There are certain deaths in life that will catch you off guard. One day a woman and her husband are expecting the birth of their second child and the next day Rachel is gone. If someone is old and or suffering a long-prolonged illness, you have time to prepare yourself emotionally and mentally. Unfortunately, for Jacob, Rachel’s death came as a shock, and he was forced to start a new life without her dwelling near the Towel of Edar.
And they journeyed from Bethel and had but a little way to go to Ephrath [Bethlehem] when Rachel suffered the pangs of childbirth and had hard labor. 17 When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid; you shall have this son also. 18 And as her soul was departing, for she died, she called his name Ben-oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Benjamin [son of the right hand], Genesis 35:16-18.
The Hebrew word used by Moses in the passage below for the Tower of Edar is Migdal Eder. This physical location is in modern day Bethlehem. To give you a sense of the topography, Bethlehem is in the mountains, 2,543 feet above sea level. Perhaps, this specific tower served as a lookout post or in modern terms a scenic overlook of the region. This is where Jacob began his new life without his first love Rachel.
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set a pillar (monument) on her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel journeyed on and spread his tent on the other side of the tower of Edar, Genesis 35:19-21.
Depending upon where you live, every area has distinct landmarks. Some of these places may be associated with good memories of the past. While other specific locations trigger painful moments that you are still coping with or have learned to endure. Whether this is a grave site or some sort of memorial, may the Lord give you the strength to move on and overcome. Follow the advice of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-12 so you can fully recover by seeing the light of a new day.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 