Title: Let's Go Up to Bethel
Contents
Let's go up to Bethel (Genesis 35:1-5)
1. The greatest patriot of the nation is Jesus.
(1) ‘The nation of Israel does not perish only when one man dies.
These were the words of Caiaphas, the priest of Israel at that time (John 11:50). Caiaphas said that Jesus had to be killed because of his own greed, but God had prophesied through his mouth that Jesus would have to die not only for that nation but also for the whole world.
(2) Who loves this nation? Jesus.
⑶ What saves this nation? It is faith. ‘Only through the faith of Jesus Christ the nation will stand upright.’ What saves this nation? The gospel of Christianity saves this nation.
2. Intercession for the people of the church (verse 1)
(1) The church is the best place to meet God on this earth (2 Chronicles 7:15-16).
(2) God said to Jacob, 'Get up and go up to Bethel' (verse 1). Jacob obeyed and cried out (verse 3). Bethel did not meet God because it was a holy place, but because God met Jacob, that place became Bethel.
⑶ When Jacob was not paying his vows to build the temple, a problem arose.
3. What to do before going up to the temple (v. 2).
(1) First, it is to forsake idols (verse 4).
(2) Second, it is to purify oneself.
⑶ Third, change clothes.
Jacob left because they were afraid of their people, but the people were afraid of Jacob, and no one pursued him (verse 5). To commemorate the place where they met God, they called it El Bethel (verse 7). Although Jacob's life was difficult, his life became a channel of blessing (verses 9-10). There, Jacob met Almighty God and received the blessing of Almighty God (verses 11-12).
4. The future of the nation
(1) Where is the hope of this country now? We Christians must not give up hope until the very end. Jesus is alive. Jesus rose from the dead and gave us hope.
(2) The way to revive the nation is to plant hope in the hearts of the people.
⑶ The way to revive the nation is to instill love in the hearts of the people.
You must go up to Bethel.
Don't settle for reality, but go to God. We need to draw closer to the God who was with us in the day of trouble. We must go to God who remembers our vows. We must go to God to give up what we forsake in order to renew ourselves. Let's live a church-centered life (Ex. 40:34-38).