Back to Bethel
Text: Genesis 35
Core Idea: The God who called Jacob back to Bethel is the same God who graciously calls wandering sinners back to Himself through Jesus Christ. So, turn from your idols, remember who you are in Him, and keep walking by faith – for the God who began this journey with you will faithfully bring you home.
INTRODUCTION
We’re continuing our journey through the Book of Genesis – tracing how God’s promises moved forward. And two weeks ago, in Genesis 34, we saw Jacob positioning himself outside of the place God had called him to be when he settled in Shechem, instead of going all the way to Bethel. And that compromise proved to be far more costly than he could’ve ever imagined, as Dinah, his daughter, was violated by the ruler of that city. His sons were understandably enraged by this horrific sin committed against their sister. But what shocked us most was Jacob’s silence. He remained passive while his family was falling apart around him. He said nothing when Hamor and Shechem tried to negotiate, and he said nothing when his sons violently took vengeance into their own hands. And even when he finally spoke, he made it all about him. Not Dinah. Not injustice. Not the sin of his sons. But his reputation, his safety, and his future. His sons must have been shocked by Jacob’s selfishness – because they responded in Genesis 34:31, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” It’s as if they were saying, “Dad, are you even hearing yourself? This is your daughter we’re talking about.” Their response exposed just how spiritually blind Jacob had become. He compromised. He settled. And the consequences were devastating. Then, the question we’re left with is this: How will God respond? Because throughout that chapter, we saw three different human responses to sin: Shechem responded with selfish aggression, Jacob’s sons responded with deceptive vengeance, and Jacob responded with passive silence. But how would God respond to Jacob’s compromise and failure? Well, that’s what we’re going to find out today. So, with that in mind, please turn with me to Genesis 35. I’ll read this for us.
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.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them. 6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed Himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. 8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth. 9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So He named him Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where He had talked with him. 14 Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. 16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” 18 As she breathed her last – for she was dying – she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb. 21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons: 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. 27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this passage:
· INVITATION
· REPENTANCE
· PERSEVERANCE
1) INVITATION
The first thing we see in this chapter is that God, who had been silent throughout Chapter 34, finally spoke again. But considering everything that had just happened, we might expect God to come to Jacob with rebuke and judgment. After all, Jacob had failed as a father, failed as a leader, and failed to trust God. So, what would God say to a man like Jacob? Would He condemn him? Would He abandon him? Would He finally be done with him? Well, to our surprise, God said this in verse 1: “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.” In other words, God called Jacob back. It’s as if He were saying, “Jacob, you’ve wandered long enough. Return to the place where you first encountered Me. Return to the place where I revealed My grace to you.” Now, we need to remember what Bethel represented for Jacob. Around 30 years earlier, Jacob arrived at Bethel alone, afraid, and uncertain of the future as he fled from Esau. Yet it was there, in his weakness and brokenness, that God met him and promised, “I’ll be with you. I’ll watch over you. I’ll bring you back.” So, after all the failures, compromises, and distractions, where does God bring Jacob back to? Bethel – the place where God met him in grace. This is important to point out because it shows us something about the heart of God. God’s response to Jacob’s compromise wasn’t abandonment – but invitation. That’s not how we often respond to sin – we respond with aggression, vengeance, or silence. But not God. He responds with an invitation. God loved Jacob so much that He wasn’t going to leave him where he was – so He intervened to rescue Jacob from continuing down a path of compromise and spiritual drift. And He did this because He wanted to renew Jacob’s heart – because He wanted to restore him. Verse 9: “After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.’ So He named him Israel.” Jacob had already received this new name back in Chapter 32 when he wrestled with God. So, this wasn’t God giving him a new identity for the first time – this was God reminding Jacob who he was. It’s as if God were saying: “Jacob, stop living like the man you once were. You are Israel now. Remember who you are. You belong to Me. So, live a life worthy of My name.” In fact, God also reaffirmed His covenant promises to Jacob – verse 11: “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” This is important because Jacob had been living as though he needed Shechem in order to survive and flourish. He compromised because he thought security could only be found there. But God was reminding him that everything he truly needed was already found in the promises of God.
