Introduction

Good morning! Let us turn to Genesis chapter 35. This is a fascinating chapter. The most captivating character in Genesis is Joseph, followed by Jacob, and then Abraham and Isaac. We will be discussing Genesis chapter 35, with the theme Put Away The Foreign Gods Among You.

Perhaps a person has idols, or perhaps they do not. But people live for what they pursue, and for what they love. If what you pursue and love is the true God, you will live for the true God. But if what you pursue and love in your life is your husband, you will live for your husband, and your husband becomes your foreign god.

Let me briefly recap the story. Jacob's sons killed the men of Shechem, and now the people sought revenge. The surrounding people began to demand justice, wanting to destroy him. This was quite frightening. If they were destroyed, wouldn't everything be ruined? In this life-and-death situation, God appeared to Jacob again:

Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” (Genesis 35:1)

Why should people go to Bethel? Because in that place God had given him a dream. There was a ladder to heaven, with the Lord God standing on it. That place was where he lay on a stone and had a dream. When Jacob arrived there, he remembered how he had walked that path before, and how he had walked it now. Jacob heard God saying: Go up to Bethel, and tell your household to put away the foreign gods among them.

Did Jacob know that the disasters they were facing were related to the foreign gods among them? Of course, he knew! How could he not know? Put away the foreign gods among you, and then God caused the people around them to be afraid. They were inexplicably afraid and no longer pursued them. The matter was over. As a result, this chapter tells a series of stories: Deborah the nurse died, God appeared to Jacob, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, and so on. All of this is related to putting away the foreign gods among you. I will now explain it to you bit by bit.

The Spiritual Life of Man Grows Step by Step

How long has it been since you grew spiritually? You may not have grown for a long time, and trouble is probably brewing. Why will trouble arise? Because you will not grow without trouble, you will not reflect without trouble, and without trouble, can you go to Bethel and think about the God who once appeared to you? People have to encounter things in their lives. I get chills down my spine when I talk about this. Because no one wants to encounter trouble, no one wants to have Esau trying to kill you, or the people around Shechem trying to kill you, or Laban trying to pursue you. In this life, it's one thing after another. Spiritual people will always encounter things.

The trouble this time was that his daughter Dinah was raped, and Jacob's two sons, Levi and Simeon, killed the perpetrator. They did this without consulting Jacob. The people came to Jacob to settle accounts, scaring him greatly. This scare was a good thing. Oh dear, I'm going to die, what should I do? Quickly seek God, just like most of us. If you are deceived, of course, the amount should be small. If you are deceived, are you a little more awake? If you are deceived again, are you a little more awake? Can you control yourself next time? Next time, when scammers appear, you must control yourself well.

People must reflect after experiencing things, and after reflecting, they must adjust. I tell you, there is no such thing as all at once. Some people say, Teacher, what about you? I'm the same. If I have no trouble, I can eat good food and drink fine wine every day, living a good life, but I won't grow. If a person eats good food and drinks fine wine every day, can their spiritual life grow? Then you certainly don't need to encounter other things. Therefore, it is so good for people to reflect on themselves often in peace.

The trouble encountered this time is actually an important stage in Jacob's spiritual growth, called removing foreign gods. Whether we have Mingding Destiny or not, we all have core interests to some extent, and some things that are not so good. Because Jacob loved Rachel very much, Rachel put an idol in her tent, and Jacob was with Rachel every day, lying in bed. Now we have a TV in front of us. Sometimes couples lie in bed, turn on the TV, and say this is boring and that is boring. Let's find something exciting to watch!

The couple is very loving, you love me and I love you, so deeply in love, but that thing has a small problem. Everyone must know that loving each other leads to idolatry, leads to a foreign god. For Rachel, Jacob was her foreign god. I can't lose my husband, my husband is mine. Is that yours? Rachel died, and her husband continued to live, becoming someone else's.

Therefore, in the process of spiritual growth, everyone must remove the foreign gods within us step by step. Today, let us put our hands on our chests and ask ourselves: What is my foreign god? It is your greatest love. Some people love a lot, loving this and loving that, loving many things. These things are enough to give you a hard time.

