God had blessed Jacob abundantly while he lived with his uncle Laban in Paddan Aram with much wealth and many children—eleven sons and one daughter. Benjamin, the youngest, would be born later (35:16-18). God also kept his promises of protection and provision made with Jacob at Bethel when he first left Canaan (28:15). Now, God told Jacob, it was time to go back to his homeland (31:13) and to Bethel, as Jacob vowed God.

At first, it seemed like Jacob was following God’s directions. But he fell short of Bethel. Instead, he settled in Succoth, near the city of Shechem in Canaan (33:17-18). Ironically, Succoth means “shelters.” Having acquired wealth and a large family, and with his nemesis older brother Esau out of the way, he must have desired to settle down peacefully.

What happened in Shechem as we read in chapter 34, however, painfully demonstrated that there are no peaceful settlements outside of God’s will. And Jacob fell into the fear of revenge for the massacre his sons perpetrated. In the past, God had answered his desperate prayers for deliverance from his older brother’s revenge. This time, the fear of the threat was greater.
Application: Father, help me not forget your grace and salvation, but live in obedience to your purpose for my life. Amen.
One Word: Trust and obey