Finding Christ in the Old Testament - Genesis 35

Finding Christ in the Old Testament

Genesis 35:1-29

"God said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.' So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, 'Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.'... There he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother."

In this passage, Jacob returns to Bethel, the place where God had previously revealed Himself and where Jacob had vowed to serve Him. Bethel means "House of God," and it is here that Jacob renews his covenant with the Lord. The command to "put away the foreign gods" reveals the necessity of turning away from idols to worship the one true God. This points to Christ, who is the true Bethel—the House of God—where God fully reveals Himself. Just as Jacob purified his household, so Christ purifies His people by His blood, removing the idols from our hearts and making us fit for God’s presence. The renewal of Jacob's covenant echoes Christ’s fulfillment of the new covenant, sealed in His blood, through which we are cleansed and made new.

Devotion

Christ is the true Bethel, the place where heaven and earth meet. Just as Jacob was called to renew his relationship with God at Bethel, we too are called to come to Christ, to be purified from our idols, and to renew our covenant through His sacrifice. In Him, we are made holy and acceptable to God.

New Testament Verse:
John 1:51 (ESV) "And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'"

Collect
O God, who revealed Yourself to Jacob at Bethel and called him to worship You in truth, grant that we, purified by the blood of Your Son, may come to the true Bethel, Jesus Christ, and in Him find our rest and peace. Cleanse our hearts from all idolatry, that we may live holy lives, pleasing to You; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Hymn Verse:
"The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died."

LSB 644:1, "The Church’s One Foundation"