End of the Jacob narrative - a contrast...

Genesis 35:1-

End of the Jacob narrative. Shift to the stories around Joseph. 

Birth of Benjamin...

Theme focus on purity and holiness...

Chapter 34 is rape and destruction. No mention of Godin this chapter.

Chapter 35 is renewal and purification. God is a focus in this chapter.

Jacob goes up to BethEl to settle

Get rid of false gods and build an altar to Adonai

Gen 28 is where Jacob had previously built a pillar to God...now he goes back.

He goes UP... Both physical and spiritual.  Jacob's pilgrimage spot.

Transforms it from a flight in fear to a flight of spiritual repair.

Was Dinah's abduction a punishment of Jacob... For delaying his return to BethEl?

Remain and dwell there.  Emphasizes the idea of total being there with focus. For this is where there may be Devine presence.

Purification....35:2. What actions do they need to take?

Get rid of offending items

Clean yourself

Change clothes.

Literally...get rid of the spoils of Shechem... (separate alien gods of other places...competes with Israel God).

 Cleanse self literally. When in contact with impure things...death.  Idea of self cleansing.

Even clothes that are in contact with that which is unclean...the dead of Shechem.

Also needs to change the mental state as well as the physical cleansing...

All about how we enter sacred space... Both physical and mental/spiritual preparation.

We also need to be accountable for our actions... This is not thoroughly addressed in this episode.