City Life Starter

Written by Aisha Darwesh

The Word

¹ God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ² So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. ³ Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” ⁴ So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

⁵ And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, ⁷ and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. ⁸ And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.

⁹ God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. ¹⁰ And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. ¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. ¹² The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” ¹³ Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. ¹⁴ And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. ¹⁵ So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

–Genesis 35:1-15 ESV

¹⁸ So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. ¹⁹ He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, ²¹ so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, ²² and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

–Genesis 28:18-22 ESV

^5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

^9-11 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

^12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

–Colossians 3:5-14 MSG

Aisha’s Analysis

Today’s verses offer a bright spot in Jacob’s life during a very dark season. After their sister was violated and taken into Shechem’s house, Jacob’s sons took matters into their own hands and slaughtered the men of the city while they were in a very vulnerable state having just been circumcised. Jacob’s inaction towards his daughter’s defilement and passivity surely contributed to the overreaction and destruction caused by his sons. 

Chapter 35 of Genesis starts with God’s instructions to Jacob to return to Bethel and to put away the foreign gods, purify themselves, and put on new clothes. It appears God is intervening to provide a fresh start after a pattern of compromise and sin in Jacob’s household.  

Jacob first made a pillar to God in Bethel when he camped out there after fleeing from his brother, Esau (Genesis 28). It was in this particular place, Bethel, which means God’s House that God appeared to Jacob and where Jacob subsequently made a vow to God. 

When Jacob made the decision to obey God and put away the idols and old, destructive habits, God supernaturally protected Jacob and his family by bringing a terror on anyone who sought to attack them. God also blessed Jacob and reaffirmed his new identity, Israel, meaning “God prevails.”

This shows us that God is bigger than the evil things that happen in this world. He has made a way for us to enter His presence and worship Him. Regardless of what happens, there is nothing to stop us from turning back to God at any given point. We always have that option thanks to the finished work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

It is only human nature to be impacted by life’s circumstances. However, we can take those moments of pain and frustration as an opportunity to turn to God and worship Him. We can worship God no matter what is happening in our lives because God never changes and is always worthy to be praised. He has paid for sin on the cross of Christ and is worthy of our trust and obedience. 

Application

Do you feel discouraged or disappointed by life’s circumstances? That doesn’t make you a weak believer, that just means you’re human. What is most important at all times is your attitude towards God. 

Are you going to turn to Him for the divine comfort He is sure to provide or will you turn away from Him in unbelief? We cannot always control what happens in life, but we can always decide how we will respond.  

Do not harden your heart toward God based on life’s circumstances. Regardless of the challenges or difficulty you might be facing in this moment, choose to worship God anyhow. 

Prayer

Father, may I always feast on Your faithfulness. I humble myself before You in adoration. You are worthy to be praised regardless of what my life looks like right now. Lord, I trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.