Genesis 35 & 36

In Genesis 35 & 36, God calls Jacob back to Bethel, back to the place God became real to him. At times we all need to intentionally go back to our Bethels, back to when the passion of God and the very realness of Him became the fierce burning fire in our spirits and souls. Jacob tells his family to toss away and get rid of all the false idols in their possession. All the soulless, empty foreign gods taking the place of God in their lives. We too need to regularly cleanse ourselves from any false idols that may have crept in - such as materialism, self-pleasures and fleshly desires that take over our souls where we should be letting God take over. God reminds Jacob who he is in Christ, reminds him of the covenant promised and reminds him God's plan still stands. Though Jacob has just moved home, Esau ends up moving. Flesh and spirit cannot both reside together which is why the Word continually reminds us to die to self (flesh) and live by the Spirit.