Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Gen. 33:16-20 God is glorified

16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.

     And so ends the meeting of the brothers, they parted ways in peace and that only by the grace of God.  Jacob resides in Shalem which is a city in the valley of Shechem (which is believed to be Neapolis, about 34 miles north of Jerusalem).  There he publicly acknowledges God by erecting an altar and honoring God by dedicating it and calling it God, the God of Israel.  God gave Jacob a new and prominent name, Israel (prince with God).  And yet, Jacob recognizes God as Sovereign even in his new name.  God gets all the glory.  Jacob may be a prince, a favored and privileged son, yet he doesn’t fail to return the glory to the one and only true God, the God of Israel.  If ever there be any praise or thanksgiving in us, it is there because of God’s favor and we should be very careful to lift God up in our hearts all the time.  Let us never be convinced that we are special in and of our own selves.  Let us erect our altars of thanksgiving and praise today, to the glory of God.

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