Starting Over with God

1. Starting Over with God Genesis 35:1-15

2. Genesis 35 • Warren Wiersbe • “Moving from Genesis 34 to Genesis 35 is like going from a desert to a garden or from an emergency room to a wedding reception” • Faith and obedience, cleansing and renewal • God - 10 times • El Shaddai = “God Almighty, the all-sufficient One” • Jacob making Spiritual progress and arriving at the place of God’s appointment

3. New Problems and Trials • Jacob’s Trials • Buried his nursemaid, his father and his favorite wife • His firstborn son committed a terrible sin • Being a victorious Christian doesn’t mean escaping the difficulties of life and enjoying only carefree days • Walking with God by faith • Means knowing that He is with us, and trusting Him to help us for our good and His glory • Asking not “How can I get out of this?” but “What can I get out of this?”

4. Jacob Returned to Bethel • The need to walk closer to God • Heart grows cold and complacent and indifferent • The flesh reigns in their life • They seek the pleasures and comforts of the world • They have no longer have a testimony for the Lord • They need to clean up their lives, repent, and turn to God with a new commitment to follow Him as never before! • They need to start over with God in their lives • The first recorded revival in the Bible

5. Starting Over with God • God’s call (v.1) • God’s message (v.2-3) • Repentance (v.4) • Obedience to God and God’s presence and deliverance (v.5-7) • A new power to confront day to day trials (v.8) • A special blessing by God (v.9-12) • Worship of God (v.13-15)

6. God’s Call v. 1 • A New Start • Good news! We don’t have to stay the way we are! • No matter how many times we’ve failed the Lord, we can go home again if we truly repent and obey • Abraham • Isaac • David • Jonah • Peter • Jacob

7. God’s Call v. 1 • God spoke to Jacob • Only 30 miles away from Bethel • But now the Lord spoke to him and told him to move to Bethel and settle down there • Bethel was God’s appointed place for him and his family • Jacob had built an altar in Shechem • “God the God of Israel” • But God wanted Jacob at Bethel - “the house of God” • The Lord reminded Jacob • How He had delivered him and blessed him • His vows to the Lord

8. Incomplete Obedience and Conscience • Many of the problems in the Christian life result from incomplete obedience • We know what the Lord wants us to do, we start to do it, and then we stop • Jacob had a deep sense of disobedience and backsliding • He knew that he had not set a spiritual example for his children • He lived a carnal, worldly life, and the impact upon his family was now being reaped • He had allowed idolatry within his own house • God’s Spirit was convicting Jacob of his disobedience • There was no excuse • Bethel was only a day’s journey away

9. Incomplete Obedience and Conscience • Jacob found that the fault was within his own heart • And now God was dealing with him • But God had always been dealing with Jacob • God had never left him alone • It took a crisis to get his attention • God’s message to Jacob • Move to Bethel • Build an altar there to seek and worship the Lord • “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17)

10. Jacob Instructs His Household vv. 2–3 • Jacob bears witness to what God said to him • The first thing they had to do was get rid of their idols • Rachel had stolen her father’s household idols • The second instruction was “purify yourselves and change your clothes” • Washing the body and changing clothes symbolize making a new beginning. • Like dirt, sin is defiling and must be washed away • Psalms 51:2, 7; Isaiah 1:16; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 1:9 • Old garments typify the old life with its failures • But God in His mercy gives us “new garments” so we can make a fresh beginning • Genesis 3:21; Zecheriah 3:1–5; Luke 15:22; Revelation 3:18

11. Repentance (v. 4) • All the people obeyed Jacob’s commands • The people were obviously convicted of their sins • They gave all their idols and all the rings in their ears to Jacob • Jacob then took and buried them • Picture of repentance • The people were turning away from their old life, giving up everything that took their thoughts and hearts off God • They were ready to go to Bethel, the house of God, and seek God for their salvation and deliverance

12. Deliverance from Evil • God protected Jacob and his household (v. 5) • Jacob and the people obeyed God • He delivered them by His mighty power • You cannot walk with God if you do not obey Him • Jacob was afraid the people of the land would attack him • God intervened and put the “terror of God” into their hearts to stop them • When God’s people are doing God’s will in God’s way, they can depend on God’s provision and protection

13. God’s Deliverance • God delivers us from all trouble and evil • “Fear thou not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold youhee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10) • God delivers us from our enemies • “He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me” (Psalm 18:17) • God delivers us from all fears, even the fear of death • “For you have delivered my soul from death: will you not deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56:13) • God delivers us from temptation and evil • “There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13) • God delivers us from pestilence and disease • “Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the perilous pestilence” (Psalm 91:3)

14. Comfort in Trials • Trials Will Come (vv. 6–8) • We all want to ask God for blessings and a new revelation of Himself, but trials still come! • James 1:2-4 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing • Death of a loved one is the greatest of trials! • Jacob’s first trial was in the death of Deborah • Deborah had helped to raise Jacob • She was Rebekah’s maid and had come from Hebron to be with Jacob when he returned

15. Comfort • God’s presence brings comfort in day-to-day trials • There must have been a deep love of Deborah by Jacob and his family • Allon Bacuth = “the oak of weeping”

16. Worship • God’s Blessing (vv. 9–13) • At Bethel, Jacob had seen God and the angels in a dream (28:12), but now the Lord appeared to Jacob and blessed him • “Israel” • “God Almighty” = El-Shaddai • God reaffirmed the promises • Multiplying of Jacob’s descendants • Possessing the land • Nations and kings would be among his descendants • God’s promises are sure and we can rest in every promise God has made!

17. Worship (vv. 14-15) • Jacob set up a pillar and dedicated it to the Lord • He not only poured oil on the pillar, but he also poured out a drink offering of wine • The drink offering was poured out on the altar as the sacrifice was burning • Dedication of the worshiper’s life poured out on top of the sacrifice to the Lord (2 Samuel 23:16; Philippians 2:17) • Jacob’s restoration was now complete • He had come back to the house of God • He was starting to be “Israel” and live like a prince instead of a pauper • He gave public testimony to the fact that God had met him at Bethel, at the house of God

18. Starting Over with God • Restoration of your walk with God always lead you to do two things • Worship God • Bear testimony to God’s work in our lives • Going back to Bethel means • Back to a remembrance of our first love • Back to the better life we once knew • Back to God’s Word • Back to active service for the Lord • God is calling each of us! • Back to Bethel – The House of God • It will change our lives and impact others for God and His kingdom!