| Subject: Back to Bethel |
Author:
Hillbilly
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Date Posted: 18:28:12 02/21/15 Sat
Genesis 13:3-4 And he (Abram) went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; 4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
Bethel, the House of God. Bethel was a place that was prominent in the lives of several of the Old Testament saints. Jacob, Joshua, Abraham to name a few. The first mention of Bethel is in Genesis 12:8 and is mentioned as the place where God blessed Abram and made him a promise. Contained within this promise was also the understanding that nothing could befall Abram that would cut his life short before the promise was fulfilled. Genesis 12:7-8 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
Abraham looked on this place as the house of God and he worshiped Him there in building an altar to Him. After the offering Abram moves east and pitches his tent (settles for a while). It is after this that Abram goes to Egypt because of a famine in the land. Entering Egypt he does something that is hard to understand and shows the weakness in even great men of God. Abram feared for his life and told Sarai to tell the Egyptians she was his sister and not his wife. Abram knew that Sarai had retainer her youthful beauty even though she would have been in her upper sixties at this time. Abram was 75 when he left Haran for the land of Canaan at God's command and Sarai was 10 yrs. younger.
As Abram feared Pharaoh took Sarai into his house with the intent of marrying her and if it hadn't been for the plagues God sent on Pharaoh's house he would have consummated that marriage. As a result Abram was kicked out of Egypt and he headed back north into the land of Canaan.
What do you think was in Abram's mind as he traveled back into the land that God had promised to him and his seed. We are not told what went through his mind but given the fact that all who love the Lord strive to please Him I'm quite sure Abram thought of all his decisions that led him to Egypt and the decisions he made in Egypt. All were decisions based on human fear and not on faith in the Lord who had made promises to him. Had Abram believed God he would never have gone to Egypt in the first place. God had told him to go to Canaan and he never told him to leave Canaan. God had told him the land was his and his heirs so Abram should have realized he could not die until he had children to fulfill God's promise to him. All show a lack of faith from the man who would one day be known as a man who exhibited such faith as to believe that if he sacrificed his son God would give him back to him.
Two different times and two different results. This brings us to chapter 13 verses 3 and 4. Why did Abram feel the need to return to Bethel. Surely Abram felt disgusted with himself to show such cowardice with the fear of the famine and fear of his life to the point he would give us his wife to live. I think Abram had to go back to get things right with God. He equated Bethel with the fellowship and blessing he had once experienced as God appeared to him there. In his mind would have been thoughts such as: "Would God forgive me for such faithlessness?" Abram set his face to return and admit his failure and try to atone for his lack of trust in the Almighty. From the rest of Abram's life we can see he was forgiven and accepted.
I see in this something we should all grasp. Who of us has not failed God. Who of us has not shown a lack of faith in God's ability to deliver us if we would just trust Him. Each of us have had special times when we felt so close to God that we could reach out and touch Him and we have also known the despair of being far from Him in our obedience and faith.
Possibly we have a special place where we felt the presence of God and were able to commune with Him there. If we would but think for a moment I'm sure each of us as, God's children, know of a place we would call "Bethel". A place where we know God will meet us again if we will but come on His terms. Bethel is a place of repentance and confession to God. Bethel is a place of re-dedication to Him to serve Him faithfully. Bethel is a place we all need to return to from time to time to refresh our relationship in Him.
Where ever your Bethel is, it is possible you need to make that trip back If that is so then why wait. Why not go back to Bethel and enjoy your salvation again.
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