# 327 Bloom Where Planted

The Book of Genesis

Day 327

Ge 35:6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.  7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.  8 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth. 

Jacob has returned to Bethel, the site of his first encounter with God after fleeing from his brother Esau. This was the place where the dream which we call “Jacob’s Ladder” took place, and Jacob vowed that he would honor God when he returned. Well, he has returned and he honors his vow, by setting up an altar and worshiping the Lord.

But what’s this? Right in the middle of this discourse about God’s promises, we get news about the death of Rebekah’s nurse! Not Rachel's nurse, but Rebekah's nurse! How in the world does she manage to wriggle herself into holy writ? 

It’s like the Holy Spirit is giving this account of the exchange between Jacob and God and He interrupts it with this bulletin about the death of Deborah. “We interrupt this program to tell you that Rebekah’s nurse Deborah has passed away and has been buried under the terebinth tree. Henceforth, the place of her burial will be known as Allon Bachtuth.” And now back to our regularly scheduled program.”

We really don’t know much more about Deborah, than she was Rebekah’s nurse, yet she gets a footnote in history upon her death. “Allon Bachuth is the Hebrew phrase for “the oak of weeping.” This tells us that the loss of Deborah was deeply felt by those she had left behind. Deborah had made a terrific impact on the lives of those around her. She would be greatly missed. 

There is nothing spectacular about Deborah that we have been made aware of, she was just a regular nurse. There was nothing heroic about her. She just did her duty, carried out her calling, in such a way that she impacted others.

Don’t think for a moment that as you trudge along through the trenches of life, that your contributions aren’t noted by God. He keeps track of all His children heroic or not. As a child of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, your death is duly noted by the One who matters! Ps 116:15 says, “ Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.”

Prophet, priest, king, pauper, nurse, garbage collector….it doen’t matter! As a follower of Jesus Christ your passing is noted! So wherever you are and whatever you are doing, just be  faithful like Deborah and trust God for the rest!