DEVOTIONAL: GENESIS 35

This is an excerpt from our devotional book for our current series through Genesis. Each book contains daily devotions and questions for reflection. For a free copy of our devotional books please visit our connect desk on Sundays, and to watch the accompanying sermon, click here>

Genesis 35:9-15—

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. Many people today struggle with identity. We ask questions like, “who am I?” or “what am I supposed to do?”

In Genesis 35:9-15, we see God tell Jacob exactly who he is and what his purpose in life is. He is told to “be fruitful and multiply,” echoing the covenants made with his forefathers and fulfilled for Jacob in the promises of a noble legacy with kings in his lineage.

But why the name change? Why Israel rather than Jacob? The Bible uses name changes to signify identity changes. Abram and Sarai were changed to Abraham and Sarah when God made his covenant with them (Gen 17). Simon Bar-Jonah is renamed Peter (Matt 16:18). In each case, the name change signifies a new identity resulting from new life in Christ. This doesn’t mean that all Christians must change their names, but people who knew us before we were saved should have a hard time recognizing us in our new identity. For those of us who were saved at a young age, we should look different than the neighbor we grew up with. That is we ought not to be defined by our cultural environment as much as our Savior defines us.

Another important point to note is that God’s blessing to Jacob (now Israel) is a promise of a great legacy. The blessing is a promise. Now, this might not be what we think of when we think about a blessing. God’s promise of a people set apart for himself may not urge us to think “#blessed” but it should. We don’t stop and contemplate the promise of an elect remnant set apart for glory often enough. It’s an incredible act of mercy that God would let even one sinner into his kingdom, let alone the largest nation the world will ever see. The more we dwell on the blessing of this promise, the more a heart of gratefulness will be cultivated in us, and a heart of gratefulness is an incredible weapon in our fight against sin.

REFLECTION & NOTES

1. How has God changed your identity since you’ve become a Christian?

2. What legacy are you leaving for future generations?

3. How can you cultivate a heart of gratefulness?