Let me just interject a few words. For example, people's understanding of many things is actually biased. Where is the bias? The bias lies in the foreign god. Suddenly someone tells you: You need to exercise, life lies in exercise. That's bad! Does life lie in exercise? Life lies in God. If life lies in exercise, then exercise becomes your foreign god.

Have you noticed recently that an executive of a famous company exercised regularly and died while running at a young age? Does life lie in exercise? Sometimes it seems not. Some people say: Life lies in health products, taking health products left and right, and end up with many problems, and die from health products! Why? Because people's lives do not lie in health products or exercise. I may be offending some people by saying this.

Perhaps as you walk and walk, your business becomes your foreign god, your work becomes your foreign god, your beloved wife becomes your foreign god... If you do this, you will either harm your wife, or harm your husband, or harm yourself. What doesn't harm people in the end? It's better to live by God. At one stage of life, you have to remove one foreign god. At another stage, you have to remove another foreign god.

So what do you do? Trouble has to happen! For example, I once met a sister who would get up every morning, cut open several small packets and pour them into a cup. I was curious, what is this? From afar, it smelled like Chinese medicine, and then she poured in boiling water. It was all health products. Did it improve her health? No! Many things were healed by my prayers. Some people say: Teacher, how about you praying for me while I take health products? Go ahead! Trust in God while trusting in health products. Let's wait and see! Therefore, people's lives must grow little by little, and you really have to put away the foreign gods among you step by step.

Put Away the Foreign Gods Among You

As for putting away the foreign gods among you, did Jacob have foreign gods? Jacob also had them. Because he loved his wife too much, he loved her to death. As the saying goes: I love you to death. As a result, he loved her to death. Originally, Rachel having a child was like a hen laying an egg, which may sound a bit offensive. In fact, many such people become pregnant, and their families protect them left and right, but they actually can't protect them.

Rachel's pregnancy was a good thing, but she couldn't give birth. In the end, the child was born, but she died. When people wanted to kill Jacob, he first removed the foreign gods from his house and buried those things under a tree. How could it be such a coincidence? His wife happened to give birth when he removed the foreign gods. Would Rachel be conflicted in her heart? Very conflicted. My idol has been taken away, buried under the oak tree by my husband, and the god who protects me is gone! She really believed it.

Giving birth was originally like a hen laying an egg, but she gave birth to her death. How complex was Rachel's heart in the process of dying? Quite complex. She might have thought: If my husband hadn't removed our family's idols, I might have been fine giving birth. Could it be such a coincidence? Yes. Of course, if those foreign gods were not removed, those people around them would have killed them long ago, and there would have been no childbirth.

Suddenly, two foreign gods were removed from Jacob's life: one was the foreign god Rachel worshipped, and the other was Rachel herself. Rachel was Jacob's foreign god. It's not easy to have Mingding Destiny sometimes! You can't love anything more than you love God. If you love anything more than you love God, the object you love becomes a foreign god, so God removed their family's foreign gods together, even Rachel was taken away.

When Rachel died, who took her soul? It's hard to say! It may have been God who took her, or it may have been the idol that was removed. The evil spirit behind the idol was quite powerful: You didn't protect me, so I won't protect you, I'll grab you. Although I can't prove this, I am very clear that the evil spirit behind the idol Rachel worshipped was very powerful and grabbed Rachel! After removing the foreign gods, God appeared to Jacob again.

God Appears to Those Who Have Mingding Destiny

God appeared to Jacob again before Rachel died. After the appearance, Rachel gave birth and died. Was there any relationship with God's appearance? Absolutely there was. God appears to those who have Mingding Destiny to give them life; God appears to those who do not have Mingding Destiny to take their lives! God appeared to Jacob again at Bethel, which is today's Temple Mount in Jerusalem. That place is where Jacob lay on a stone and dreamed of a ladder to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder, and God standing above the ladder, proclaiming the Mingding Destiny on Jacob.

God will not appear to people and then say: Oh, I love you! To this day, many people are still there saying: Oh, I love God very much! God loves me very much too! Oh, I saw Jesus. Really? Let me tell you! God appears to those who have Mingding Destiny. What did God say when He appeared to Jacob?

Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give the land.” Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. (Genesis 35:11-13)

Was this Jacob dreaming this time? No. This time, God clearly appeared to Jacob. Before, at Bethel, it was a dream. This time, He appeared to Jacob face to face, reaffirming the Mingding Destiny. Brothers and sisters, what exactly is your Mingding Destiny? Our Mingding Destiny is the temple of God. We are building the temple of God. Building the glorious church of God is building the temple of God. We are building the temple of God, and this place is the gate of heaven. What does our God want to do when He appears to us? It's not that God appears and then says: I love you so much, how oily! How boring!

There are also some people who talk about things that have nothing to do with Mingding Destiny. That's all they think. I once read a book in which he said that Jesus appeared to him and said: You have to wear this dress, you have to wear that dress. The most feared thing is: telling him to go out in a bikini, then it's ruined. Is that God? Our God doesn't do such boring things.

Our God cares about one thing, and that is why you are living. If you are living for clothes, clothes make the man, then clothes become your foreign god, is that the case? Some people are covered in famous brands: Hermes, Chanel. This person wearing famous brands stood in front of me, raised their arms and struck a big pose. I looked and thought: What are you doing? Checking the time! That thing is actually like an electronic watch. People take these things very seriously, but they are not important. What is that thing? It's just a foreign god! Don't show that off to me.

Aren't we Mingding Destiny theology? I am the founder of Chinese Mingding Destiny theology. What I care about is: why are people living? If people are really willing to live for God, your emotions will be very stable. If you are really living for God, removing the foreign gods within you, who can shake your God? No one can shake your God! God appears to those who have Mingding Destiny, and every time He appears, God reaffirms the beautiful Mingding Destiny on you.

This Mingding Destiny is not something we imagine. This Mingding Destiny is what Abraham sought, what Isaac sought, and what Jacob once sought. Some people seek and seek, and once they find true love, their seeking heart may weaken a little, but we still have to remove the foreign gods within us. Mingding Destiny and the foreign gods within us are opposed to each other. You cannot worship both the true God and idols. You cannot love anything more than you love our God.

Some people's husbands are so thick-skinned that they see our sisters loving God sincerely. So they say: Do you love your Jesus or do you love me? Oh dear! Weigh yourself on a scale or take a pee and look in the mirror, and see how much you're worth. Can you do that? You're almost becoming a foreign god. Your wife hasn't made you a foreign god, but you're almost making your wife a foreign god. Can you not remove that? Trouble is coming soon!

God Hears the Prayers of Those Who Have Mingding Destiny

Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” (Genesis 35:1)

I tell you: those who have Mingding Destiny may encounter such and such things. The things Jacob encountered may be big troubles! The first time was when Laban brought a few servants to kill him, the second time was when Esau brought four hundred men to kill him, and this time it was the people of the surrounding cities who wanted to kill him, because they killed the people of Shechem, who had relatives in the surrounding cities. This time, thousands of people wanted to kill him! The last time he encountered this kind of thing, he prayed to God, and the time before that, he also prayed to God. That was escaping from death!

This time it was getting out of the tiger's den and into the wolf's den! But it doesn't matter, because there is God. God hears the prayers of those who have Mingding Destiny, and God hears Jacob's prayers. God told Jacob to go to Bethel, because he trembled all over when he prayed there. This time was really life-threatening! God hears people's prayers. Without God, it would be bad, and there would be big trouble. Is this prayer effective this time? Yes, because of Mingding Destiny. God hears the prayers of those who have Mingding Destiny. People must seek God! Those who seek God will surely find Him, and God will surely be pleased with those who seek Him. We will encounter this kind of thing or that kind of thing in our lives. Maybe you didn't know God when you encountered the thing, but you must know that the thing you encountered is related to the foreign gods within us!

If we dote on our children, they become our pagan gods, and we are walking down Rachel's path. Once you place too much importance on your child, you pamper, indulge, and cater to their physical desires. You prioritize their needs above all else, setting aside everything for them, except, of course, the things of God. I daresay many mothers here resonate with this sentiment. Even Jacob, a man of destiny, faced such challenges on his spiritual journey, despite having received divine revelations at Bethel.

