Genesis 35:3 NKJV
“Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.”
Oh, how important it is to continually remember and honour the LORD for His goodness and faithfulness to each of us! It goes without saying that if there is One who has never abandoned His people through thick and thin, it is the LORD our God! Jacob, Isaac’s son, testifies to that. Although he would say to Pharaoh that “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage” (Gen 47:9 NKJV), Jacob experienced several divine encounters from God.
In one of the encounters, the LORD Himself said to Isaac’s son, “…I will be with you” (Gen 31:3 NKJV). Hallelujah! God kept that promise and was with Jacob through many perils and trials, blessed him beyond measure, and gave him the rest of heart to his death. For his part, Jacob was careful not to forget the great things the LORD had done for him. Upon his return from Laban’s years later, greatly blessed with a big family and wealth, Jacob received a directive from God to return to Bethel—where God had spoken to him as he fled from Esau (Gen 35:1). Without any delay, Jacob summoned his family in obedience to God’s directive to depart for Bethel and said this:
“Let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone”, as in our reference text. Hallelujah! Recall, during his first encounter with God at Bethel, Jacob “…took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it” (Gen 28:18 NKJV) in honour of God. Many years later, he chose to do the same thing: he made “an altar there to God.” In a generation where the worship of other gods was widespread—even in Laban’s household—Jacob’s action stood out as a profound act of honour to God Almighty. Do not forget what the LORD has done; honour Him alone, without fear of men or devils!
Pst. Emmanuel
