in my version is subtitled The Lord Prophesies to Jacob. He also revealed another one of His names, so let’s read what the Lord’s prophecy to His chosen patriarch was:

 

“And God appeared to Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-Aram, and blessed him.¹⁰And God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob. Your name will not be called Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel: and He called his name Israel.’ ¹¹And God said to him, ‘I AM El Shaddai (God Almighty)! Be fruitful and multiply! A nation and a company of nations will be out from you, and kings will come out of your loins. ¹²And I shall give to you the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, and I shall give the land to your seed after you.’ ¹³And God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. ¹⁴And Jacob set a pillar in the place where he talked with Him, a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink offering on it and he poured oil on it. ¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Beit-El.” Genesis 35:9-15

 

Here the Lord uses I AM, the name He gave Moses and El Shaddai! We have learned that I AM is the very powerful Hebrew word Anokhi that the Lord uses when He is giving a very definite and deliberate statement. Basically this is when the Lord says,Because I AM. And in my humble opinion, this is when all questions should stop and His majesty and holiness should be recognized. This is the main reason why I still stand in amazement that the Roman troop didn’t turn tail immediately and run when confronting Y’shua at His arrest when He answered them with His Name I AM as opposed to the affirmation I am when asked Who He was. Only John records this: “Then Y’shua, since He knew all these things that were coming upon Him, went and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ ⁵They answered Him, ‘Y’shua of Nazareth.’ He said to them, ‘I AM.’ And Judas, the one who was giving Him over had also stood with them. ⁶Then as He said to them, ‘I AM,’ they went into those behind and they, the entire arresting party, fell to the ground.”  (John 18:4-6)

 

Now I have felt that power of God personally. It is called being slain in the Spirit, and it is literally a power force that knocks you completely flat without a human touch! Youfeel His power and you know that you cannot stand in its midst! It’s not scary at all, in fact, it’s quite loving, being given such personal attention. It’s about as close to a physical display of His power and presence as we [usually] get here on earth.

 

It’s wonderful actually, and you don’t get up from it the same, obviously because you have now been touched by God – directly. You are healed or delivered or given the directive or decision that you have been praying about, etc. but you are changed!!

 

And, getting back to John, if I would have been in the arresting party, which numbered 600 men at least, I honestly believe I would have said my farewells and beat feet out of there! No captain, no Pilate, not even Caesar himself could have intimidated me anymore after that!

 

I digress, but I’m just saying that if you ever have questioned Y’shua’s mission and the love He voluntarily showed for you – just think about that scene. Do you think anyone in their right mind would have carried out that mission unless it had been preordained by God? That’s what I can only call unholy deception with a holy purpose. One of the most definitive displays of Romans 8:28 that will ever be seen!! And all because He couldn’t stand the fact that if He didn’t do this, He would have to spend eternity without you!

 

So – the Lord was gives Jacob a new identity: Israel (Yisrael in Hebrew) meaning,Prevailing with God. However, if you’ve noticed that unlike Abraham and Sarah, Jacob is often mentioned by both names throughout history and the Bible. We don’t know why, just a note. Perhaps a reminder that the Lord chooses us according to His pleasure and not because of what we’ve done or who we [think] we are.

 

So before there were any regulations written about an offering to God, way before Leviticus was written or any “standard” was set to honor God, Israel “set a pillar in the place where he talked with Him, a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink offering on it and he poured oil on it. ¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Beit-El.” These offerings and this name came from Jacob’s heart and love for the Lord. And he named the place House of God.

 

So the Lord’s prophecy to Israel was actually a repeat of His promise to Abraham with a bit of a verbal expansion; reassuring Israel that he was on the right path, which he may have needed after Dinah and Shechem. We all need encouragement once and a while as the Lord knows.

 

There was another reason why the Lord knew that Israel would need encouragement. Right after this, we find out the Rachel is pregnant again and the last of Jacob’s 12 sons is about to be born. However, this birth will also take the love of his life from him, as Rachel will die right after she births her second son.

 

“And it happened when she was in hard labor that the midwife said to her, ‘Do not be in awe! For this is also a son for you.’ ¹⁸And it came to pass, as her life went out – for she died – that she called his name Ben-oni but his father called him Benjamin (Binyamin). ¹⁹And Rachel died, and was buried by the road of Efrat, which is Bethlehem, House of Bread. ²⁰And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.” Genesis 35:17-20

 

This is a passage of names. First let me refer to our Savior. He was born in Bethlehem, which is also called the City of David as it is where he was born and raised, but is also translated as House of Bread. Sound familiar? “Most assuredly I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. ⁴⁸I AM the Bread of Life. ⁴⁹Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and they died: ⁵⁰this One is the Bread that descends from heaven, so that whoever would eat of it would not then die. ⁵¹I AM the Living Bread that descended from out of heaven: if anyone would eat of this Bread he will live forever, and also the Bread which I shall give on behalf of the life of the world is My flesh.” John 6:47-51

 

Referring to His sacrifice of course, as He gave His life for ours and well as the torture of His body for us also.

 

Now the other names we see in our last passage of the day is Israel’s last son. Rachel named him Ben-oni which can either mean Son of My Mourning or Son of My Strength, we’re fairly sure her meaning was Mourning, as she knew she was about to die. Jacob changed, but didn’t change his youngest sons name to Benyamin. Yamin is a synonym of oni which means right hand or strength.

 

Therefore he could call his son Son of My Strength or Son of My Right Hand not disrespecting his wife’s choice, but also not being constantly reminded of her sorrow and death.   

 

So as always we see the Lord’s perfect timing. He personally spoke to and encouraged Jacob at just the time he would need it the most. Jacob’s legacy is now fulfilled in that he now has the 12 sons who are to be the patriarchs of the 12 tribes of the Lord’s nation. And he dear Rachel’s tomb is still being visited today. Although surrounded by myths over the centuries, it can also be noted that the Lord preserved the site throughout Man’s violent history to honor her, as she is called the mother of Israel throughout Scripture, because she had Jacob’s heart.

 

But Israel persevered, like all of us do. And I think today’s take-away should be that the Lord always knows what we need when we need it and will always provide it too! He is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. And His provisions cover absolutely everything we will ever need: emotionally, physically, spiritually, psychologically, and financially. Call on Him! You know He longs to hear from you.

 

SHALOM!!