To Bethel

To Bethel

Genesis 35:1 – Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once to Bethel and live there. make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 – So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes.

verse 3 – Let us go up at once to Bethel. Then I will make an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress and has been with me wherever I went.” 4 – So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem 5 – and they started on their journey. The surrounding cities were afraid of God, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Bethel means ‘house of God.’

Check out these familiar verses in John 14 – “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am giong away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too. – (verses 1-3).

Our hearts get distressed over many things:  health, relationships, finances, future…just to name a few.  Jacob was dealing with distresses similar to our own and testified that God ‘has been with me wherever I went.’  Jesus is encouraging us today to prepare to go to ‘Bethel’ – that is, ‘the house of God’ in heaven.  Jesus Himself, will come and get us.  What are we to do in preparation?  Jacob said it in Genesis 35:2 – Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes.

It’s time to embrace new life in Jesus and bury the old life for good.  Jesus is coming again to take us with Him.  The enemies of God will not be able to pursue.  The testimony of Jacob is similar to the promise Jesus made to his disciples in Matthew 28:20b – “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”