Scripture Reading: Genesis 34:1-31, Genesis 35:1-29, Genesis 36:1-43, Psalm 116:1-2, Isaiah 43:1-2
While I was reading Genesis 35, it’s like someone turned on a late 90s country radio station in my head. Surely I’m not the only one who noticed how Jacob always seemed, “ready, ready, ready, ready, ready to ru·uh·un” (cue fiddle).
The run started in Genesis 28, after he deceived his father and stole his brother’s birthright. With his sin on his heels and his brother’s murderous plots following closely behind, he set out—accompanied by the hope of God’s blessing bestowed upon him by his father, Isaac. And it was on this very run that he encountered a God he might not have known he needed, the One that he could only describe as the God of his Father.
And just one generation later, we find his sons taking vengeance into their own hands following the brutal acts committed against their sister. After they made a deceitful, false promise, they took for themselves flocks, herds, donkeys, possessions, dependents, and wives—right alongside the lives of guilty and innocent men alike. And so the run begins again.
But on the run in Genesis 35, I think Jacob knew the God He was running back to. He was no longer His Father’s God. He was the God who answered him in his distress and had been with him everywhere he had gone (Genesis 35:3). God met him on the run and the rerun.
The Lord brought Jacob back to the place he first encountered God at Bethel. And it was here that God affirmed and enlarged the promises God gave to him there. But this encounter carried significance beyond Jacob’s own transformation; the entire family was now prepared to encounter the presence and promise of God. It’s here that the focus of God’s promise to Jacob shifted beyond the one man to the full, familial extent of the covenant. God promised that a “nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you, and kings will descend from you” (v.11). The covenant wasn’t just for Jacob but all who would come after Him.
For a people who had only taken from others, they encountered a God who graciously gives.
Why continue the covenant through Jacob, a man who consistently sought his own needs over others and whose own sons followed suit? I wouldn’t consider Jacob or His descendants to necessarily be deserving people. Maybe you, like me, struggle to understand why God would continue to be gracious to people who act this way. Yet God was faithful to His promises when they were not. He chose to extend mercy to this family that ran, and He met them on the run.
This is the same God who extends mercy to us today, a people also always on the run. Under the new covenant established by Jesus, we no longer have to run. His Spirit remains with us, wherever we may go, wherever we may ru·uh·un.
Written by Hannah Little
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77 thoughts on "Return to Bethel"
Amen
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Guess what, TINA?!?!
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I heard a CeCe song on the radio this am on my way to school. Meant to post when I got there, but I forgot. “That’s My King” is what they played. It woulda been bonkers if “Goodness of God” played, huh? Either one woulda been fine with me, of course, because those are two of my favorites!
I wonder how many times I’ve taken a detour and run from the way God wanted me to go. After the diagnosis of Alzheimers, I’ve spent a lot of time looking back through my life. So many regrets. And, like everyone, no chance to redo them. BUT GOD has never left me, even when I ran. And He’s always there when I run back to Him. Pray that my steps will always take me back to God, and not on anymore detours.
Lord bless you sister, Teresa. I’ll remember you in my prayers that our God and Father visit you with peace, courage and strength for your journey as you deal with Alzheimers.
I love that God never gives up on me.
My word!!! Jacob & sons simply cannot stop their despicable deeds! Yet, as I lamented yesterday, the Most Merciful God of our fore mothers & fathers is unrelenting in His grace. In Genesis, in the beginning, we became & continued & remain a fallen people. Makes me want to throw up my hands in disbelief & denial, or as I ought, raise them up in praise & petition when reading these stories. God Almighty, help me overcome whatever my base instincts & cleave instead to your eternal truth. For myself & any among us handling or mishandling tough & trying relations, pray we try & look beyond to reconciliation. Loose the pretense. Isn’t there a little Jacob inside everyone. For all my faults, which are many. He has called me by name. I am his.
First, laughing face (emoji) than Heart emoji!
I just love the idea of running back to God. When we’ve tried everything, when we’ve messed everything up, when we’re tired and worn, when we’re grieving, when we just can’t go on… running back to God… it just brings such comfort and peace. I’ve been very tired and worn lately – with my mother passing and then my siblings and I trying to settle things when we don’t get along… it’s been a very wearisome season for me… but running to God, like a child reaching up to a parent, being lifted up into their arms, being held, being told you are loved and everything will be ok… that’s what Jacob must have felt like when he ran back to God. Relief.
Oh Kris, sorry you are having to go through that on top of the loss and missing your mom. Prayers.
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Hi ladies, may I ask for your prayers? Yesterday I was driving to several job sites, at one place, i parked my car, and a car hit and run and caused minor damage to my parked car. I was so upset. The parking lot was half empty, and I did not understand why someone would drive so close to mine to almost knock the side mirror off (I am taping it for the time being). I have to drive out again to several places and even remote places to view properties. I felt it has been a relentless two months of work pressure, and just strange things happened to delay or frustrate me. I don’t feel safe after yesterday. I would appreciate your prayers over my peace and safety over my work and work related travels. Thank you so much. Appreciate you all and your intercessor hearts! God bless you.
