Pointing to Jesus (Genesis 35)

Summary:

In Genesis 35, God commands Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar. 

Jacob instructs his household to purify themselves, remove foreign gods, and change their garments. 

As they travel, God protects them from hostile neighbors. At Bethel, Jacob builds an altar, and God reaffirms His covenant, renaming Jacob “Israel” and promising descendants and land. 

After this, they depart, and Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin, naming him in her final moments. 

Jacob buries her and sets up a pillar. Later, Reuben sins by sleeping with Bilhah, Jacob’s concubine. 

The chapter ends with Jacob returning to his father Isaac in Hebron, where Isaac dies and is buried by Jacob and Esau.

Pointing to Jesus:

Jacob’s purification of his household and the reaffirmation of the covenant at Bethel serve as a type and shadow of Christ’s redemptive work. 

Jacob’s call to remove idols and purify the people prefigures Christ, who, as the mediator of the new covenant, purifies His elect from spiritual idolatry through His atoning sacrifice (Hebrews 9:15). 

The covenant renewal at Bethel, where God reaffirms the promise of descendants and land, points to Christ as the true seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16), through whom all nations are blessed. 

Reflection:

This typology relates to the Christian life by underscoring the call to spiritual purification and covenant faithfulness. 

Just as Jacob’s household was called to cast out idols, Christians are urged to renounce sin and worldly attachments, relying on Christ’s cleansing work. 

This reflects the ongoing process of sanctification, where believers, secure in God’s covenant grace, strive to live holy lives in response to Christ’s redemption. 

The reaffirmed promises at Bethel also encourage trust in God’s sovereign faithfulness, reminding Christians to worship and persevere through trials (like Rachel’s death or Reuben’s sin), knowing Christ fulfills the covenant and leads us to our eternal home.