And the same is true for us. The truth is that many of us are not very different from Jacob. Some of us have drifted spiritually. Some of us have compromised. Some of us have settled in places we were never meant to stay. And as a result, maybe your heart has slowly grown cold toward God. Maybe your walk with Him has become mechanical and distant. Maybe you still come to church – but the joy, wonder, and tenderness you once had toward God is nowhere to be found. And you begin to notice the effects. You fall into sin more quickly than before. You’ve become impatient more easily – on the road, at home, at work. You find it easier to criticize than encourage. And you’ve become emotionally numb to sins that once grieved you. Prayer feels like a burden instead of a privilege. Worship becomes routine instead of delight. And slowly, without realizing it, distance from God becomes normal to you. Now, if I’m honest, this can often happen most subtly in the lives of seasoned believers because remaining faithful for a long time is not easy. Think about Jacob. His encounter at Bethel happened around 30 years earlier. Since then, life had worn him down – conflict, disappointment, fear, family pain, and finally the tragedy in Shechem. And somewhere along the way, the wonder of Bethel had faded. Maybe some of you know exactly what that feels like. You remember when your faith felt alive. You remember the joy you once had in worship, the hunger you had for God’s Word, the love you had for Christ. But over time, disappointment, suffering, routine, sin, and distraction slowly wore you down. And now you feel tired, passive, and spiritually numb. But here’s the good news of this passage: God doesn’t abandon wandering people – He calls them back. Maybe that’s exactly why God brought you here today. Not just to attend a service, but to hear His invitation again. Then, come back to the God who forgives, who restores, and who reminds wandering sinners who they truly are. Iain Duguid writes, “Left to ourselves, our hearts are cold as ice toward God. We rapidly slide into compromise and embrace the attractions of false goals and idols. But God will not abandon those whom He has chosen, those with whom He has made a covenant. So, He comes to us, just as He came to Jacob, and calls us back to Him, to renew our walk with Him.” Friends, He doesn’t have His arms crossed with disappointment. He doesn’t have His hand up with anger – ready to punish you. He doesn’t have His back turned against you because He has given up on you. No, He has His arms wide open as He beckons us to come back – to be where He is. Then, let me ask you: Will you respond to His invitation today? Don’t settle in Shechem when God is calling you to Bethel. The world will promise life, security, satisfaction, and identity – but it cannot give what only God can provide. Brothers and sisters, believe that He is better. He really is. Yes, the world may look at us and call us fools for clinging to God. But don’t let the voices of this world keep you from running to the One who truly loves you and cares for you. In Him is everything your soul has been searching for, for in Him is forgiveness, purpose, peace, and life. And as you make your journey to Him, He will remind you of who you are and what He has promised you in Christ so that you would continue to faithfully and joyfully live a life worthy of the gospel. May you experience that today.
2) REPENTANCE
Now, I want to go back to something that happened before Jacob journeyed back to Bethel – how God’s gracious invitation produced a response in Jacob’s life. Look at verse 2: “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel.” I want to be careful here because this passage is not teaching that we must somehow clean ourselves up before God will accept us. God didn’t wait for Jacob to fix himself before speaking to him. No, God called Jacob first. Grace came first. But once Jacob heard the call of God, he understood he couldn’t continue clinging to the very things that were pulling his heart away from God. In other words, Jacob realized that returning to God meant turning away from his idols. Now, where did these idols come from? We’re not entirely sure. One of them could be the idol that Rachel stole from her father when they were running away from him in Chapter 31. Others may have been acquired while living among the people of Shechem. Either way, Jacob commanded his household to get rid of them – and verse 4 says they buried the idols under the oak at Shechem. This is important because it shows that Jacob wasn’t just removing physical objects – he was renouncing old allegiances. He was basically saying: “These things will no longer define us, for we belong to the Lord.” And if that wasn’t enough, Jacob also told them to purify themselves and change their clothes. Throughout the Bible, changing clothes often symbolizes a change of identity. The old life is being put away, and a new life is being embraced. In fact, this connects beautifully with what Pastor John talked about during our retreat. So, let me actually read a portion of Colossians 3: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things… Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature… and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” That’s the picture we have here. Because Jacob was returning to God, he could no longer continue living as though he belonged to Shechem. He needed to change his clothes.