Though a spiritual man, his daughter Dinah was raped, his sons murdered the men of Shechem, and the surrounding cities sought vengeance. Can they escape today, or tomorrow? Can they evade the first day, and the fifteenth? Without God, death is inevitable; pagan gods must be purged! If misfortune befalls you repeatedly, it is the work of pagan gods! You yourself become a pagan god, adrift without destiny, and ripe for destruction! I often lament, why does God not heed our prayers? Because we harbor too many pagan gods, our hearts tethered to our families.

How many possess destiny today? I see few. How many have forsaken wives, husbands, children, siblings, houses, and fields for Jesus' sake? Scarcely any. They cherish their beloved possessions too much, turning them into pagan gods, which they continue to adore! When accidents occur, observe carefully and do not be perplexed. Everything happens for a reason; from a spiritual perspective, things become exceedingly clear. When I first embraced the faith, a pastor from my church died in a car crash, his vehicle utterly wrecked. Many were baffled, but what was there to puzzle over? I knew him; he loved his car more than God.

God Protects Us on Our Journey

Let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. (Genesis 35:3)

I tell you, if you truly possess destiny, God will undoubtedly protect you on your journey. You will not only travel from Bethel to your uncle Laban's house but also clearly witness God's presence, amassing considerable wealth. However, money must not become your pagan god. If you successfully break free from your uncle Laban, you shall become a wealthy man, but you must then purge these pagan gods. Although the men of Shechem pursue you at this time, God will not only deliver you from the hand of Laban and the hand of Esau but also from the hands of those around you, rescuing you not only from the first day but also from the fifteenth.

God protects us on our journey; anyone seeking to harm a hair on your head must first obtain a permit from God! Without divine consent, try to touch them, and misfortune will ensue. Because of you, God will instill terror in those around you. God caused Laban to dream a dream, and Laban dared not harm Jacob. How did God suddenly change Esau's mind, preventing him from killing Jacob? We do not know. But God protects us on our journey; the question is, are we people of destiny?

My words may seem harsh, but are you truly willing to forsake that pagan god, to relinquish our core interests? If you are willing, our God shall surely protect you on your journey, and no one can harm you. For we have completely surrendered ourselves before God.

God Also Remembers Rebekah's Nurse Deborah

But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under the oak: and the name of it was Allonbachuth. (Genesis 35:8)

God remembers those with destiny, no matter how humble. Here, an additional detail is recorded, though its relevance remains unclear. Rebekah's nurse died; was it essential to include this? Would it matter if it were omitted? This statement bears no direct relation to Jacob, so why is it included? The reason is simple: Rebekah's nurse primarily influenced Rebekah herself.

She lived a long life! If Rebekah were the same age as Isaac, and Isaac married Rebekah at forty, then Rebekah's nurse would have been sixty years old. Twenty years later, when Isaac fathered Esau and Jacob, Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, would have been eighty. When Jacob fled his home at seventy-five, eighty plus seventy-five equals one hundred and fifty-five years.

Thus, when Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, she would have been one hundred and seventy-five years old, nearing one hundred and eighty if she lived a few more years. Why did Moses record her death? Because Moses, the writer of the Bible, found it significant, specifically including this detail. I surmise that God instructed Moses: Do not forget to mention Deborah, a nurse with destiny. Is a nurse merely a servant? Whom did she influence? She primarily influenced Rebekah, assisting her in raising Esau and Jacob.

Nurse Deborah likely had a close relationship with Jacob, as they shared a common path. Rebekah and Jacob possessed the same destiny, the same aspirations. They shared similar ideas, holding comparable views on life and death. Therefore, this chapter of the Bible records that God remembered Nurse Deborah. Even if you are merely a nurse, if you live for God, He will acknowledge you. So, I ask you, did God remember Deborah? Yes, He did.

Therefore, we, brothers and sisters, must discern the kind of people God favors and the kind He does not. Deborah was not a pagan god, for she accompanied Rebekah when she left her home, and Deborah and Rebekah worshipped the true God. Laban, however, continued to worship the idols of his homeland, a grave matter. Thus, we, brothers and sisters, must understand that even if you are a humble individual, if you possess destiny, God will remember you.

