“So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem” (Genesis 35:4 ESV).
In response to God’s command to return to Bethel, Jacob led his household to a decisive act of spiritual purification. The “foreign gods” surrendered here likely included the household idols Rachel had stolen from her father, Laban years earlier, along with other pagan objects that had accumulated in Jacob’s household. What had been left unresolved since Genesis 31 was finally confronted. Earlier, the idols were concealed under a camel’s saddle. Now, under Jacob’s renewed leadership, they were buried beneath a tree, confessed, forsaken, and put away. This marked a turning point in the story: Jacob moved from spiritual passivity to decisive action, recognizing that true worship of the LORD required removing anything that competed for trust in Him. The burial prepared the household to worship God at Bethel with undivided allegiance.
This passage presses us to face the question of the title: Have we concealed or confessed our sin? Idolatry persists whenever we place our trust, security, or hope in something other than the one true God. Our idols may not be statues, but they still demand our affections. Like Jacob’s household, we are tempted to manage sin rather than surrender it, hiding it where no one else can see. Yet concealed sin quietly rules our hearts and weakens our worship. Scripture speaks clearly: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13). Jacob’s act reminds us that repentance precedes true worship.
As someone has said, “True worship is pulling our affections off our idols and putting them on God.” When we confess and forsake our idols, sin loses its power and our hearts are free to focus fully on the Lord. As we prepare to worship, we must ask ourselves honestly: Have we concealed or confessed our sin?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we confess that our hearts are prone to trust in lesser things instead of You. Reveal any idols we have hidden and give us grace to forsake them fully. Pull our affections away from what competes with You and fix them firmly on You alone. Prepare our hearts to worship You in truth and obedience. In Jesus’ name, amen.