Needed Conversation
Genesis 35: 9 Then God appeared
to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 10 And
God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not
be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his
name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: “I am God
Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations
shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The land
which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you
I give this land.” 13 Then God went up
from him in the place where He talked with him. 14 So
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of
stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And
Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
============
Fleeing the area where Simeon and Levi had murdered all the
men of Shechem, Jacob was nervous. To top it off, he did not have his mother to
talk to and the closest person to a mother figure had just died. “Then GOD
appeared to Jacob again.”
My Observations:
- Jacob
already birthed the kids who would fulfill the prophesy.
- GOD
stepped in and talked “with” Jacob, but Jacob’s words were not written.
- GOD
changed Jacob’s name from “Deceiver” to “He who strives with
perseverance.”
Jacob seemed to struggle with the way he was raised versus
the right way he should act. Jacob learned how to deceive, and became good at
it. Unfortunately, he had to struggle for many years. He realized that GOD
protected him, even though he caused his own problems.
Now Jacob was in a larger mess and deception would not be
the answer to his problems. He needed a conversation from GOD, who not only
changed his name, but gave him assurance that HIS prophecy still stood. GOD
would protect Israel and his sons and daughters.
Challenge
- Why
does GOD tell Moses about HIS conversation and name change of Jacob to
Israel?
- Are
you in need of a conversation from GOD?
- Will
you seek GOD’s comforting words today by reading HIS promises HE has for
you?
