Under God's instructions Jacob went to Bethel and built an altar. He instructed all his household to get rid of all foreign gods, purify themselves and change their clothes. Then once again God confirmed Jacob's change of name to Israel and reconfirmed that his Abrahamic covenant was now applicable to him. Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him and called the place Bethel (means house of God). Having left Bethel they were on the way to Bethlehem when Rachel died in childbirth, though her son Benjamin survived. Israel (Jacob) travelled on to Migdal Eder where Reuben had sex with his father's concubine Bilhah. Jacob found out but did nothing about it. Jacob had 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun (by Leah); Joseph and Benjamin (by Rachel); Dan and Naphtali (by Bilhah); Gad and Asher (by Zilpah). Then Jacob came home to his father Isaac near Hebron and Isaac died there aged 180 so Esau and Jacob buried him.
No comments:
Post a Comment