9 Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, 10 saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel.
11 Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! 12 And I will give you the land I … gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.
14 Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. 15 And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there.
Genesis 35:9-15 (NLT)
5th revelation
“God then appeared again to Jacob at Bethel (the fifth revelation), after Jacob had fulfilled his vow to God and built an altar there. This revelation came 30 years after the first one [Genesis 28:18-22] to Jacob at Bethel. In this case, God appeared in visible (bodily) form (“God went up from him in the place,” v. 13).” (planobiblechapel.org)
Reset button
Back in Genesis 32:22-32, when Jacob wrestled with God, the Lord gave him his new name, Israel. It was a milestone in his life. Afterward, he behaved more like the old Jacob. But as we saw yesterday, God showed mercy and called him back to relationship with Him. After Jacob obeyed by moving and building an altar, God again pronounces blessing on Him. He also re-re-names him Israel. The picture we get is God is “hitting the reset button” in the relationship and giving Jacob a chance to live as Israel.
Consolidated blessing
Other than the new name, the Lord, El-Shaddai (sufficient and powerful One) seems to consolidate the blessings from even the first one given to Adam and Eve: be fruitful and multiply. He repeats the blessings first made to Abraham and Isaac for bountiful descendents and the land. Then, He focuses the blessing of “all the nations of earth will be blessed through you”, to, “Kings will be among your descendants”. And we know that the King of Kings came from Israel.
Pillar of remembrance
Jacob erects a stone pillar as a memorial of the encounter. Who knows, maybe he used the same one that he used as a pillow 30 years ago (Genesis 28:18-22). Pouring oil on it was a way of anointing it to make it sacred. Pouring wine probably represented a personal sacrifice to the Lord..
RЯeflection
“The reminder of the new name was important, because Jacob had acted like the old Jacob instead of Israel. Yet God wanted to set his mind on the new man God made him to be. God does the same with us, reminding us who we are in Him. God wants us to remember and live in the great names He gives us.” (enduringword.com) We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. Remember who you are in Christ.
