Genesis 35:1–8
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
We are coming off one of the ugliest chapters in the book of Genesis. The honor of Jacob's daughter Dinah was violated, and in response, his sons Simeon and Levi enacted a treacherous and bloodthirsty revenge, slaughtering the entire city of Shechem. Jacob's response to this was not one of righteous fury at the sin, but rather one of pragmatic fear. He was worried about his brand, his public relations. The entire family is neck-deep in compromise, violence, and fear. They are spiritually adrift, settled down near a pagan city, and have become just like them. And it is into this mess, this stench, that God speaks. God does not wait for us to clean ourselves up before He calls to us. He steps into the middle of our self-inflicted disasters and graciously commands a way out. This chapter is about a necessary and commanded course correction.