Praying for you Mercy ❤️
Praying, Mercy ❤s
Mercy, I understand your concern! Praying for peace of mind as you venture out and for God’s protection from harm for you and your vehicle! ❤
Sorry Mercy, prayers!
Praying for your safety, Mercy.
Human kind has not really evolved much morally unless they have received God and walked out the journey of self-denial with Him, or else, all these scenes are still happening around us. Hollywood is the breeding ground of sins under cover too and many victims are silenced (for fame and money) (amen Rhonda). Sadly sadly, very hard to witness and even to help the victims overcome such traumas. The Bible doesn’t mention how these people overcome after witnessing such things, it just says these things happened, but they are humans just like us. They grieve like us. They long for freedom and social justice like us. I think it’s easier for us, much easier because we are now gifted with the finished Bible as the manual book, a mirror, a prophetic book that shows what was, what is and what is to come, stories after stories of causes and effects. They had nothing, while navigating life through all these brutalities, tragedies, constantly being uprooted, adjusting in the wilderness, transitioning again and again…it’s not easy being Israel. It’s fight or flight. May the Lord have mercies on Israel and the children of Israel, even now and forever. May the peace of God cover His beloved first born nation from the evil of many enemies, now and in the future. Be blessed dear sisters.
“His Spirit remains with us, wherever we may go, …”. May I add – whatever we may do.
I love that Romans 8:38-39 was referenced in your comments 2 days in a row.
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Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤
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CHRISTY, I look forward to your report! ❤
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LINDA IN NC, prayers for you and Gene to recover quickly from this flu and for success in his surgery! ❤ As always you precious caregivers remain in my prayers!
I loved everyone’s insights! Thank you Tina for the song reminder. One of my favorites! Thanks for sharing your heart.
This is a hard passage to read but it gives hope to me. It shows how God is faithful to His promises and will guide us back to where we need to be!
I have a cb praise! My 5 year old grandson asked Jesus into his heart. Such a sweet moment it was with him and his mom! As soon as he prayed, he told his mom that he needed to do a Zoom call with “Wild Krats” to tell them about Jesus. Wild Krats is a tv show about animals and science! Already, wanting to share Jesus with others!
That is praiseworthy for sure! Thanks for sharing! I used to watch that show with my grandkids! ❤
This really warms my heart. I pray the wisdom of God, the spirit of revelation and strength be poured out on your grandson, that he will grow in the favour of God and with people, and he be the light, the glory of Jesus that shines to all whomever he comes in contact with. Bless your sweet family.
What a great joy!❤️
Another few chapters of heavy, hard and tragic reading. Yuck. And yet, in it all, despite the mess, God continues to be present and moving. From HRT “In chapter 34 we see the worst of humanity. In chapter 35 we see the best of our gracious God.” And isn’t that just like our (my)lives? Our faithful Lord has seen the worst of us in one chapter and yet, He still offers, grace, mercy, forgivenes and hope in the next chapter.
I love the verses in Isaiah 43. Thank you Father, that no matter the depths, cause or reason for the waters and the fires, you will not abandon me.✝️
Love this!
Amen!
Good morning and happy Wednesday beautiful She’s! When reading this I always think about how there was so much deceit and pain, oh was there pain, BUT GOD! Our merciful God still found it in HIM to forgive and use Jacob. And us. AND now we have JESUS! As Hannah mentions this morning, He goes with us wherever we go or run. Can’t run far! This morning I’m starting “back-to-work” schedule after being off since last Thursday afternoon. I’m not completely better, but well enough to go to work. Prayers are appreciated! I’m a little slow, but hopefully I’ll starting gaining my strength back. I missed my babies!!!!
Praying you have a good day friend! The littles will be SO excited to see you!
GM!
Another “crazy” reading where it is like an action-packed movie straight from Hollywood. But it is true. It IS real people, GOD”S PEOPLE yet doing the bad, ugly, and wrong. That’s where the crux is, right? Like you would think All God’s called people would be amazing and doing “good works” and bringing the hurt and wronged people with them…not deceiving and killing (although in that case they were taking a seeming heroic revenge).
It always makes me think of when atheists and non-believers scoff at the Bible saying it’s full of murder. What kind of “good” God is that?! Yes it is. BUT, the overall theme is still the same–that we are ALL messed up, sinful people trying to do what we want, as we want, to get ahead at all costs, to get even for wrongs….and so on! WE now have Jesus to thankfully wipe away all our sins when we repent. They had God, that was still WITH them through it all, forgiving them and keeping his hand on them.
