(Genesis) Genesis 35:14-29

Now, we are told verse 14, "...And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone, poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon." Here is the first mention of a drink offering. Now, when we get to the book of Leviticus, five offerings are given there, but not a drink offering. In fact, no instructions given about it at all, but it's mentioned.

Evidently, this is one of the oldest offerings, and it has a very wonderful meaning for the believer today. A drink offering was just poured on the other offerings. It went up in steam, and that's the way Paul told the Philippians.

He wanted his life to be just poured out like a drink offering. And verse 15, "...Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel." Verse 16, "...And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was but a little way to come to Erath, and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor." Now, Rachel had one son, but now she has a second son. "...Came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not, thou shalt have this son also.

Came to pass, as her soul was in departing, for she died, that she called his name Ben-Oni, but his father called him Benjamin." What a wonderful thing that is. That is not the death of Rachel, but the way this took place. She says, "...Call him son of my Sarah." And Jacob looked down at him and said, I've lost my lovely Rachel, and this little fellow looks like him, so I'll just call him Benjamin, son of my right hand.

And he was partial to the sons of Rachel. Rachel died, was buried in the way to Erath, which is Bethlehem. And she's buried there today.

The tomb is there. I have several pictures I took of it. "...And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave, that is, the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day." And that is at the time Moses wrote this, but it's there to this very day.

"...And Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edah." Now what you have here is just the listing now, the sons of Jacob by these different ones. Actually, Joseph and Benjamin were the two boys that were outstanding. The others, I want to tell you, friends, they just didn't turn out well.

And again, it proves the fact what God had said, that the thing that had been done, it was done by Uncle Laban, of course, but Jacob went along with it, that he does not bless plurality of wives. The family of Jacob ought to illustrate that. Now we have this record given here, verse 29, "...And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." I think this was the only other time these two boys met at the burial of their father, Isaac.

Now, we'll have to leave off there today, but it brings us to the end of this chapter. And next time, we're going to take our last look at Esau.