Jacob returns to Bethel and builds an altar

Commentary

Passages

Key Passages

Genesis 35:1
Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

About this Chapter

In Genesis 35, Jacob receives a command from God to go to Bethel, where he had previously made a vow to God. Jacob tells his household to get rid of their foreign gods and purify themselves. They give Jacob all their foreign gods and Jacob buries them under the oak at Shechem. As they journey to Bethel, God protects them from their enemies. When they arrive, Jacob builds an altar and calls the place El Bethel, which means 'God of Bethel'. At Bethel, God appears to Jacob again and reaffirms his promise to him, changing his name from Jacob to Israel. God tells Jacob that he will be fruitful and that a nation and a community of nations will come from him. God also promises to give Jacob and his descendants the land that he gave to Abraham and Isaac. After this encounter with God, Jacob sets up a pillar and pours a drink offering and oil on it. In this chapter, we see Jacob returning to the place where he first encountered God and making things right with God. He removes the foreign gods from his household and rededicates himself and his family to God. God reaffirms his promises to Jacob and blesses him. This chapter reminds us of the importance of returning to God, confessing our sins, and seeking his presence in our lives.

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