spiritual housecleaning genesis 35 january 5,...

Spiritual Housecleaning

Genesis 35 January 5, 2013

A. Introduction ! Why do you think God must repeat to Jacob (Israel) what He had already told him? 35:9-15, Heb. 2:1 • God knew that we must be continually reminded of things lest we forget. Deut. 4:9, Prov. 4:20-22 B. God’s instruction ! After Jacob’s sons had murdered the Shechemites, who intervened in Jacob’s life? 1a • ______________________________ ! What were the instructions given to Jacob at this time? 1b 1. _______________________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________________ C. Jacob’s correction ! How do we know that Jacob’s family was in need of a spiritual housecleaning? 2, (Also Chapter 34) • Jacob directed his household to do three things. 1. _________________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________ ! Once the spiritual renewal was accomplished, what was to be done next? 3a • They would obey God in going up to Bethel and building an altar to God. ! What is Jacob’s testimony regarding all God had done for Him? 3b • _______________________________________________________________________________ ! What did Jacob do with all of the idolatrous paraphernalia turned in to him by his household? 4 • He buried them under the oak tree which was near Shechem. D. God’s protection ! How could Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have avoided a lot of trouble and anxiety in Canaan? 5 • _________________________________________________________ - See Gen. 28:13-15, Ex. 23:27 ! Does God give Christians any promises of protection against the enemy? Rom. 8:28,35-39; II Tim. 4:18; I Pet. 4:12-13

• Yes. He may allow us to suffer affliction but only as He deems necessary for our good and His glory. E. Jacob’s devotion ! What did Jacob do in obedience to God’s command when he and his household arrived at Bethel? 7 • _______________________________________________________________________________ ! What three things did God do after Jacob had built the altar? 9-12 God: 1. ______________________ 2. ______________________ 3. _____________________________ ! How did Jacob respond after God departed from him? 14-15 • He set up a stone pillar as an altar and poured out a drink offering on it. ! What sad event took place in Jacob’s life on the way to Bethlehem? • _______________________________________________________________________________

January 5, 2014Spiritual Housecleaning

A. Introduction

B. God’s instruction

C. Jacob’s correction

D. God’s protection

E. Jacob’s devotion

A. Introduction

B. God’s instruction

Genesis 34:30 - Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me, by making

me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my

men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I shall be

destroyed, I and my household."

Genesis 35:1 - Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there; and

make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

C. Jacob’s correction

Genesis 35:2 - So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign

gods which are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments;”

Exodus 19:14 - So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the

people, and they washed their garments.

Matthew 23:25-26 - Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of

the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First

clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Genesis 35:3 – “and let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who

answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Genesis 35:4 - So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the

oak which was near Shechem.

D. God’s protection

Genesis 28:13-15 - And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on

which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants shall also be like the

dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and

in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with you, and

will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have

done what I have promised you."

Genesis 35:5 - As they journeyed, there was a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and

they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Exodus 23:27-28 - I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies

turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the

Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.

II Timothy 4:18 - The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 9:27 - . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after that the judgment:

E. Jacob’s devotion

Genesis 35:9-12 - Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. And God said to him, "Your name is

Jacob; you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." Thus He called him

Israel. God also said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come

forth from you. "And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and I will

give the land to your descendants after you."

Q: Why does God have to repeat things over and over?

A: Hebrews 2:1 - Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

God knew that we must be continually reminded of things lest we forget.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10 - "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the

things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make

them known to your sons and your grandsons. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your

God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on

the earth, and that they may teach their children.'

Proverbs 4:20-22 - My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them

depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their whole body.

Matthew 4:4 - . . . Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes

out of the mouth of God.

Joshua 1:8 - This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and

then you will have good success.

1. Genesis 1-11 – The Creation, the Fall, the Flood and the Tower of Babel.

2. The Gospel

Pay Much Closer Attention to What We Have Heard

Colossians 1:22-23 - yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach –

if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of

the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was

made a minister.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of

God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.


2. The Gospel

3. God’s Law


Romans 8:3-4 - For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by

sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in

us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Psalm 119:97-98 - O how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy

commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.


2. The Gospel

3. God’s Law

4. The Psalms


Psalm 119:50 - This is my comfort in my affliction, that Thy word has revived me.

Psalm 119:76 - O may Thy lovingkindness comfort me, according to Thy word to Thy servant.

Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art

with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.


2. The Gospel

3. God’s Law

4. The Psalms

5. The Proverbs


Proverbs 4:7 - Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 3:13-18 - Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to

be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and

happy is every one that retaineth her.


2. The Gospel

3. God’s Law

4. The Psalms

5. The Proverbs

6. The Epistles


II Peter 3:1-2 - Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to

stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the

command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

1 John 2:1 - My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one

who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

1 John 1:4 - And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.


2. The Gospel

3. God’s Law

4. The Psalms

5. The Proverbs

6. The Epistles

7. The History Books (The Prophets)


1 Kings 18:21 - And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two

opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

1 Kings 18:37 – “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that Thou, O Lord, art God, and

that Thou hast turned their heart back again.”

spiritual housecleaning genesis 35 january 5,...

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