El Bethel

After the peaceful encounter with Esau, Jacob seems to have forgotten God's command.  While Jacob was in Laban's house, God said, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your family…" (Gen 31:3).  Succoth and Shechem were not part of God's plan.  Esau offered to lead Jacob back to their father's place, but Jacob refused and turned to Succoth. He had been living in tents until now, but in Succoth, Jacob built himself a house!  What motivated Jacob to move out of Succoth, we do not know, but when he finally moved into Canaan, he bought a plot of land and pitched his tent in front of Shechem, a Canaanite city.  Isaac, Jacob's father, lived in Kirjath Arba, that is Hebron (Gen 35:27). 

Jacob's partial obedience to the Lord resulted in the rape of his daughter Dinah and his sons Simeon and Levi turning into murderers! We read about that incident in Genesis chapter 34. Jacob was troubled because of all this, which made Jacob an enemy of the Canaanites.  But God did not allow Jacob to wallow in self-pity and remorse for long.  God said, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother (Gen 35:1)." God had a plan, and God was executing it even through a sinful man like Jacob!  The Lord reminded Jacob of his first experience with the Lord, the God of his fathers!  We see immediate action by Jacob. He sanctified his family and journeyed to Bethel in complete obedience, built an altar, and called the place El-Bethel, the God of the House of God! Earlier Jacob had called the place, Bethel, the house of God, and the gate of heaven.  But now Jacob was so thankful to God for giving him a second chance to fulfill God's plan in his life that he understood God in a very personal way!  Jacob had finally met the God of the House of God!

My friend, God has a plan for you. Maybe the disobedience in your life has taken away your peace, thinking all is lost.  Sanctify yourself today and submit to God entirely so that God can fulfill His plan in your life! Do not be discouraged.  It is never too late.

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