Sermon Cloud

THE ROAD OF SPIRITUAL RECOVERY

Genesis 35:1-7

Genesis 35:1-7

1) 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."

2) 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.

3) 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."

4) So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5) Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

6) Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

7) 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.

            Life has often been compared to a journey. And in the journey of life, there is the critical challenge of choosing the right road in order to arrive in the best destination. Take for example, if you stay on the road where you are right now, do you believe your journey will eventually lead to a great destination? If not, have you explored other routes? For most people nowadays, the common expression you will hear is choosing between the high and low roads. 

            In these concepts will I base my new series entitled, "Staying on the High Road." Well, before I proceed, I want to make sure we are all clear when we talk about the high road. You see, the reality is when people today refer to the high road, most often they are referring to that which seems good for them, rather than what is right and acceptable with God. As Christians, we must be convinced that God has given us His absolute map for our journey:

Psalm 119:105

105) Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

            God has provided His Word to guide us on the high road. Taking and staying on this road will lead to spiritual vitality, while abandoning this road will lead to a life of miseries.

            Our initial text for this series focuses on a crucial time in the life of Jacob. For the past 30 years, he has lived his life on his own terms resulting only into a lot of complications. In our text, God is confronting him and giving the opportunity to alter his destination. Let's examine how Jacob discovered the high road. There were three steps he had to take:   

I           REFLECT ON YOUR LIFE'S STRUGGLES: (v. 1a)          

            When you read the beginning verse of Chapter 35, "Then God said," you are compelled to go back to the previous chapter and find out what brought about God's statement. In here, Jacob had found himself in a great family crisis. His daughter Dinah associated with the wrong crowd and was raped (34:2). And in retaliation, Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob's sons, were so outraged that they massacred the men of an entire town (34:25-27). This killing had brought tremendous fear in the heart of Jacob:

Genesis 34:30

 30) Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed."

Before we go any further, let me just mention a very important truth - Every decision we make affect others. We do not live in isolation. We will always drag others in our choices. Jacob had been running away from God. Instead of living in Bethel, he settled in Shechem, among the heathens. Because of this, his family had reaped the consequences.

            In chapter 35:2, it seems that Jacob's decision to obey God command to go back to Bethel may have come from an honest reflection on what was going on in his life. This made him decide to make it right once and for all.

            You see, a sincere moral and spiritual inventory is always beneficial to all of us. Someone has said:

            "Those who ignore life inventory are doomed to repeat their mistakes again and again."

            I wonder if there are some of us who need to reflect on our life's circumstances and honestly admit we need to make some changes. Possibly, we need to explore the road God is offering to us. This leads me to my next point.  

II         RESPOND IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD: (v. 1-3)

            Going back to our text, Jacob's decision to bring back his family to Bethel was made in obedience to the command God gave in verse 1 - "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."

            What is the significance of Bethel in the life of Jacob? Thirty years before, Jacob fled from his brother Esau, whom he had cruelly defrauded by his birthright. During that journey, he stopped to sleep in one place. And while sleeping, God gave him a vivid dream of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven and on it were angels ascending and descending. And God stood above the ladder and spoke words of comforts and promise to him:

Genesis 28:13-15

13) There above it stood the Lord, and he said: "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.

14) Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

15) I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

When Jacob woke up having a sense of awe because of his dream, he responded by making a promise to God.

Genesis 28:20-22

20) Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear

21) so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God

22) and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

            Obviously, going back to Bethel is going back to a place of closeness and fellowship with God. God was calling Jacob back to the place of total commitment. Despite of all the failures of Jacob, God was open in restoring him and giving him another chance. Oh what a wonderful God He is! No wonder Jeremiah can declare:

Lamentation 3:22-23

22) Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

23) They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

            As Jacob responded to God, he understood that his restoration will require him to do two things:

•A.     They need to get rid of their idols (v.2) - While living among the heathens, his family may have turned to idols or other gods. Before they can move to the right road, they need to get rid of anything they have trusted, desired or prioritized over God.

•B.     They had to be cleansed (v. 2) - the exhortation to purify themselves and changed their garments both represent the inward cleansing done in confessing and repenting of sins.

Do you still have idols today? Are there some hidden sins in your life you need to deal with? An intimate relationship with God or a life of total commitment to Him will never take place unless we are willing to fulfill these requirements.  Jacob was willing to let go of anything that will come between him and his relationship with God. We too must be willing to do the same.      

III        REBUILD THE ALTAR OF CONSECRATION: (v. 6-7)

            Lastly, when Jacob and his family arrived in Bethel, they prioritize the building of their altar to God. This is the place of sacrifice, a place of consecration to God. Consecration is the act of dedicating yourself to God wherein you allow Him to take His place as the King of your life.

            You see, Jacob for the past 30 years kept running away from God. He had been lying, manipulating, and living in his own strength. Now, in Bethel, he affirms his dependence to God and was willing to take the path He has set for him.

            Are you altars still standing? This act of going back to Bethel and rebuilding his altar for God resulted in some very significant blessings:

•A.     Protection:

Genesis 35:5

5)  Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

Do you see the importance of this? All the surrounding towns were indeed horrified by what the sons of Jacob had done to the people of Shechem . . . but they did not dare touch them because God caused His terror to fall on them. As Jacob sought the Lord, the Lord protected him and his family.

•B.     Strength for Difficult times:

God also gave Jacob strength for some very difficult times. In the next verses of this chapter we read about Jacob having to bury Deborah, Rachel's nurse. Then the death of Rachel, Jacob beloved wife after she gave birth to Jacob's twelfth and final son; and finally his father Isaac also died. In all these difficulties, God sustained Jacob.

            Indeed, taking the high road and staying there guarantees a life of blessings. Listen to God reiterate His promises to Jacob:

Genesis 35:11-12

11) 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 come from your body.

12) The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."

            As we conclude, let us remember that something is at stake in the choices we make. A godly choice will generate spiritual blessings, but an ungodly choice lead to a lot of tragedies and heartaches. The greatest value of staying on the high road comes from being able to walk closely with God on your life's journey.