At the end of Genesis 35 we see one of the most touching stories in the entire Old Testament: Jacob journeys on from Bethel to Hebron, and on the way Rachel enters into labor and brings forth Benjamin (whom she calls Ben-Oni), and then she dies in labor. Rachel is Jacob’s beloved wife; he fell […]
Entering into Full Fellowship with the Lord and with the Fellow Members of the Body
Jacob was selected and chosen by God even before he was born. However, throughout his life he schemed and struggled to obtain the birthright and the blessing, and he wanted to have his way with everyone – even though the blessing was his by God’s choice. He cheated on his brother Esau, tricked his father to give him […]
Being Poured out as a Drink Offering over the Building of God for His Satisfaction
It is a great blessing to read the Bible with “the glasses of God’s economy” on. When we read the account in Gen. 35 with Jacob going to Bethel, setting up an altar, calling on the name of the Lord, having the Lord’s speaking, setting up a pillar and pouring out a drink offering and […]
Building an Altar at Bethel and Realizing God’s All-Sufficiency in the Church Life
At his second coming to Bethel, Jacob built an altar there and called it El-Bethel, and God appeared to him and said to him, “I am the All-sufficient God” (Gen. 35:11). Previously, Jacob built an altar at Shechem, where he also pitched his tent and was settled for a while, having a life of ease. […]
Advancing from the Individual Experience of God to the Corporate Experience of God
In Genesis 35 Jacob had a radical turn from the individual experience of God to the corporate experience of God. As a result of being dealt with, broken, and transformed, Jacob experienced God as the God of Bethel, El-Bethel, the God of the house of God (Gen. 35:7; Eph. 3:17-21; 4:4-6). Outwardly you may think […]
Coming to Bethel (the Church) a Second Time and Having our Name Changed into Israel
Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 was a dream of God’s goal, the dream of Bethel, the house of God, which is the church today and which will consummate in the New Jerusalem as the eternal dwelling place of God and His redeemed elect. After he saw this wonderful dream, Jacob went through a lot of […]
The Church Life today is the Reality of Bethel, the Fulfillment of Jacob’s Dream
The stone that Jacob put under his head as a pillow and then early in the morning set up as a pillar and poured oil on it – this stone became Bethel, the house of God (see Gen. 28:17, 19, 22). I am still amazed that God met this restless and homeless young man, Jacob, […]