Topical Bible: God: Appearances of To Jacob, at Beth-El

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The appearances of God to Jacob at Beth-El are significant events in the biblical narrative, marking pivotal moments in Jacob's life and in the unfolding of God's covenantal promises. Beth-El, meaning "House of God," becomes a sacred site through these divine encounters.

First Appearance: Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob's first encounter with God at Beth-El occurs as he flees from his brother Esau, journeying toward Haran. Exhausted, Jacob stops for the night and uses a stone for a pillow. In a dream, he sees a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. The LORD stands above it and declares:

"I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28:13-15)

Upon awakening, Jacob recognizes the place as the house of God and the gate of heaven. He sets up the stone as a pillar and anoints it with oil, naming the place Beth-El. Jacob vows that if God remains with him and provides for his needs, then the LORD will be his God, and he will give a tenth of all he receives back to God.

Second Appearance: Genesis 35:1-15

Years later, after Jacob's return from Paddan-aram and his reconciliation with Esau, God instructs Jacob to go to Beth-El and settle there. God commands him to build an altar to the God who appeared to him when he fled from Esau. Jacob obeys, purifying his household by removing foreign gods and changing their garments.

At Beth-El, God appears to Jacob again, reaffirming His covenant. God blesses Jacob and changes his name to Israel, saying:

"Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So He named him Israel. And God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." (Genesis 35:10-12)

Jacob sets up a stone pillar at the place where God had spoken to him, pouring out a drink offering and oil upon it. He names the place Beth-El, solidifying its status as a sacred site of divine revelation and covenantal promise.

These appearances at Beth-El underscore God's faithfulness to His promises and His ongoing relationship with Jacob, who becomes a patriarch of the Israelite nation. The encounters highlight themes of divine presence, protection, and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through Jacob's lineage.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 35:7,9
And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

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