(Genesis) Genesis 35:1-2 — J. Vernon McGee

Jacob Is Called Back to Bethel

Now, I turn to the 35th chapter of Genesis, and I hope you have your Bible open there and also that you have our notes and outlines. If you do not have them, we do have a set for you and love to send them to you.

God Commands Jacob to Return and Build an Altar

Now I'm reading verse 1, chapter 35 of Genesis, and God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Jacob's Return After Peniel

Now God is calling this man back to Bethel. I have a little book. The title of it is Back to Bethel. I attempt to cover a great deal of the life of Jacob, and especially dealing with this experience that he had at Peniel, and then the change that took place when he went there.

Now the fact of the matter is, he's now, after this sad experience, he's prepared to go. You see, he didn't have faith to move out before. Now will you notice verse 2, Jacob now begins to take the leadership.

Jacob's Household Must Put Away Strange Gods

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments. Now there are several things that they are told to do here.

Rachel's Hidden Household Idols

They are, first of all, to put away the strange gods, and we are almost shocked at that. You will recall that when Jacob fled with Rachel and Leah, that Rachel slipped out the family gods, that is, these little images.

She sat on them, on the camel, that luggage that was to go on the camel's back. She just crawled up on top of it and sat down, because underneath were these little images. Now I would assume, since it was the home of Jacob, he knew of the living and true God.

God had called him. You would think that he would say that when he did find out, and he did not know at the time she had taken them, he was very honest when he told Laban that God's, those little images weren't in his entourage at all.

That's probably the one time up to then he told the truth. He really didn't know, but they were there. Now when they were discovered, I think that probably we'd all assume, well, Jacob got rid of them, but he didn't get rid of them.

And we find this entire family are worshiping these images. This man Jacob, now for the first time, and he's the one to take the leadership, he says, now let's get rid of these false gods, these strange gods, and they're false gods.

Putting Away Modern Idols

That's the first thing. You've got to put away that which is wrong. There is today too many folk that six days a week they are serving some other god, and on Sunday they serve the Lord. We have a lot of fundamental believers like that, friends.

They have their strange gods. And then they wonder why on Sunday there's service in the church and why it's not a thrilling experience. Well, friends, you're going to have to put away your strange gods.

I don't know what yours might be, but whatever they are, it could be covetousness. I tell you, there's many a good fundamental businessman today that's out after every dollar he can get. And I tell you, he gives more devotion to getting the dollar than he does to serving the Lord on Sunday.

And he wonders what's wrong with his spiritual life. If you're going to come back to Bethel, where you met God at the beginning, then, friends, you've got to put away those things that are wrong. Then he says here, Jacob says, and be clean.

Confession and Spiritual Cleansing

Now that for the believer today means confession of sins. You have to deal with sin in your life. You can't come in on Sunday and ignore the week that's just passed. After all, you take a physical bath and use a deodorant.

And today we have spiritual B .O. in our churches because there's no confession of the sin, the cleansing. And that's the cleansing. If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Changed Garments and Visible Holiness

That's 1 John 1 .9. There must be the confession, and he'll forgive, but they must be confessed. Then do you notice something else? He says here, change your garments. Get rid of the old garments. Now garments speak in scripture of habits.

In fact, they do today. We hear of somebody having a riding habit, and football players have a uniform. That's the habit they use. And the child of God's dress should some way mirror who he is, who he belongs to.

Do you wear the habits of the Lord? Can you be detected in business or in school or in the neighborhood as being a little different? Your life is a little different. You're wearing a habit. The day that this man went back to Bethel, he started living for God.

And up to then, I don't think so. He says, let's go back to Bethel, and that's the thing that we must do.