I am thankful and glad that SRT took us back to Genesis to read through it slowly. It is living and breathing God’s word, ready to show and reveal.
I remember way back in my 30’s, a young girl asking me why did those that were not living in a good way, seem to be blessed. I didn’t really have a good answer back then, except to look at how we were blessed. Not to compare. But today’s devotional helps me to see how I could have answered her. God is gracious to us even when we act in a way that goes against Him.
Those were my same thoughts I just tried to express in my comment!
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Lord, thank you for your mercy, even when we (I) run.
“Why God would continue to be gracious to people who act this way.”…Why does God continue to be gracious to me? Because He is faithful, even when I am not.
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Jacob decided to take a “sin detour”. God told him to return to Bethel. (Genesis 31:13) Jacob went to Shechem, in Canaan and camped within the sight of the city….does that sound familiar? Remember Lot – he pitched his tents near Sodom. (Genesis 13:12) Both cities were wicked and filled with idol worshipers.
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So Jacob took a detour and look what happened – his daughter is raped and his sons massacre a whole community. None of this would have happened if Jacob had returned to where God told him to.
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It begs me to ask the question – how many times do I take a detour from God’s plan? How many times has He rescued me from disaster of my own doing? And yet, God is faithful. He is gracious to me even when I don’t deserve it. He extends His mercy over and over again. I praise God that the only place I have to run to is into the arms of Jesus, the one who forgives. He is a sweet balm to my soul.
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Isaiah 43:1-3 is one of my favorite passages of scripture. To be reassured that no matter what hardships I will go through (and we all will – “when you pass through the waters” – (notice, he doesn’t say “if”) God will be with me just like He was with Abraham, Issac and Jacob. I take great comfort in that.
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Have a blessed Wednesday sisters!❤️
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It’s been a while since I posted an update. Dec and Jan have been super busy. My echocardiogram,endoscopy and vein doctor have shown nothing of concern. My iron levels are inching up so I’ll have 2 iron infusions on 2/3 and 2/10. Gene had a squamous cell carcinoma removed on 12/27 and another scheduled for Fri. However he has had the flu! Will find out today if we have to reschedule.
We’re both taking Tamiflu, he’s much better. I am showing mild symptoms since last night but no worse this morning.
I’ve been on here with you though not in depth. Some mornings a verse or two and the devotion are all I can manage. Gene’s care level is continuing to increase. Only God’s strength and grace and the prayers of so many get me through the day. He is so, so good! Lynne, I saw your post, I believe it was last week, I relate in so many ways with you! Love and pray for/with
you! My home health nurse is working to get me more help. Please pray it comes through quickly.
Prayers for each of you and whatever circumstance the Lord has allowed in your life. He is sufficient and faithful!
Linda, praying that you will be able to get more help. I think of you and pray for you and Lynn often. I can’t imagine the burdens you have to bear. Praying you both get over the flu quickly! ❤️
Ditto.
What a heavy load you carry. Have prayed for you right now, Linda ❤️
‘Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand.’
Psalm 73:23
Yes, joining the other she’s in prayer for you and Gene.
You are always in my prayers.
Hugs to you sweet sister ❤️
Precious Linda, thank you for your prayers! I know that you of all people completely understand what I’m going through. I pray for you and Gene every day. I know it’s hard to take care of yourself when you’re a caregiver but try to do that. Love you! ❤️
Praying for you, Linda in NC and for Gene
Praying for you and your husband. Thank you for your powerful prayers for us.
Father, thank you for extending your mercy, love and grace when I tried to run— and many times didn’t realize I was doing it. Because looking back, even while running, the spirit let me know you were always with me. How lost I’d be without you, God.
I see a lot through these passages that Jacob (or Israel) held his piece.. He should have done Something but waited for his sons… I read this a few days back in the Bible Recap, and this reminded me of David and his sons, what they did when their sister was abused. The Bible is telling events, not condoning anyone’s actions. Rape is d
“The Bible is telling events, not condoning anyone’s actions”.
Thank you for saying this, Erica.
It adds context to what is confounding in large parts of the Old Testament.
Amen
I’m so grateful God’s mercy is dependent on Him and not me. It is only But God that I receive mercy not because of myself. Lord thank you for being loving , gracious and merciful.
From HRT:
“Often when humanity is at its worst, we see the best of God.
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From before the time of Jacob to the day when Jesus returns, the goodness and faithfulness of our God has overcome the worst of sinful humanity. Praise God!”
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Unfortunately this is not the only account in the Bible of God’s “chosen” man neglecting to protect/defend his daughter and her brother(s) stepping in with vengeance instead of taking it to the Lord. (2 Sam.13)
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CHRISTY – praying for your 4th interview today. May God make it clear to you and to the prospective employer if you are the right fit.
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MARI V – prayng you have the strength to get through your day with joy.
