And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
Jacob named the hillside where he slept the house of God, though the city standing there had at first been called Luz. He was a lonely, weary, homeless traveler on the second night of his flight, overtaken by darkness with only a stone for rest, fearing his sin had cut him off from God. In the night God pitied him and showed him a shining ladder firmly planted on earth and reaching to the throne of God, with bright angels ascending and descending upon it and a voice renewing mercy, protection and blessing. That lonely sleeping place became to him the house of God and the gate of heaven, where the way of life and the plan of salvation were opened and where sinners ascend round after round heavenward as angels draw them and Jesus meets every step toward Him. The One he met there was Christ, whose presence made the humble ground holy, for God is not confined to splendid buildings but makes sacred every hillside, home, barn or tent where humble seekers worship in spirit and in truth. So still every consecrated sanitarium, home, schoolroom, workshop and missionary ship becomes a Bethel, a place set apart where God is present, angels work with men, the sick are prayed with, families are made holy by love, and sorrow is turned into praise.
Naming and Night Setting
The spot Jacob named Bethel means the house of God, a place associated with God and marked by His presence, while the city standing there had at first been called Luz, and the meeting itself took place on a hillside. The name Bethel declares the place sacred because God was recognized there, and a vessel under His care and protection can for the same reason be called a floating Bethel.
Jacob came there as a lonely traveler in dreary wilderness on the second night of his flight from home, weary, hungry and homeless and overtaken by darkness, with only a stone for rest. He was troubled by past wrongs and fearful of what lay ahead, believing his sin had separated him from God and heaven and fearing himself cast off.
When he awoke in the deep stillness of night the shining forms had disappeared and only the lonely hills and the starry heavens remained, yet he knew with solemn certainty that the Lord was in that place though he had not known it, an unseen presence filling the solitude. Awed that he had been in the immediate presence of God and had not been destroyed, and comforted by confidence in God, he spent the sleepless night in fervent gratitude mingled with holy joy.
Rising early he took the stone he had used for a pillow, set it up as a pillar and poured oil on it, following the custom of commemorating important events. He honored even that stone, which to him had become the most desirable pillow on which his head had ever rested, as a memorial of God's mercy and marked it to be God's house. It was set apart so that whenever he passed that way he could stop at that sacred spot to worship.
What God Revealed There
After confessing his sin and pleading for some evidence of mercy while despairing and fearing himself cast off, he was pitied and given a glorious night vision. He saw a ladder of shining brightness with its base firmly planted on the earth and its topmost round entering the throne of God and reaching to the very heavens, to the highest heavens. God stood at the top with His glory streaming from heaven to earth, and bright angel messengers shining on every round were ascending and descending upon it, connecting earth and heaven. With the ladder came a voice renewing mercy, protection and future blessing.
He awoke comforted by confidence in God and called that lonely sleeping place the house of God and the gate of heaven to his soul. There God had revealed the way of life and the plan of salvation, and the place he named Bethel had previously been called Luz. The ladder is the way by which all who love God ascend round after round heavenward. Its angels have as their whole work to draw those who shall be heirs of salvation and to keep back the powers of Satan, so that whenever a person takes a step toward Jesus, Jesus takes steps toward him.
There that discouraged, petted son of his mother experienced the new birth and became a child of God. He was refreshed by grace and assured of God, and in gratitude made there his solemn vow. The light that came to him that night was most precious.
Bethel remained a sacred place where God had appeared to him, recalling his vision of angels, God's promises of mercy and the vow he had made there. Those promises became a source of hope that he later pleaded during his crisis. The vision and God's promises from his flight from home were later recounted to Joseph as assurance that God could instruct, comfort and protect him in exile.
The one met on that hillside was Christ, and His glorious appearing made the humble sleeping place holy. God's presence is not confined to a splendid building, but He makes sacred the hillside, caves, forest, humble barn and tent. Each becomes a tabernacle where He meets and blesses servants who humbly seek truth and peace and righteousness. Even the grandest cathedral is repulsive to Him if it holds pride, dead forms and hollow hypocrisy, because He seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth.