Reuben, Simeon, and Levi Lost Their Birthright

And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: (Genesis 35:22)

A son sleeping with his father's concubine—what is the meaning of this? It seems more egregious than Dinah's rape. Therefore, God remembers those with destiny, but He also records those who lose their destiny. Thus, Moses skillfully captured both types of people in the Bible. Do not assume that being the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob guarantees anything. Understand this! Why did Reuben lie with Jacob's concubine Bilhah? Perhaps Reuben had consumed mandrakes, succumbing to uncontrollable urges.

Perhaps Jacob's concubine Bilhah seduced Reuben, resulting in this incident. Consequently, Reuben became a man driven by his lower desires. He cared little for his birthright; it was of no concern to him. His pagan god was what? His pagan god was love. Perhaps he regarded this as a beautiful love affair, leading him to commit this act. He even pledged his devotion to Bilhah, forgetting that Bilhah was Jacob's concubine. What a chaotic affair!

Without destiny, people engage in all sorts of behavior. Why? Because they pursue what they desire. We, brothers and sisters, must understand that when people desire to pursue their own goals, they will do whatever it takes to achieve them. Therefore, a pagan god is not merely an idol but a person's core interests, the things they pursue in their hearts. People rarely pursue destiny; those who do are truly few.

Do not assume that being a Christian guarantees anything. What can being a Christian guarantee? I have encountered numerous Christians who enjoy deceiving others. Are there many Christians who deceive? Yes, there are. They are not evangelizing Israel but promoting tourist packages. What is destiny to them? If you offer them too little money, you will witness their faces contort immediately. So, was Reuben's loss of his birthright recorded? Yes, it was. Because the pagan god in his heart was not purged.

Why did Simeon and Levi lose their birthright? Because they harbored pagan gods in their hearts. What were their pagan gods? They felt that the rape of their sister Dinah was unacceptable. This inner sense of outrage demanded a life. Regardless of the means, they negotiated with the Shechemites to perform circumcision, then slaughtered them. This was done because people possess their own core interests.

Without destiny within, the beastly nature is strong. Do you all know that this chapter is titled: Remove Your Pagan Gods. If this is your pagan god and that is your pagan god, any pagan god will take your life. Thus, you must remove them because God disapproves. Be aware that it is not that pagan gods are powerful but that God disapproves. People eventually die in this life; people are born to live and die.

Let me summarize: Eventually, everyone dies. Isaac lived to one hundred and eighty years and died; did he possess destiny? Yes, he did. Nurse Deborah lived to approximately one hundred and seventy to eighty years, died, and was buried in Bethel. Did she possess destiny? Yes, she did. Did those without destiny die? Yes, they did. Everyone dies; no one has lived to this very day. What is to be done? People ultimately live for what they pursue and die for what they pursue.

Later, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi all died, as did Joseph and Jacob. But when people live with destiny, you will find that God hears the prayers of those with destiny, and God reveals Himself to those with destiny. Thus, it depends on what people pursue. Chinese Mingding Destiny speaks of destiny as the reason we live and the reason we die; this is called destiny. Perhaps your destiny is to sleep with Bilhah or slaughter the Shechemites. Either this or that. But they also live and die for this.

Why did Jacob and Isaac live and die? It is merely a choice of the heart. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, and Deborah—these people were those of whom the world was not worthy. Although all have died, the reason for their death is entirely different. Therefore, we must purge the pagan gods from among us; this is the necessary path for the growth of our spiritual lives.

May God bless everyone!

Genesis Chapter 35

35:1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
35:2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
35:3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
35:4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
35:5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
35:6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
35:7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
35:8 But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under the oak: and the name of it was Allonbachuth.
35:9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.
35:10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
35:11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
35:12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
35:13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
35:14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.
35:15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.
35:16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.
35:17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.
35:18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
35:19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
35:20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.
35:21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.
35:22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
35:23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
35:24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:
35:25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
35:26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.
35:27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
35:28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.
35:29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.