And the same is true for us. Brothers and sisters, grace doesn’t make us careless about holiness – it makes us desire more of it because when God calls us back to Himself, He also calls us to put away the things that compete for our hearts. So, let me ask you honestly: What are the idols in your life right now? Now, our idols today may not be carved statues made of gold or wood. We may not bow before shrines or burn incense before images. But idols are still everywhere because an idol is anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. Tim Keller said, “Sin isn’t only doing bad things, it is more fundamentally making good things into ultimate things.” This is important because idols are not evil things in themselves. Career, marriage, children, comfort, success, money, reputation, security, approval, control – all of these things, which are all gifts from God, can quietly take hold of our hearts. And often, we don’t even realize it’s happening because these things may look good and respectable. It’s good to work hard. It’s good to care for your family. It’s good to pursue excellence. It’s good to desire stability. But the problem begins when those things become ultimate to us – when our hearts rest on them more than on God. So, let me ask you: What is driving your life right now? What are you truly living for? What are you afraid of losing? Because whatever controls your heart ultimately shapes your life. Charles Spurgeon said, “The essence of idolatry is this – to love anything better than God.” Then, brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you to take some time examining your heart before the Lord – because if we never slow down long enough to examine ourselves honestly, conviction will fade away quickly, for we are fickle in hearts. The moment we walk out these doors, we’ll be bombarded with the busyness and distractions of this world – and if we’re not intentional, if we don’t guard our hearts, nothing will change. We’ll continue to carry idols we were never meant to hold onto. Then, don’t waste this moment if the Spirit of God is convicting your heart right now. Bury your idols. Put them away. And put on Christ. What does that mean? There’s so much we can talk about on this – but let me just say it begins by remembering who you are in Him. You are forgiven in Christ. You are redeemed in Christ. You are loved in Christ. You are a child of God in Christ. You are a new creation in Christ. You are a servant of God in Christ. You are a citizen of the heavenly Kingdom in Christ. You are an ambassador in Christ. This is who you are. So, live like it. Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Notice the order: You’re already God’s chosen people. You’re already loved. Therefore, clothe yourselves differently. That’s the gospel. We don’t pursue holiness in order to become loved by God – we pursue holiness because we are already loved by God in Christ. Now, let me be even more practical – something you can do right away. As Jacob prepared himself before entering Bethel, I want to encourage us to do the same as we come before the Lord week after week. Brothers and sisters, prepare your heart for Sunday worship. Before you come, lay your worries before Him. Confess your sins before Him. Pray for the Spirit to soften your heart. Pray that the Word will bear fruit in your life. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Pray for those who do not yet know Christ. Come ready to meet Him. Come on time. In fact, come earlier so that you can quiet your heart and prepare yourself to worship the Almighty God – because worship is not ultimately about us. Yes, this gathering will strengthen and bless us – but we gather to give Him the honor and glory He deserves. And what an incredible privilege this is – that we, who were once enemies of God, have now been welcomed into His presence to do this through Jesus Christ. All that to say, when God graciously calls wandering people back to Himself, He doesn’t just invite them to feel better – He invites them to be renewed, transformed, and changed in His presence.