Bethel Lived Out Today
Even a cross and woes raise the believer nearer to God, as Jacob the wanderer overtaken by darkness with only a stone for rest was in dreams brought nearer to God. With waking thoughts bright with praise the believer turns stony griefs into Bethel, making the place of sorrow a house of God and a song of nearness to Him.
Every sanitarium is to bear the name and character of Bethel as a place set apart and consecrated to God. Such a Bethel is founded and conducted on right principles, on gospel principles entirely different from the plan of the world, with all connected with the work consecrated to God. Physicians do not take so many responsibilities that they have no time for special seasons of prayer, those in the sanitarium are prayed with, and by earnest prayer those who minister to the sick acknowledge dependence on God. By that prayer they receive pure truth in mind and heart and the calmness and strength He alone imparts, qualifying them for critical work that means life or death and for delicate, grave operations where one slip of the knife may launch a soul into eternity. Such a Bethel gives the light upon health reform to the world by educating inside and outside and by leading all to Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
A home becomes a Bethel, a home where Jesus is present and God is brought into family life, when made holy and consecrated by love. A mother's loving ministry, when closely connected with Christ, shapes the home into such a Bethel, and Christ's work there makes family life a source of heavenly blessing. A home also becomes a Bethel when its members are touched by the invitation to accept truth for Christ's sake, break down and weep, pray together in private, and are filled with joy over a new decision to obey, even by one who was never a Christian before.
Any room in a publishing house, health institution, college or mission can be transformed into a Bethel, a place where God is present and angels work with men. This happens when those there walk in the light, keep thoughts and impulses under control, exercise self-control even under temptation and provocation, and speak no bitter, harsh, wicked words but winning, courteous, kind words in season. It happens when they show firm confidence in God as the source of strength, rest wholly on His promises, and do duty with promptness while grasping infinite power by the hand of faith. Where this spirit is kept the holy Watcher is by their side taking knowledge of words, divine power is combined with human effort to guide and mold varied minds, and unbelievers who visit are favorably impressed and more inclined to accept the truth. Likewise a missionary ship or boat becomes a floating Bethel, a place associated with God where Christ abides and people are cared for under His protection, known by experienced protection and answering praise.
Jacob named the hillside where he slept the house of God, though the city standing there had at first been called Luz. He was a lonely, weary, homeless traveler on the second night of his flight, overtaken by darkness with only a stone for rest, fearing his sin had cut him off from God. In the night God pitied him and showed him a shining ladder firmly planted on earth and reaching to the throne of God, with bright angels ascending and descending upon it and a voice renewing mercy, protection and blessing. That lonely sleeping place became to him the house of God and the gate of heaven, where the way of life and the plan of salvation were opened and where sinners ascend round after round heavenward as angels draw them and Jesus meets every step toward Him. The One he met there was Christ, whose presence made the humble ground holy, for God is not confined to splendid buildings but makes sacred every hillside, home, barn or tent where humble seekers worship in spirit and in truth. So still every consecrated sanitarium, home, schoolroom, workshop and missionary ship becomes a Bethel, a place set apart where God is present, angels work with men, the sick are prayed with, families are made holy by love, and sorrow is turned into praise.
Naming and Night Setting
The spot Jacob named Bethel means the house of God, a place associated with God and marked by His presence, while the city standing there had at first been called Luz, and the meeting itself took place on a hillside. The name Bethel declares the place sacred because God was recognized there, and a vessel under His care and protection can for the same reason be called a floating Bethel.
Jacob came there as a lonely traveler in dreary wilderness on the second night of his flight from home, weary, hungry and homeless and overtaken by darkness, with only a stone for rest. He was troubled by past wrongs and fearful of what lay ahead, believing his sin had separated him from God and heaven and fearing himself cast off.
When he awoke in the deep stillness of night the shining forms had disappeared and only the lonely hills and the starry heavens remained, yet he knew with solemn certainty that the Lord was in that place though he had not known it, an unseen presence filling the solitude. Awed that he had been in the immediate presence of God and had not been destroyed, and comforted by confidence in God, he spent the sleepless night in fervent gratitude mingled with holy joy.
