My hope is that this series will offer my readers a chance to consider the names, characteristics and descriptions of our God in the Word.
The remaining Names of God in this series might be considered descriptors, or characteristics of the Lord. We have reviewed the three primary Names of God, along with nineteen compound Names of God in our previous posts. As we venture through these descriptors of our God, I hope we will recognize all the many characteristics of our God that we tend to take for granted.
The Word is truly rich with descriptions of the Living God, and this effort of searching in the Word was quite illuminating. He truly is the ultimate subject of the Word, and His revelation of self-descriptions, or the accolades offered Him by His priests, prophets, kings apostles and faithful truly is a blessing.
May the Name of the Lord be praised, and by thinking on His name, may you have a blessed day.
| 188 |
| GOD OF BETHEL |
| Genesis 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” |
| God knows our weaknesses, better than we ourselves. In Genesis 31, we find Jacob on the run after scamming Laban. At least that is how it appears to Laban, after he looses much of his flock to Jacob though a payment scheme Jacob devised. It turns out that Jacob, after making the deal with his father in law, made out like a bandit! Any sheep that were born striped, spotted or mottled would become Jacobs. Surely the hand of God enabled the birthing marks of the flock to favor Jacob over Laban. Now that he has his flocks, Jacob looks for the next phase in his life, having served Laban for 20 years. Fourteen years for his wife Rachel, gaining another wife through that period, and then serving another 6 years for the flocks. He is set to move on and the Lord, after having given him direction on the goats, directs him to return to Bethel. So why refer to Bethel? What is so special about Bethel, and why is God relating to this place called Bethel? Let’s go back to Genesis 28:18-22 for a moment. Genesis 28 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” Bethel is the place where Jacob first met God, the location where he spoke – “the Lord is in this place and I did not know it”. It was during this encounter with the Living God that Jacob was promised the land, offspring like the dust of the earth, and God’s promise of being with him. When God speaks of being the God of Bethel, there is only one God that Jacob could think of. The God who made promises and spoke of His commitment to Jacob. Speaking of commitment, Jacob made a promise to God at Bethel also . Yes yes yes, something of a promise, but mostly a conditional commitment, for he spoke of his following God if God would give him food, provide clothing, supply passage back to Isaac… Then the Lord would be his God. No matter how I view Jacob, he is always coming off as the negotiator, the one seeking the best of a deal, looking for an advantage. Though this tendency was engrained in his personality, even when faced with God, nothing changed. He worked a deal with God. God is reminding him in this passage. God is reminding Jacob of his initial meeting with God, of the first time Jacob experienced God, of the start of his walk with God. God had kept His part of the bargain. Wives, children, wealth, safety. God had provided all. Was the Lord his God? Would Jacob follow through? Did Jacob remember that night God came down, made promises, heard Jacob’s response? It is good to remember our initial point of contact with the Eternal God. February 19, 1981, at 7:30 in the evening, in a house in Bracebridge Ontario. The single most eventful night of my life. (Testimony) My Judge had become my Savior! Can you remember meeting God the first time? Take some time today to remember. If you haven’t met Him, you are surely missing out. He is a wonderful Savior that keeps His Word, guides the wanderer, comforts the brokenhearted and provides for His people. Give up you sin, admit your rebellion to Him and ask for forgiveness. To know Him will change your life! |
I would love to hear of your favorite name, characteristic or description of the Living God. Please leave me a comment, and I will include it in the list!
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