Return To Bethel
Genesis 31:13
The life of Jacob is an interesting read for many reasons. Almost every type of person imaginable can find something in common with Jacob (even if it's nothing but being a parent). Let me recap a little of his life.
Jacob & Esau were twin boys of Issac, the son of Abraham. Jacob was the younger, but more devious of the two. Jacob was a mom's boy (cooking and cleaning) while Esau was dad's with the hunting, fishing, & the like. As you'll remember Jacob stole both the birthright and blessing from his older brother and had to run for his life. Rebekah, taking care of HER BOY, heard that Esau was out to kill Jacob, as Issac to send Jacob out of town to find a wife (and to keep her baby from being killed). Along the way, Jacob stops a Luz to spend the night. Placing his head upon a rock, in a dream, Jacob received a vision and word from God. When morning came, Jacob set the stone as a marker, he made a commitment to God, and he renamed Luz calling it Bethel. In the Hebrew language the word 'beth' literally me 'the house' and the suffix 'el' means God. So he was literally naming this place, “The House of God.”
Continuing his journey he met and fell in love with the younger of Uncle Laban's daughter. Her name was Rachel. Striking a deal with Laban, Jacob was to work 7 years for Rachel and behold, Jacob was not the only deceiver in this family. Laban gave him Leah, the older sister only make Jacob work another 7 years for Rachel. During those next years two things happened; both Laban and Jacob became wealthy and Jacob fathered 12 boys. These blessings cause a problem. Laban's sons were basically saying, “These pastures aren't big enough for the two of you.” So Jacob called his wives to a secret meeting and told them it was time for him to go home. Again, he had experienced God in a dream. In this dream, God gave Jacob a specific call and in Genesis 31:13 we read part of God's call. (Read)
In this one verse lies a great road map to restoring your heart.
1The Experience You had – It never ceases to amaze me as to what experience we can recall in our minds. I remember the first time I visited a college campus. I remember the first time I 'flew an airplane', got my first set of golf clubs, went to my first baseball practice, and received my first football uniform. These are truly embedded in my mind for all time. Every person here has those memories which we can visit at any time because they are so vibrant. Of all the things I remember in my life, there are two that stand above all the rest. It is that moment in East Brent Baptist Church, Pensacola, FL, that I had a real, personal, and life changing experience with Jesus Christ (we call it being saved) and the following year hearing God's voice calling me to preach. Like many of you, these two experiences with the Lord are revisited frequently. When my heart is low and my spirit is doubting, I can call on those experiences to renew, remind, and refresh my soul. It is my belief that we find this example in Jacob's life.
2 Return to Bethel – Pg 2
3Recognize whose you are – To get Jacob's attention, God speaks a word of reminder. He reminds Jacob of the most spiritual moment in his life and also who was responsible for it. Literally God says, “I am the God of the house of God.” Instantly, Jacob recalls that experience and understands who is really in charge. I submit that, with God's opening statement, Jacob was immediately transformed back to the night of the dream. Just like I can remember all the nuances of my salvation experience, Jacob probably called to mind all the things he sensed and felt that night. What's more, he remembered that he now was property of the Heavenly Father. In the midst of prosperity it is easy to allow our human side to take over & forget whose we are. When you recognize this, it's sobering.
4Recall what you did – Jacob made a big deal out of 'doing something.' Not only did he set up the stone that he had slept on as a marker to the Holy experience, but he anointed with oil and made it a sacred place. Isn't it interesting that God didn't say, “I told you to set up the marker and anoint it”, but rather, this is what you did. For some of us, it may be as simple as walking down an aisle, wading through the Baptismal waters, or even writing a note in the front of your Bible. Can you recall something you did when you experienced God? Can you recall that deep sense of awe and commitment which you felt? When you recall it, does it stir up something in you?
5Remember what you said – God expects us to be as good as our word, because He is as good as His word. Remember the roofer who started sliding down off the roof and had nothing to grab. He prayed, “God if you'll save me, I be yours forever.” About that time a nail snags the seat of his pants to which he quips, “Never mind God, this nail got me.” Fred Henderson was in the hospital with a bad heart problem and told his preacher, “Preacher, if God gets me out of this bed I'll serve him till I die.” Not only did Fred get out of the hospital, but he faithfully served the Lord till we buried him some 20 years later. This is what God expects. He told Jacob to remember his vow. God didn't ask for it, but Jacob was so moved by the presence of God that he took a vow. May I submit that when you and I come into the manifest presence of God, our first response will be to commit. God wired it into our soul when He breathed His breath in us.
6The Obedience You Give – To return to your Bethel experience requires obedience. I don't say “Complete Obedience” because anything less than complete obedience is disobedience. It is my belief that the call of God to get back to our starting place is an ongoing call from God to each of us.
7Your Response – God told Jacob to “GET UP.” Now you may think this is trite, but I submit that far too many try to serve God sitting down. It is an important action. When we sit for too long, it's hard to get up. Getting up is the first step toward obedience. In Genesis 35, once again God calls Jacob to move. His first words, “Get up.”
Return to Bethel – Pg 3
No matter what you do, getting up is the first step. Getting up is good but,
aYour Removal – God said, 'Leave this land.' In other words, God said you have to leave some things behind to follow me. In recent days, there has been some teaching which, I believe, is contrary to the word of God. That is, that you really don't have to give up anything in order to follow Christ. It goes something like this; you don't give up things but rather you add His things to the life you always have. Which this may be politically correct and culturally popular, it flies in the face of the core teaching of scripture. To Abraham God said, “Get up and leave this land. Go to a place that I will show you.” Abraham would have never been so mightily blessed of God is he had refused to leave his home. To Jacob He said, “Get up, leave this land, and go home, to Bethel, or to be blessed.” Jesus said, “If any man would follow after me, he MUST take up His cross (get up), deny himself (leave his land), and follow me (go to the place that I show you). For the believer there are always things (& even people) whom we must leave behind. We have to remove ourselves from anything which has the potential of standing between us and God.
b Your Return – Obedience demands that we go where He sends. For me, that has been 5 states in 35 years. For you, it may be all your life in this town but you have had to leave some things (or people) behind. God expects us to return to our spiritual home. Think about this for a second. Home is where we can be refreshed, restored, and renewed. It should be a place where our life's purpose comes into focus. It is the place possibly where we first encountered our Lord. It is our Bethel.
