Bethel, The House Of God

by H. King | Category: God's Centre And Man's Centre | Mar 1963

We come now in our series to the account given in Genesis 28. 10-22 of the experience of Jacob at the place which he called Bethel, which means "House of God," for in this incident there is a manifest unfolding of God's desire to have fellowship with men on earth. This was not a new desire, for it had been made known to men before Jacob's time, but the matter is further developed in that mention is now made of a specific place where God was, and where He was pleased to make Himself known.

We would like to draw attention to the fact that in the few verses describing what happened at Bethel, the word "place" occurs six times, and in each case it has the definite article before it in the Hebrew text, thus indicating that it was a place chosen and appointed, and distinguished from all other places upon the earth. This may not seem at first to be very important, but if the reader will turn for a moment to Genesis 35, which describes Jacob's return to Bethel twenty years later, he will find that Bethel is described three times as "the place where God spake with him" (verses 18-15). And furthermore in verse 7 as the place where God was revealed unto him. This shows its importance, for this place was the centre of God's dealings with Jacob, and shows to us that God desired a definite place upon earth where He could dwell, and to which men might come and share communion with Him.

When Jacob dreamed, he saw a way set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. It may not be profitable to us to spiritualize this remarkable dream, but we should point out for our help that the way was "set up" on the earth, for it was founded and established in that place. It was not a moving thing, and moreover, just as it was established upon the earth, so also the LORD was established over it. The Revised Version margin (28.18) indicates that the LORD stood "beside him", but the Hebrew preposition "AL" invariably speaks Of that which is "over" or "above," and we would gather that the LORD stood above the way. In this we see a principle which is seen in all the Scriptures, that what is established for the Lord on earth must stand in relation to His authority and lordship over it.

The expressions used by Jacob when he awoke from his sleep must claim our attention, for they show that he had grasped the meaning of his God-given dream, and that he was filled with a godly fear which is becoming in those who are in the presence of God. "This is none other but the house of God." Whatever else Jacob may have known of God before this, here was a new thing revealed to him, that God had a dwelling place upon the earth. It was not a visible, material house, but the place is described as the house of God because God was there, and was established in that place. Men cannot call every place where they meet God the house of God, but Jacob is speaking of the place where he found God dwelling. Compare in this connexion, the word in Hosea, 12.4 "He found Him at Bethel," that is, Jacob found the LORD at Bethel.

He also describes the place as " the gate of heaven," because there was opened up to him such a glorious insight into heavenly things, and he saw a way right into the presence of God. Just as a house speaks of a dwelling, so a gate speaks of a way of access, and here upon this place where he lay, Jacob was being shown a development in God's purposes for men, in that there would be a place to come to, and a way opened up for men to draw near to Him.

Jacob rose up early in the morning, and the stone which he had put under his head he set up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it, and called it the house of God, thus setting his seal to what had been revealed to him there.

God had made Himself known to Jacob in a way in which He was not revealed to others before him, and it is instructive to note that when twenty years passed by, God spoke to Jacob again when he was in Paddan-aram, and said, "I am the God of Beth-el," "Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there" (Genesis 31.18; 35.1-15).

Jacob then returned to the divine centre and built there an altar and called the place El-Beth-el (God of the house of God), because there God was revealed unto him.

H. King | Mar 1963
God's Centre And Man's Centre