Worship: The Jacob Way

Hi pal,
hope you are rejoicing in the Lord. Few months ago while I was getting ready to pray the Lord taught me about worship-the Jacob's way. Let me go into the subject now.

Genesis 35:1-7
verse 1
God said to Jacob, " Now move on to Bethel and settle there. Build an alter there to worship me-the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau."

verse2
So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Destroy your idols, wash yourselves, and put on clean clothing.

verse3
We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an alter to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has stayed with me wherever I have gone."

verse4
So they gave Jacob all their idols and their earrings, and he buried them beneath the tree near Shechem.

verse5
When they set out again, terror from God came over the people in all towns of that area, and no one attacked them.



This is the passage. Now the context is when Levi and Simeon had destroyed the city of Shechem, Jacob was afraid that Shechem and their allies would attack them.
That is when the Lord spoke to Jacob and said (v1) "Now move on to Bethel and settle there. Build an alter there to worship me-the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau"

Bethel- House Of God (or) The Place where God dwells.
The Lord God invites Jacob to His own home to build an alter there ie., to worship Him. Here the Lord shows Himself as a God who rescues His people. But it is so interesting to read what Jacob told his household

# Destroy your idols,
# Wash yourselves and
# Put on new clothing.

Wow, He knew what worship was. He told his family especially to Levi and Simeon to destroy the idols they got from the plunder, to take a shower and to wear new clothes for their were going to Bethel.

My dear friends, we too need to know that before setting out for worship we need to destroy our idols, the things which has replaced God's place in our lives. We need to get rid of the filthy, nasty dirt by allowing Jesus Christ to wash us with His Blood and put on a new clothing, a clothing of praise. Isaiah 61:10 says "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the GARMENT OF PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

When they did these things and set out to worship the Lord and the Lord's terror struck the city of Shechem and their allies(v5). Because PRAISE can pull down any obstruction, all of satan's plans are demolished say Amen. When God's people start praising Him, He Himself comes into their position, that is what happened when Israelites faced the great wall of Jericho.

In verse 1 we see that the Lord shows Himself as the One Who rescued, then Jacob understands and recoginses God as His only rescuer. Now in verse 3 Jacob says that the Lord STAYED with him wherever he went. This clearly shows the closeness of Jacob with the God of his ancestors. That is why the Lord says in v1 "Now move on to Bethel and SETTLE DOWN...." What a previledge for the great man that the Lord Himself invites Jacob to Settle down in His own home(Bethel). First God was with Jacob, now Jacob is with God. This is what worship will do.


Now,

Worship: The Jacob Way is

1) Self Examination (Destroying the idols)
2) Cleansing (Washing by Jesus' Blood)
3) Thanking Him (As Jacob praised God for He rescued him)
4) Worship (Pleasing Him)


Lets Pray:
Darling Jesus, My Father help me to worship you THE JACOB' WAY, Amen.