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SHARON, JERSEY GIRL – how is your sister? Scott?
Thank you for your prayers, Kelly. ❤️
There are many prayers for you, sweet sister. Know you’ll update us after this fourth one. ❤️
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Thank you for asking Kelly. My sister is doing ok. She is still at her part-time teaching job. She really needs full time work but nothing seems to pan out.
I haven’t had any recent contact with Scott. He doesn’t always respond when I reach out but I am still praying for an opportunity to share with him. Thank you for your prayers!
Aw….thank you Kelly. I’m excited to see the kiddos!
Whew. Another difficult reading today. Praying for the abused, the marginalized, the vulnerable and seemingly unseen. Lord, please protect them and bring them quickly out of dangerous situations.
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These verses in Isaiah, what truth and promises to hang on to. When/as I navigate the demands, the challenges, the things life brings, the things I cause, the places I find myself because I didn’t seek His guidance – God is and will be with me, He knows me by name. Praise Him!
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CAROLINE BRIDGES ❤️ “God called me here” So glad you are studying with us
CHRISTY – praying for today’s interview
TERESA DONLEY – love seeing you with us ❤️
Joining you in prayer for protection and provision for those communities. ❤️ Thank you for continuing to lift me up in prayer, Searching.
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Amen
Talking of Bethel..
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The words to the Goodness of God fill my mind..
Your mercy never fails me.
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I’ve been held in your hands.
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Moment I wake up until I lay my head..
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ALL my life, you have been faithful.
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ALL my life you have been so so so so so good!
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Yes, indeed I will sing of the Goodness of God.
I WILL sing of the Goodness of God..
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Amen.❤
Dear,sweet Tina. One of my favorite songs, particularly on the days that seem not so good!
One of my favorite songs. He is always faithful – even when I am not.
CeCe has the best lyrics in her songs, doesn’t she?
This song is like a balm to my soul.
“…..and I will sing of the goodness of God!” Love you sweet Tina!
Yes, Tina
The goodness of God…
In the madness of humankind…
May it be so…
Thank you, God, for your mercy and grace ♡ Amen.
Amen
In defence of Jacobs sons on the reaction of the abuse of their sister, I am a God fearing Christian, but I think, I would have sought the perpetrators and … Well who knows.
I know it is not right to take revenge, but my blood boils, when I read of these situations!
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What I do not agree with, is taking it out on the whole village!
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You know, I was an abused wife many years ago. I never told my daddy.. I hid the degrading abuse, the beatings, the slave like treatment.. I never told daddy!
He would have been done for murder! seriously! This was his little princess, his precious daughter.. So I get the brothers actions!
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I think this may be why I react like this ..
No-one has a right to take, abuse or inflict, or lay a hand on anyone.. No one? If our Father God doesn’t, then, who are we to think it right to do so..?
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Sorry for the rant this morning..
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BUT GOD..
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His Word is a balm to my soul, a salve for my heart and a rub for my often overloaded disgruntled mind!
Like many of life’s experiences, good, bad, not quite right, indifferent or ugly, it is by and in His grace we arrive at each day, a little more Hope-filled than the day before..
His mercy, shown to each of us, Thanks be, for Jesus, is a show of His forever love for us, both to the perpetrator and the abused one.
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He is good. He is good..
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Amen.
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I’m sorry my dears, this did bring back some not so good memories.. Hopeful to be in a better place, by His grace..
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Wishing you well today, precious ones..❤
Tina, dear sister, I wish my arms could reach you. I would wrap you up in the biggest, longest hug ❤️ love you ❤️
Amen, Tina! Praying for you ❤️
“It is by and in His grace we arrive at each day, a little more Hope-filled than the day before.” Such powerful truth, thanks to God. Praying for you, dear Tina ❤️
Tina no need to apologize. It brought up some abuse that a boyfriend did to me. Things that I have put out of my mind. It took while, but by God’s grace I don’t think of it anymore.
Tina, thank you for sharing. I’m sorry that you have endured such abuse. May the Lord’s presence bring you sn extra measure of comfort and encouragement today ❤️
Big, big hug for you dear Tina!
And by His grace we arrive at each day…a little more hope-filled than the day before.
This I needed to hear!
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing and your dear honesty Tina. I love your posts and this latest made me think how deep your faith is. Blessings to you dear one. So glad you’re in the other side of your early years’ experiences.
Echoing our sisters’ thoughts and also sending a pond-width hug! I grew up with an abusive father so my fuse is also very short when I see someone living what my mom lived and the effects it has on the kids. Only by the grace of God did I mature with my integrity and faith intact- able to forgive and move on. Their marriage lasted over 70 years! Mom married when she was 16 to get out of her parent’s unhealthy situation. Out of the frying pan into the fire, as the saying goes! BUT God! Love you, Tina! ❤