God Blesses and Renames Jacob

This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Genesis 35, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.

Once upon a time, God talked to a man named Jacob. God told Jacob to go to a place called Bethel and build an altar to worship Him. Jacob told everyone who was with him to get rid of their false gods and put on clean clothes because they were going to worship God. They did what Jacob said and gave him all their foreign gods and earrings, which he buried under a tree.

As they traveled, God made the people in the nearby cities afraid of Jacob and his family, so they didn’t chase them. Finally, Jacob arrived at Bethel and built an altar. God appeared to him and blessed him, telling him that he would now be called Israel instead of Jacob. God said that Israel would have many descendants, and they would become a great nation. God also promised to give Israel and his descendants the land that He had promised to Abraham and Isaac.

God and Jacob had an important conversation where God blessed Jacob and made promises to him. Jacob listened to God and obeyed His commands, which led to many blessings for him and his family.

Later, Rachel, one of Jacob’s wives, gave birth to a baby boy named Benjamin, but she had a very difficult time during labor. The midwife tried to comfort her, but Rachel was in so much pain that she died during childbirth. Jacob was very sad when he learned about Rachel’s death. They buried Rachel on the way to Ephrath, and Jacob built a pillar over her grave to remember her by.

Israel’s family grew, and he had 12 sons. One of them, Reuben, did something very wrong by laying with one of his father’s servants. Israel was very upset when he found out.

Eventually, Israel went to see his father, Isaac, before he died. Isaac was 180 years old, and he died soon after Israel visited him. Israel and his brother, Esau, buried their father.

Biblical Lessons

  • God wants us to worship only Him and get rid of any false gods in our lives.
  • God blesses His people and keeps His promises to them.
  • People can do bad things, but we should always strive to do what is right.
  • Death is a part of life, but we can remember and honor our loved ones.
  • It’s important to visit and spend time with our family and loved ones while they are alive.

Related Stories

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

Esau Sells His Birthright

Isaac Blesses Jacob

Jacob’s Dream

Jacob, Rachel, and Leah