The God of Bethel

For a couple of days last week I read from different passages in the Bible, but today I went back to Genesis. I had just come through the story of Isaac and Rebekah, Esau handing over the birthright, and was now following the story of Jacob. Isaac had sent Jacob to find a wife from those among Laban's household which was a part of Isaac's kin. On his way to Laban's he had stopped to rest for the night. The Bible says he took stones and laid them down for his pillows and fell asleep. God sent a dream to Jacob. He saw a ladder that reached from Heaven to earth and angels going up and down. Genesis 28:12-15 says, "And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed...and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed....And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest...for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." In the morning, Jacob builds an altar there and calls the place, Bethel. He vows that if God will be with him and keep him so that he can come back to his fathers home in peace, then the Lord will be his God and the altar that he's built he will make into God's house. Fast forward several years and Jacob is working with his father in law, Laban. Now, after the stunt Laban pulled with marrying Leah off before Rachel, most men would have been gone a long time ago. But, Jacob followed where he believed the Lord was leading him and had stayed with his father in law, working and living in the same area, for a while. Finally it came to a point where Jacob felt it was time to branch off on his own. Laban asked him to stay. The Word says Laban told him, "for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake." He tells Jacob to name his price and that's what his wages will be. However, after a while Jacob notices that Laban's countenance toward him has changed. There's now something inside of Laban that is no longer favorable to Jacob as it once was. He has continually changed Jacob's wages. If the agreement was that Jacob's wage would be all the speckled cattle, the Lord would allow all the cattle to bare speckled calves, therefore blessing Jacob with abundance. Laban would say that Jacob's wage would be the ringstraked cattle instead. Well, the Lord, because of His favor upon Jacob's life, would allow the cattle to bare ringstraked calves, therefore blessing Jacob abundantly again. It seems to me that after seeing all of God's favor on Jacob's life, Laban has started to harbor some resentment. Laban's sons have also started falsely accusing Jacob of stealing all that was their father's. Jacob calls Rachel and Leah out to the field and begins to explain to them what God has revealed to him -

"And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled; for I have seen all that Laban doest unto thee. I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of they kindred."

God was asking Jacob to do something that could be potentially dangerous. You've been accused of stealing your father in laws possessions and now God is telling you to pack your things and leave with them? But, this is what I love. He said, "I am the God of Bethel." God reminded Jacob of the promise he had spoken to him so many years ago - A promise to prosper him and bless all the families of the earth through his seed. He reminded Jacob of His promise not to leave him, that He'd stay close by to see to it that His will was accomplished. "I am the God of Bethel." But, that also included reminding Jacob of the vow he had made there himself. Jacob promised that if the Lord would bring him back to the land of his kindred, which is where God was leading him now, in peace, the LORD would be His God and He would build a house for him in that place. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that He is the God of our Bethel. Remind yourself of the promises He's given you. Remind yourself of the word He spoke to you. Remind yourself of His faithfulness in times gone by and the promise of His faithfulness throughout eternity. Then, remember the vows you've made to Him. Have you kept up your end of the bargain? Have you stopped and made an altar to thank Him for all He's done. Have you done what you said you'd do in that moment of desperation. He is the God of Bethel. He remembers His promise to you, and your promise to Him. He'll be faithful to His promise, let's make sure we're faithful to ours.