Genesis 35

I think this chapter served as a major reality check for Jacob. He had all these foreign gods and just general issues he was carrying around with him, and God knew it even better than Jake did. But when Jake realized all these burdens that they were carrying, he didn't want them anymore. 

I do the same thing all the time. I never get how much pressure I put on myself until I try to explain my actions to the people around me. But the reality is, I don't have to do that. God is freedom. He wants to take all of my burdens, my false gods, my issues, and my suffering, and he wants to bury it in the ground, where I'll never have to look at them or think of them again. 

I feel a bit bad for Rebekah, that her nurse died. That would be really sad. It reminds me of Downton Abbey - the relationship between Mary and Anna. 

A nurse is more than a maid - she's a trusted advisor, your best friend, the one that you air out your mind with as they braid your hair and picks out your clothes with you. I imagine losing Deborah must have been really hard indeed. 

This trip changed Jacob, as I've seen, and I think God wanted everyone to know it. That's why he gave him a new name. He just wanted Jake to let go of everything of his past life, in terms of guilt about Esau, amongst other sins. He even wanted him to let go of his name. For our purposes, I will continue to call him Jacob, to avoid confusion. Then, God makes the promise to Jake/Israel that now has been given to Abe, Isaac, and himself. 

And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” (Genesis 35:11, 12 NIV)

Rachel passes away. Part of me wonders if with the death of her best friend, her will to live decreased. I don't know. It's just a thought. Either way, she does not have an easy delivery of baby Ben, and dies with the knowledge that she brought Jacob the joy of another son. 

Ben, if I remember correctly, was well-liked. He was mild, whereas some other brothers were a little more feisty. 

Reuben, for example, decides it's a cool idea to try out one of his dad's concubines. Not sure why he'd think that was a great plan, it's a little gross. Jake had 12 sons, and I genuinely cannot imagine the chaos that went on in that household. 

When Isaac died, Esau and Jake buried him together. 

I think that's pretty awesome, after all they've been through, to be able to embrace their brotherhood and properly honor their dad. It's what he would have wanted.