By: Pastor Emmanuel Oladimeji
Venue: UNILAG Main Auditorium
Date: Sunday, September 29th, 2024
Text: Genesis 35: 1
“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.”
When you look at the life of Jacob, there are many lessons we can learn. Bethel means:
- House of Prayer
- House of God
- House of Worship
- A Holy Place
Jacob was on a journey; he ran away for twenty years, and God stopped him (Genesis 35:1) and said, “… Go back to Bethel…”
Why did the Lord ask Jacob to go back to Bethel?
- To be reminded of God’s presence.
- It was a place of spiritual commitment for Jacob (Genesis 28:16).
- It was the place where Jacob heard the voice of God, hence, a place of transformation.
What does Bethel mean spiritually for us?
- It is a place of purging.
- It is a place where you are totally influenced by God.
- It is a place of holiness. Significantly, God is telling us to return to the holy lifestyle we abandoned.
- It is a place where we behold the face of God continuously, and tarry in His presence.
- It is a place of God’s blessings upon your life.
- It is a place of self-crucifixion. You die to self, and the flesh no longer controls your life.
- It is a place you cannot enter while carrying worldly things.
- It is a place of fulfilling vows to God.
- It is a place where you will see God again if you return.
- It is a place where you will experience God’s glory continuously.
- It is a place where God made His presence known to Jacob in the midst of adversity.
- It is a place of great victory for Jacob—he wrestled with God.
Benefits of going back to Bethel:
- You will regain your first love for God.
- You will enjoy His presence.
Don’t fool yourself… Anything you hold dearer than God is your idol.
Counsel for Everyone:
- Make up your mind never to neglect the assembly of God’s people in church services.
- Allow God’s Word to change your life and develop godly character as you attend church regularly.
- Refuse to let challenging situations hinder your work of love.
- Make up your mind to manifest godly love and continue offering solutions to people’s problems within your capacity.
- Be content with what you have—avoid temptation.
- Resolve to fear and reverence God. Let the fear of God guide all your conduct in life.
The absence of the fear of God is the reason for the reckless behavior in our generation today.
- Resist any lifestyle that opposes godly character.
- Refuse to embrace any attitude that is not godly.
- Make up your mind to spend quality time with God in prayer.
- Refuse to walk through life in confusion.
Arise and return to Bethel… Until you arise, there is no future.