3) PERSEVERANCE
At this point in the story, we might expect this chapter to end with a happy ending. Jacob had finally returned to Bethel. He was back where God had called him to be. God had reaffirmed His promises and reminded Jacob of who he was. So, we might expect life to become easier from this point onward. But that’s not what happened. In fact, the rest of the chapter is marked by sorrow, pain, and loss. First, Rachel, the wife Jacob loved most, died while giving birth to Benjamin. What should have been a moment of celebration became a moment of grief. Can you imagine the heartbreak Jacob must have felt – holding his newborn son while mourning the loss of the woman he loved? Then came another painful moment. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn son, slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Now, many commentators believe that Reuben’s motive in this sinful act wasn’t primarily sexual. Let me explain. Before Bilhah became Jacob’s concubine, she had been Rachel’s servant. This matters because throughout this book, Reuben appeared to be very protective of his mother, Leah, the unloved wife. For example, when Reuben was still young, he brought mandrakes to Leah in an attempt to help her gain favor and affection from Jacob. So, Reuben’s action may have been an attempt to prevent Bilhah from rising in prominence within the household and to secure Leah’s place instead. Now, whether that was his intention or not, what Reuben did was still deeply sinful. And even though we don’t hear from Jacob here, we can imagine how deeply this must have hurt him. And finally, Isaac, his father, died. Now, what’s striking is that throughout all these moments of sorrow and disappointment, Jacob kept moving forward. Verse 16: “They moved on from Bethel.” After burying Rachel, verse 21: “Israel moved on again.” Though Reuben sinned against him, verse 27: “Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre.” Do you see the pattern? Jacob continued the journey.
And I think that’s exactly what the author wanted us to see from this. Returning to God didn’t remove hardship from Jacob’s life – but it did change how he walked through it. Jacob no longer stopped along the way. He no longer settled. It may have been slow and painful – but he kept walking by faith. And brothers and sisters, this is such an important reminder for us because many Christians mistakenly assume that if they finally return to God, obey Him, and walk faithfully, then life should become easier. But this chapter reminds us that even in the center of God’s will, there can still be sorrow. Faithfulness doesn’t remove suffering. Obedience doesn’t eliminate grief. Returning to God doesn’t mean the road will suddenly become easy. Sometimes we return to Bethel – and yet, along the way, we may still need to bury those we love and carry the wounds caused by the sins of others. Some of you know exactly what that feels like. You’ve tried to follow the Lord faithfully – and yet life still hurts. You still wrestle with disappointments, struggles, prayers that seem unanswered, relationships that remain difficult, grief that lingers, temptations that continue, and fears that return. And there are moments when you wonder: “What’s the point of continuing?” But this chapter calls us to keep walking, keep trusting, keep obeying, and keep following the Lord, even when the road is painful, because the Christian life was never meant to be a straight path without sorrow. It’s a journey of faith. And often, faith means continuing to walk even when your heart is heavy. There will be moments of joy and moments of grief. There will be victories and failures. There will be seasons when God feels near and seasons when He feels distant. But through it all, God will remain faithful to His people. Which is why we can walk by faith and not by sight – not because the road is easy, not because we always understand what God is doing, but because we trust the God who walks with us. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” Brothers and sisters, may this be your confession as well. Through every joy and sorrow, every success and disappointment, every victory and failure, may we continue to fight the good fight that God is calling us to be on. Then, knowing that God’s promises for us are true, trusting in His grace to forgive and restore us, looking to His Word for the path we must follow, let’s continue to move forward by faith until the day God calls us home.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the God who called Jacob back to Bethel is the same God who graciously calls wandering sinners back to Himself through Jesus Christ. So, turn from your idols, remember who you are in Him, and keep walking by faith – for the God who began this journey with you will faithfully bring you home.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What does God’s invitation back to Bethel reveal about His character and His grace toward wandering people? Have there been seasons when your faith felt distant, mechanical, or spiritually numb? What do you think contributed to that? What does it practically look like for you to “come back” to God in this season of life?
2) What specific actions does Jacob tell his household to take before returning to Bethel? What does this passage teach us about the relationship between grace and repentance? Why is it easy to turn good things (career, family, success, comfort) into ultimate things? What are some practical ways we can guard our hearts from spiritual compromise?
3) What difficult events happen in Jacob’s life after he returns to Bethel? What does Jacob’s continued journey teach us about faith and perseverance? What will help you continue walking by faith when life feels painful, disappointing, or exhausting? What does it look like practically for us to help one another “keep walking” in the faith as a church community?
