Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there

Genesis 35:1-29

Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.

Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.

As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

As Jacob returns to the place of God's promise, the story comes full circle. This chapter is rounding off, before Joseph's story begins. Foreign gods are put aside. God reaffirms his covenant. Rachel dies near Bethlehem, giving birth to Benjamin, the last of Jacob's 12 sons. The curtains close on the two brothers. Esau and Jacob, laying their aged father Isaac to rest in the family burial-place.

Why?

Jacob stayed in Shechem was contaminated by their culture. So God told Jacob left their went to Bethel.

They get rid of the closes, rings, and others and buried it in there under an oak tree.

Bethel is their place where God arranged for them. Israel has to separate from Cannan.

Jacob set up a stone pillar and altar for the Lord, to remember God had talked with him. 

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雅各在示劍住下，且買地，顯然想要住下來，以為到了示劍就是回到家。離伯特利還有30公里，住的地方偏北。

因此神向雅各說話，提醒他，回到他父親家。跟隨主要完全，像蓋房子蓋一半，仍然不能住，前功盡棄。回到伯特利才能承受應許，還他的願。

在伯特利獻祭以後神向他顯現。正式回來。且要他改名，並且重申應許，正式承受應許，人民、土地、權柄。承受前經歷磨練、苦難，神讓他看見不能停留在示劍。

神的應許已經準備好了，人必須學習、不再欺騙、捨已、放下自我、完全順服，除去心中偶像、放下自我為中心。

記載三個人死了，表示上個世代結束了。

流便以異教的方法，想來繼承父親的一切，因為他是長子。因為他做了此事，失去了長子的位分。人不可自以為有資格，以為理所當然，因此自行決定。甚至長子也不一定有資格。恩典是由神決定。恩典是我們本來不配得到的。應許、恩典完全出於神的揀選。我們完全不配承受恩典。今天我們不要忘記我們當初愛主的心。我現在已經很好了，就不再往前走了嗎？

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How?

Remember the grace of the Lord and be alert away from the contaminated by this world.