Jacob disobeyed My command. He went his own way, and there was a tremendous price to pay. You see, I called him to return to Bethel, the place where he first met Me. But after he was reunited to his brother Esau, instead of coming "home," he chose to go to Shechem. It was a disastrous decision that left his daughter's life in ruin, and two of his sons became murderers. But most of all, he had separated himself from Me. He had listened to his own voice, instead of Mine. So I spoke to him again, commanding him to return to Bethel, our special meeting place.
Jacob's heart was receptive. But he didn't just pack up his family and belongs and make the move. This time, before doing anything else, he set things right in his heart. And he asked his family to do the same. His instructions to them were clear and precise. He said, "Put away your gods from you, purify yourselves, and change your attire." (35:2)
Jacob understood what it would mean to follow My ways, now. It would require him to put away everything in his life that was set before Me. Then he would have to remove the "residue" of the impact of those gods by allowing Me to change the filthy garments of his character. By letting Me in to his life in this manner, he was building an altar of worship to Me. (35:3)
When Jacob, whom I now called Israel, arrived in Bethel, he wasted no time returning that point where I first met with him as he was fleeing from his brother Esau, whom desired to kill him. Twenty years later, My Jacob, came back to Me, with more than a simple belief in Me. He returned with a holy desire to be pleasing to Me, to sacrifice all for Me on his altar of worship. It was there that he poured out a drink offering to me, a hin (gallon) of wine, over the pillar of stone he built to honor Me. Little did he know that the wine he poured out to me was less important to Me than the sacrifice of his whole life to Me. Jacob, My Israel, poured out his life when he put away his gods, purified his life life, and "put on" new spiritual clothing by "changing" his character. That is the drink offering I require. It was the drink offering Paul, thousands of years later, referred to when he said, ". . . I am being poured out as a drink offering. . ." in Phil. 2:17.
My precious one, I will require the same thing from you, but you must return to that place where we first met. Come to Me, lay down your life to Me by putting away your gods, allow the Spirit to purify your heart (motives, will, emotions), and change your robes. I have set aside for you glorious robes of RIGHTEOUSNESS!
My child, the glass of your life that you wish to pour out to Me is filled with your spiritual life blood. Tip it over; pour it out; empty it completely. And I will fill you with Myself. THIS is the drink offering I require.
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