BACK TO BETHEL (1)
SEPTEMBER 22, 2025
TEXT: And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. (Genesis 35:1)
The term “Bethel” symbolises a place of refuelling and refreshing, where one experiences a divine and fresh encounter with God. It’s a place believers turn to when feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from God’s presence.
In Genesis 35:1, God instructs Jacob to go to Bethel, dwell there, and build an altar to the God of his fathers. This directive came after a tumultuous series of events in Jacob’s household, detailed in the preceding chapter. Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, visited the daughters of the land, who were wayward, and was subsequently defiled by Shechem, the prince of the land. Her brothers, Simeon and Levi, avenged her by killing Shechem, his father Hamor, and the people of the land.
This left Jacob in a troubled state, fearing retribution from the Canaanites and Perizites for his children’s actions. It was in this dark moment that God called him to relocate to Bethel, a place of spiritual significance where Jacob had previously encountered God.
In Genesis 29, Jacob had a dream in Luz, where he saw angels ascending and descending a ladder connecting heaven and earth. He erected an altar there, acknowledging God’s presence, and named the place Bethel , meaning “God’s house”. Thus, Bethel represents a place of spiritual awakening, where believers can refuel, recharge, and refill their spiritual tanks.
The call to Bethel serves as a wake-up call for believers to move beyond past failures and embrace a brighter future with God’s guidance. As Ephesians 5:14 encourages, believers should emerge from spiritual slumber.
SEARCHLIGHT:
Don’t dwell in self-pity and spiritual stagnation. Return to your initial encounter with God and draw strength from the eternal wellspring.
PRAYER:
O Lord, draw me closer to you. I refuse to rely on my own strength, in the name of Jesus.
BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 40-42, Mark 11
PASTOR MICHAEL OMOLE
