Bible ReadingGenesis 35:1-15 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 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.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother. Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth. Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
[17:58] [22:45] [31:27] [35:13]Genesis 28:10-22 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
[06:16] [22:45] [27:33]1 Peter 2:4-10 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
[56:22] [59:07]Observation questions- In Genesis 35, what specific things did Jacob tell his household to do before going up to Bethel?
- In Genesis 28, what did Jacob use for a pillow, what did it become the next morning, and what name did he give that place? [29:33]
- What promises did God repeat to Jacob at Bethel in Genesis 35 after calling him Israel?
- In 1 Peter 2, what words are used to describe Jesus, and what words are used to describe believers together? [56:22]
Interpretation questions- Jacob’s first vow at Bethel was real, but it was still mixed with bargaining. What does that show about the way God deals with people who are sincere, but still immature?
- God told Jacob to return to Bethel, and that return included putting away idols, purification, and changed garments. Why does returning to God often involve more than warm feelings or old memories? [33:07]
- Jacob named the place El Bethel, “God of the house of God.” Why is that an important correction for people who either love church but neglect God, or claim to love God while resisting life with his people? [22:45]
- Peter says believers are “living stones” being built into a spiritual house. What is the difference between believers merely being around each other and actually being built together? [39:50]
Application questions- Jacob had to return to a place where God had met him before. Is there a part of obedience, surrender, or devotion that has been delayed for too long and needs to be revisited now? [30:13]
- Before Jacob’s household went up to Bethel, they had to put away foreign gods. What tends to function like a “foreign god” in everyday life now—comfort, control, approval, entertainment, money, bitterness? Which of those feels closest to home right now? [33:07]
- God blessed Jacob, but he also corrected him. Where has God been merciful in life, and where has his correction also been necessary? Is there any area where correction is still being resisted? [14:27]
- God’s presence makes fear look smaller. What fear has been taking up too much space lately, and what would it look like to deliberately magnify God instead of that fear this week? [27:33]
- God’s house is a place where family members are included. What are some simple ways a household can be drawn into worship, prayer, repentance, and the life of God’s people more intentionally? [31:27]
- A believer can be gathered without really being assembled. In what ways has church life been treated more like occasional attendance than real connection, service, and shared life? [39:50]
- Living stones need other stones. What would being more intentionally built together with other believers look like in this season—showing up consistently, opening a home, asking for prayer, serving, receiving correction, or something else? [56:22]
