We are now on the second and last path of Genesis 35:9. The verse is set
in the context of Jacob being established as Israel as recorded in Genesis 35:1-10.
While on the trail of Genesis 32:28, we saw that Jacob
means the tricky one. The word “tricky”
brings to mind Genesis 3:1 where it speaks of the
devil as the crafty one. We know from Romans 5:12 that because Adam
sinned, mankind inherited the sinful nature, taking after the crafty
devil. Therefore, Jacob was a picture of
a sinner. We also saw that Israel means
“He fights for or with God”. We have seen from the Marker
of Isaiah 42:1-7 that Jesus identified Himself with sinners through
water baptism and He was made to be sin as written in 2 Corinthians 5:21. In other words, Jesus took on Himself the sin
of the entire world in the likeness of the sinful nature to be nailed on the
Cross. God touched the socket of Jacob
and dislocated it. The New English Translation Bible alluded
the word “touched” to a devastating blow.
It points to Christ crucified rendering powerless the crafty one and
brings us all the way back to Genesis 3:15 where God said that
the Promised Seed would crush the head of the serpent.
Hence, we see a picture of sinners being established
as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
In Genesis 35:9, God appeared to Jacob
a second time in a visible manifestation and declared a blessing on him. The first instance of the visible
manifestation was recorded in Genesis 32:24-32 where Jacob was
first renamed Israel.
When we read the word “Israel” to signify the victory
of Christ crucified over the evil one, Genesis 35:9 could be taken as
the blessing of righteousness being declared on Jacob, a picture of a sinner
who repented in Christ Jesus.
Therefore, the heart of Genesis 35:9 is:
“God declared Jacob righteous”.
Now, when Genesis 35:1 and Genesis 35:9 are read together, we
see that the one who trust in God is declared righteous. This notion is affirmed by Genesis 15:6 and Romans 4:3.
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