God of our fathers
How does one go from having a heritage of faith to owning their faith? What does it mean to claim YHWH as my God? In the middle chapters of Genesis, we see a transformation in the heart of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. The transformation is book-ended by two trips to a place he called Bethel – the house of God.
On the first visit, Jacob had a dream about a stairway reaching up to heaven. Angels were moving up and down the stairs as YHWH stood at the top and spoke to him, re-iterating the promises He had made to Abraham and Isaac. All this was enough to convince Jacob he had been in God’s presence, but apparently not enough for him to go “all in” on his pursuit of God.
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 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God 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.” –Genesis 28:20-22 (NIV)
Over the next twenty years, Jacob acquired two wives, two concubines, twelve children, multitudes of sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys, and staff to look after all his possessions. There were challenges along the way, including sibling rivalry between the sister-wives and frequent squabbles with the in-laws. Jacob remained something of a rascal, but recognized God’s hand upon him. Still, he was reluctant to acknowledge YHWH as his God. On at least four occasions, he continued to refer to YHWH as the God of his fathers.
Then Jacob faced a situation so stressful that he feared for his life. God, in His sovereign wisdom, responded by adding just a little more stress. Jacob had prepared, as best he knew how, to own up to his past and meet his brother, who had vowed to kill him twenty years earlier after Jacob stole his blessing. The fancy word for what is generally understood to have happened next is “theophany”, a tangible manifestation of Diety. “A man” showed up to wrestle with Jacob throughout the night. At daybreak, Jacob received a blessing and a name change. The meeting with Esau went much better than Jacob had expected. Upon reflection, Jacob responded accordingly.
For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel – God is the God of Israel. –Genesis 33:19-20 (NIV)
The return to Bethel, commanded by God and necessitated by some unseemly events in the location where they had settled, included a newfound commitment to serve YHWH only. There would be plenty of mistakes, mis-steps, sin, and suffering for Israel and his family. Yet they would be blessed of God, not because of their behavior, but because YHWH, the Promise Keeper, honored His own word and the commitment Jacob made that day.
Observations… God remains faithful, even as we fumble along with a reluctant and immature faith. Often, our faith is forged and made genuine in the crucible of desperation. God’s sovereign purposes will be accomplished in us, sometimes in spite of ourselves.
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.” 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.
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 – God of the House of God – because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. –Genesis 35:2-4, 6-7 (NIV)