Genesis 35: 8-13: “But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.”
Rebekah was Jacob’s mother and her nurse or maid died. We don’t read about Rebekah’s death but we do know where she was buried (see Gen 49: 30, 31 “In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.”) This was a time of weeping as Jacob was a mummy’s boy and the loss of this person who had been with Jacob when he was born was quite painful. However, it was time for Jacob to move on and the Lord appeared to him again. God reminded Jacob of his important place in the history of redemption and that God had changed his name from Jacob to Israel. He was not longer a cheat but someone who was willing to persevere so that he could see God’s blessings. Because Jacob was willing to persevere, God reminded him again of the promises and that they applied, personally, to him as well. Anyone who trusts in God and is willing to keep trusting God throughout their lives will know personal blessing. This doesn’t necessarily mean that person will be rich or famous but that they will know the peace of God in their hearts and minds and they will be content. (compare Phil 4: 7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” and Phil 4: 11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”)
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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