Rising early he took the stone he had used for a pillow, set it up as a pillar and poured oil on it, following the custom of commemorating important events. He honored even that stone, which to him had become the most desirable pillow on which his head had ever rested, as a memorial of God's mercy and marked it to be God's house. It was set apart so that whenever he passed that way he could stop at that sacred spot to worship.
What God Revealed There
After confessing his sin and pleading for some evidence of mercy while despairing and fearing himself cast off, he was pitied and given a glorious night vision. He saw a ladder of shining brightness with its base firmly planted on the earth and its topmost round entering the throne of God and reaching to the very heavens, to the highest heavens. God stood at the top with His glory streaming from heaven to earth, and bright angel messengers shining on every round were ascending and descending upon it, connecting earth and heaven. With the ladder came a voice renewing mercy, protection and future blessing.
He awoke comforted by confidence in God and called that lonely sleeping place the house of God and the gate of heaven to his soul. There God had revealed the way of life and the plan of salvation, and the place he named Bethel had previously been called Luz. The ladder is the way by which all who love God ascend round after round heavenward. Its angels have as their whole work to draw those who shall be heirs of salvation and to keep back the powers of Satan, so that whenever a person takes a step toward Jesus, Jesus takes steps toward him.
There that discouraged, petted son of his mother experienced the new birth and became a child of God. He was refreshed by grace and assured of God, and in gratitude made there his solemn vow. The light that came to him that night was most precious.
Bethel remained a sacred place where God had appeared to him, recalling his vision of angels, God's promises of mercy and the vow he had made there. Those promises became a source of hope that he later pleaded during his crisis. The vision and God's promises from his flight from home were later recounted to Joseph as assurance that God could instruct, comfort and protect him in exile.
The one met on that hillside was Christ, and His glorious appearing made the humble sleeping place holy. God's presence is not confined to a splendid building, but He makes sacred the hillside, caves, forest, humble barn and tent. Each becomes a tabernacle where He meets and blesses servants who humbly seek truth and peace and righteousness. Even the grandest cathedral is repulsive to Him if it holds pride, dead forms and hollow hypocrisy, because He seeks those who worship in spirit and in truth.
Bethel Lived Out Today
Even a cross and woes raise the believer nearer to God, as Jacob the wanderer overtaken by darkness with only a stone for rest was in dreams brought nearer to God. With waking thoughts bright with praise the believer turns stony griefs into Bethel, making the place of sorrow a house of God and a song of nearness to Him.
Every sanitarium is to bear the name and character of Bethel as a place set apart and consecrated to God. Such a Bethel is founded and conducted on right principles, on gospel principles entirely different from the plan of the world, with all connected with the work consecrated to God. Physicians do not take so many responsibilities that they have no time for special seasons of prayer, those in the sanitarium are prayed with, and by earnest prayer those who minister to the sick acknowledge dependence on God. By that prayer they receive pure truth in mind and heart and the calmness and strength He alone imparts, qualifying them for critical work that means life or death and for delicate, grave operations where one slip of the knife may launch a soul into eternity. Such a Bethel gives the light upon health reform to the world by educating inside and outside and by leading all to Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
A home becomes a Bethel, a home where Jesus is present and God is brought into family life, when made holy and consecrated by love. A mother's loving ministry, when closely connected with Christ, shapes the home into such a Bethel, and Christ's work there makes family life a source of heavenly blessing. A home also becomes a Bethel when its members are touched by the invitation to accept truth for Christ's sake, break down and weep, pray together in private, and are filled with joy over a new decision to obey, even by one who was never a Christian before.
Any room in a publishing house, health institution, college or mission can be transformed into a Bethel, a place where God is present and angels work with men. This happens when those there walk in the light, keep thoughts and impulses under control, exercise self-control even under temptation and provocation, and speak no bitter, harsh, wicked words but winning, courteous, kind words in season. It happens when they show firm confidence in God as the source of strength, rest wholly on His promises, and do duty with promptness while grasping infinite power by the hand of faith. Where this spirit is kept the holy Watcher is by their side taking knowledge of words, divine power is combined with human effort to guide and mold varied minds, and unbelievers who visit are favorably impressed and more inclined to accept the truth. Likewise a missionary ship or boat becomes a floating Bethel, a place associated with God where Christ abides and people are cared for under His protection, known by experienced protection and answering praise.