The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Genesis 33:18, 20,
“After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city… There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.”
According to the footnote in the NIV, “El Elohe” can mean either “God, the God of Israel” or “Mighty is the God of Israel”. In either case Jacob (now renamed “Israel” by God) names the place in recognition of something very important. God, who is Jacob’s God, the mighty God has brought Jacob and his family safely to his homeland.
This has been no routine trip for Jacob. It begins with Jacob fleeing Laban, who is upset with him. The Lord threatens Laban as Laban overtakes Jacob and so Jacob is spared. From the other end, Jacob’s brother Esau, from whom Jacob swindled his blessing, is coming at him with 400 men. By the time Jacob meets Esau with his army, it becomes a tearfully happy reunion. This is a trip that was fraught with dangers. The account Moses provides tells us that Jacob made this trip in “great fear and distress”, 32:7. When Jacob finally arrives in what will be his homeland, he sets up an altar to worship and celebrate the God who has brought him safely home, just as God promised.
As I think of the great relief Jacob must have felt, his overwhelming appreciation and gratitude, his celebration of the Lord who brought him safely through, I can’t help but think of the relief, overwhelming appreciation and gratitude we will all feel resurrection morning, when the Lord finally brings us all safely through this harrowing existence in this lost and fallen world. Condemned to physical death for the sin and rebellion as offspring of Adam, the tears, sorrow, pain and bereavement this world has to offer, all of this we have in this world will be swallowed up in a wonderful celebration of our Lord in our great relief and excitement of a new dawn he provides us.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
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