Genesis 35:16–21
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
The Christian life is a series of journeys, and every leg of the journey is marked by the sovereign providence of God. We are a people on the move, pilgrims heading from the city of destruction to the celestial city. And as we see in the life of Jacob, this pilgrimage is never a straight line, and it is never without sorrow. God had just met with Jacob again at Bethel, reaffirmed his new name, Israel, and reiterated the covenant promises given to Abraham and Isaac. The blessing was palpable: a nation and a company of nations would come from him, and kings would come from his own body. And what is the very next thing that happens on the road from Bethel? A severe labor, a bitter death, and a sorrowful birth. This is a hard lesson, but it is a necessary one.