If Jacob had faith in God you can't tell it by his works.
Genesis 31:13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place
where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready
and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.’”
Genesis 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and
settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you
fled from your brother, Esau.”
When God chose to start a new group of people that would be set apart for
himself he chose one ordinary man that didn't do anything at all to have
God's favor on his life. Abram probably didn't even believe in God but when
he was told to go
he was convinced to leave his fake gods behind and step out in faith to an
unknown destination.
Fast forward to Abraham's grandson and you find that he had a very different
response to God's command to go. Jacob was a hard headed, stubborn man that
didn't have very much concern for spiritual things. God told him to go and
he made a very long detour before going the right way.
Jacob had a rough upbringing in a dysfunctional family, his father
Isaac failed God
many times, but Jacob has also had some amazing experiences with God that
should have helped him become more concerned about God's plans for his life.
Jacob was always aggressive and made sure that he got his way, he was
fighting with his brother before he was born, so it is no surprise that when
he was told to go he decided to go somewhere else. God says go in Genesis
31:3 and Jacob doesn't go to the right place until we get to Genesis
35:1-3.
After a lengthy delay with Laban he finally starts his trip (Genesis 31:1-55), Jacob meets some angels (Genesis 32:1-2) and then he meets his brother. (Genesis 32:3-33:17) But out of nowhere Jacob decides to go to the wrong place.
Genesis 33:14 Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.
Esau wanted to help Jacob get home but Jacob wasn't ready to go. Jacob let
his brother think that he would be right behind him but he started traveling
in the opposite direction. After all of the kindness that was extended to
Jacob by his brother he deceived him again. (Genesis 33:14-17)
It seems like God wanted Jacob to go back to Bethel but instead he is buying
property at Shechem and he will spend about 6 years there. (Genesis 31:13,
33:18-20) Jacob will look back on this decision with great regret as he
recalls the tragic events that are going to happen while he is in the wrong
place. (Genesis 34:1-31)
the pasture was vastly superior in the Jordan Valley where Succoth was
located, while Bethel was in the mountains It reminds me of the decision
that Lot made to live next to Sodom and the tragic consequences that he had
to endure.
Genesis 35:2-3 So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
For 30 years Jacob has been 30 miles away from where God wanted him to be.
He has been in the wrong place and he has been tolerating the wrong
"gods." (Genesis 31:30-36) At least he knew that it wasn't a good idea to
go back to the place that he named "House of God" with a bunch of little
"gods" along for the ride.
Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, was willing to step out without a
destination but Jacob wasn't willing to go where God wanted him to be even
though it was a familiar location where God had met with him previously.
If Jacob had faith in God you can't tell it by his works. Thankfully God
had begun a work in Jacob's life that would be completed despite the wrong
turns and setbacks that Jacob would make.
Genesis 35:9-11 Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, 10 saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. 11 Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants!
God's purpose and plans will come to pass despite ourselves, when he
finally returns to God's plan and purpose for his life God restates the
promise that has been passed down from Abraham and Isaac.
If we cooperate with God we can be used by him with a lot less
heartache, regret and wasted years, just like Jacob we can delay and
stay across town when God says go. It may be just 30 miles from where
God wants us, so close that it may not seem to matter but God doesn't
want us to second guess him and come close to being fully obedient.
Thankfully the gospel message is that we don't have to be perfect, we
will make a mess of things but God can use all of it to accomplish his
plans if we will return to him. I have confidence that the good work
that he started in my life will continue until it is completed on the
day that Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)
