35:12-15
The land given to Abraham and Isaac was only given as a promise, the promise now applies to Jacob. There is a thread working through the whole of Scripture of a single plan. “God then went up from Jacob”. Jacob set up a pillar there to mark the fact that God had spoken to him. The times when God speaks are to be noted, and are to be the basis for our lives. We are to live by the word of God, and above all else this is to be found in the Bible. Jacob named the place Bethel.
35:16-21
They then left Bethel. Rachel was pregnant again, at what must have been quite an age as the earlier sons were quite grown up now. She went into labour, but this was a very difficult labour. She gave birth to a son, but Rachel died after the birth. Rachel named the child Ben-oni, which means “son of my strength”, or “son of my sorrow”. However, Jacob named him Benjamin, which means “son of my right hand”. Jacob would have a special affection for Benjamin. Rachel was buried at Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. So Rachel was buried, and Jacob continued on his way.
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