Moving forward with God 

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” (2-3)

After the disastrous events in chapter 34, we see God’s grace immediately at work. Despite the horrendous things Jacob’s sons had done, God let Jacob know he was still with him and told him to go back to Bethel where he had first appeared to Jacob.

And so Jacob told his family to put away their foreign gods, purify themselves (certainly needed after what Simeon and Levi had done), change their clothes, and to go where God was leading them.

And there, God reaffirmed his promises to Jacob, again giving him the name, “Israel,” which either means “He struggles with God,” or “God fights.”

The latter meaning seems more appropriate here. Jacob was no longer fighting against God. Rather, he had submitted himself to God’s reign in his life. And now, God was fighting for him, protecting him and his family (5).

All this was encouraging to me. No matter how badly we may fall, God doesn’t give up on us. Rather, he calls us to keep moving forward with him.

How do we do that? We put our sins behind us, burying them as Jacob buried the idols, come to the cleansing blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7), and clothe ourselves once more with Jesus Christ and his righteousness (Romans 13:14).

And whenever Satan accuses us, always keep in mind that God is fighting for us. (Romans 8:31-34)

So let’s keep moving forward with God, walking each day in his grace.