Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/213

Rh 6. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is Beth-el, he and all the people that were with him. 7. And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8. But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el, under an oak; and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth. 9. And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. 10. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; and he called his name Israel. 11. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee: and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12. And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will give the land. 13. And God went up from him, in the place where he talked with him. 14. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon; 15. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el.

Jacob and his retinue being come safe to Beth-el, we are here told what passed there.

I. There he built an altar, (v. 7.) and, no doubt, offered sacrifice upon it, perhaps the tenth of his cattle, according to his vow, I will give the tenth unto thee. With these sacrifices he joined praises for former mercies, particularly that which the sight of the place brought fresh to his remembrance; and he added prayers for the continuance of God's favour to him and his family. And he called the place, that is, the altar, El-beth-el, the God of Beth-el. As, when he made a thankful acknowledgment of the honour God had lately done him in calling him Israel, he worshipped God by the name of El-elohe-Israel; so, now that he was making a grateful recognition of God's favour to him at Beth-el, he worships God by the name of El-beth-el, the God of Beth-el, because there God appeared to him. Note, The comfort which the saints have in holy ordinances, is not so much from Beth-el, the house of God, as from El-beth-el, the God of the house. The ordinances are but empty things, if we do not meet with God in them.

II. There he buried Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, v. 8. We have reason to think that Jacob, after he came to Canaan, while his family dwelt near Shechem, went himself (it is likely often) to visit his father Isaac at Hebron. Rebekah, probably, was dead, but her old nurse (of whom mention is made, ch. 24. 59.) survived her, and Jacob took her to his family, to be a companion to his wives, her country-women, and an instructor to his children; while they were at Beth-el, she died, and died lamented, so much lamented, that the oak under which she was buried, was called Allon-Bachuth, the oak of weeping. Note, 1. Old servants in a family, that have in their time been faithful and useful, ought to be respected. Honour was done to this nurse, at her death, by Jacob's family, though she was not related to them, and though she was aged. Former services, in such a case, must be remembered. 2. We do not know where death may meet us; perhaps at Beth-el, the house of God. Therefore let us be always ready. 3. Family-afflictions may come even then, when family reformation and religion are on foot. Therefore, rejoice with trembling.

III. There God appeared to him, (v. 9.) to own his altar, and to answer to the name by which he had called him, The God of Beth-el, (v. 7.) and to comfort him under his affliction, v. 8. Note, God will appear to them in a way of grace, that attend on him in a way of duty.

Here, 1. He confirmed the change of his name, v. 10. It was done before by the angel that wrestled with him, (ch. 32. 28.) and here it was ratified by the Divine Majesty, or Shechinah, that appeared to him. There, it was to encourage him against the fear of Esau, here, against the fear of the Canaanites. Who can be too hard for Israel, a prince with God? It is below these that are thus dignified, to droop and despond.

2. He renewed and ratified the covenant with him, by the name ''El-shaddai. I am God Almighty; God all-sufficient, (v. 11.) able to make good the promise in due time, and to support thee and provide for thee in the mean'' time. Two things are promised him, which we have met with often before. (1.) That he should be the father of a great nation; great in number, A company of nations shall be of thee; every tribe of Israel was a nation, and all the twelve a company of nations, great in honour and power, kings shall come out of thy loins. (2.) That he should be the master of a good land, (v. 12.) described by the grantees, Abraham and Isaac, to whom it was promised, not by the occupants, the Canaanites, in whose possession it now was. The land that was given to Abraham and Isaac, is here entailed on Jacob and his seed. He shall not have children without an estate, which is often the case of the poor; nor an estate without children, which is often the grief of the rich; but both. These two promises had a spiritual signification, which we may suppose Jacob himself had some notion of, though not so clear and distinct as we now have: for, without doubt, Christ is the promised Seed, and heaven is the promised land; the former is the foundation, and the latter the top-stone, of all God's favours. He then went up from him, or from over him, in some visible display of glory, which had hovered over him while he talked with him, v. 13. Note, The sweetest communion the saints have with God in this world, are short and transient, and soon have an end. Our vision of God in heaven will be everlasting; there we shall be ever with the Lord; it is not so here.

IV. There Jacob erected a memorial of this, v. 14. 1. He set up a pillar. When he was going to Padan-aram, he set up that stone which he had laid his head on, for a pillar; that was agreeable enough to his low condition, and his hasty flight; but now he took time to erect one more stately, more distinguishable and durable, probably, inserting that stone into it. In token of his intending it for a sacred memorial of his communion with God, he poured oil and the other ingredients of a drink-offering upon it. His vow was, This stone shall be God's house, that is, shall be set up for his honour, as houses to the praise of their builders; and here he performs it, transferring it to God by anointing it. 2. He confirmed the name he had formerly given to the place, (v. 15.) Beth-el, the house of God. Yet this very place afterward lost the honour of its name, and became Beth-aven, a house of iniquity; for here it was