Chapter thirty-five is a rather sad chapter in that it sees the death of three of the primary figures of Genesis. God instructs Jacob to go to Bethel, where he had wrestled with the Angel of the Lord. He instructed those of his household to put away the strange gods that were among them and to clean themselves up. Then he set off with his clan and went to Bethel. There was a possibility of attack from the locals since Simeon and his brother had destroyed all the men but the attack never came. The people of the land were afraid of God and knew that He was on Jacob’s side. When they arrived at Bethel Jacob built an altar to God. He wanted a memorial of God’s appearance to him when he fled from Esau.

It was at Bethel that the first death occurred. Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse died and was buried beneath an oak tree at Bethel. God appeared to Jacob and blessed him. Again we have an account of God changing Jacob’s name to Israel. God told Jacob "Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called anymore Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel." God told Jacob to be fruitful and multiply. He said a nation and a company of nations would spring forth from his loins. The land He had promised to Abraham, and to Isaac, would be given to him. Then God left Israel. Israel built an altar there to commemorate the fact that God had talked to him there.

Rachel was pregnant and went into labor during this trip. It was a hard labor. The midwife told her she would have this child okay but Rachel died giving birth. The child’s name was Benjamin. Rachel was buried in the place that would become Bethlehem. Jacob then moved once more. During this move his son Reuben slept with Bilhah his concubine. Israel heard about it and his anger was against Reuben. The chapter ends with the death and burial of Isaac.

EXAM QUESTIONS

  1. ________________ people ________ in this chapter. They

    2. are __________________’s nurse ___________________,

    Israel’s ____________ _______________, and ____________.

  2. _____________ built two altars at _______________ in

    3. this chapter.

  3. _________ changed ________________’s name to

    4. _______________ at ________________.

  4. __________ told ______________ to be ______________

    5. and __________________.

  5. God told _________________ once more that He would

give him the land he promised to _______________ and

________________.