God tells Jacob to return to Bethel and build an altar there. Jacob instructs his household to abandon foreign gods and purify themselves. They give Jacob their foreign idols and he buries them. At Bethel, Jacob builds an altar and God reaffirms His promises to Jacob, changing his name to Israel. Jacob sets up a stone pillar commemorating God speaking to him there and names the place Bethel.

2. Genesis 35:1–15
1 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to
Bethel and live there, and make an altar there
to God, who appeared to you when you fled
from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his
household and to all who were with him, “Put
away the foreign gods which are among you,
and purify yourselves and change your
garments; 3 and 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

3. and has been with me wherever I have gone.”
4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods
which they had and the rings which were in
their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak
which was near Shechem. 5 As they journeyed,
there was a great terror upon the cities which
were around them, and they did not pursue
the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz (that
is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he
and all the people who were with him. 7 He
built an altar there, and called the place El-
bethel, because there God had revealed

4. Himself to him when he fled from his brother.
8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and
she was buried below Bethel under the oak; it
was named Allon-bacuth. 9 Then God
appeared to Jacob again when he came from
Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. 10 God said
to him, “Your name is Jacob; You shall no
longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your
name.” Thus He called him Israel. 11 God also
said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful
and multiply; A nation and a company of
nations shall come from you, And kings shall

5. come forth from you. 12 “The land which I gave
to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And
I will give the land to your descendants after
you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the
place where He had spoken with him. 14 Jacob
set up a pillar in the place where He had
spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he
poured out a drink offering on it; he also
poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob named the place
where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

7. Advancing through Adversity
The sons of Israel’s rash actions help to
compel their father into action.
God makes His will known through
1. His Word
2. His Spirit
3. Adversity

8. Marching orders
Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to
Bethel and live there, and make an altar there
to God, who appeared to you when you fled
from your brother Esau.”

9. Jacob says
“Put away the foreign gods which are among
you, and purify yourselves and change your
garments; and 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 wherever I have gone.”

10. Sounds almost like Sunday morning
Symbolism with significance
1. Foreign gods
2. Purify
3. Change clothes
4. Go to Bethel
5. Worship

11. Idols & Earrings
Genesis 35:4 (NASB95)
4 So they gave to Jacob all the
foreign gods which they had
and the rings which were in
their ears, and Jacob hid
them under the oak which
was near Shechem.
Now, therefore, fear
the LORD and serve
Him in sincerity and
truth; and put away
the gods which your
fathers served
beyond the River
and in Egypt, and
serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:14

12. Obeying God has benefits
As they journeyed,
there was a great
terror upon the cities
which were around
them, and they did
not pursue the sons
of Jacob.
(John 10:27-29 NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and
they follow me. {28} I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
(John 14:15-18 NIV) “If you love me, you will obey what I command.
{16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever– {17} the Spirit of truth. The
world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows
him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
{18} I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
(John 14:23-24 NIV) Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him. {24} He who does not love me will not
obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they
belong to the Father who sent me.
(John 15:7-14 NIV) If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. {8} This is to my
Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to
be my disciples. {9} “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved
you. Now remain in my love. {10} If you obey my commands, you
will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s
commands and remain in his love. {11} I have told you this so
that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
{12} My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
{13} Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life
for his friends. {14} You are my friends if you do what I
command.

13. Return to the place of promise
Ephesians 1:17 (NASB95)
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory, may give to you a
spirit of wisdom and of revelation in
the knowledge of Him.
He built an altar there, and called the place El-
bethel, because there God had revealed
Himself to him when he fled from his brother.

14. It takes follow through
Then God appeared
to Jacob again when
he came from
Paddan-aram, and
He blessed him.
Genesis 35:10–12 (NASB95)
10 God said to him, “Your name is
Jacob; You shall no longer be
called Jacob, But Israel shall be
your name.” Thus He called him
Israel. 11 God also said to him, “I
am God Almighty; Be fruitful and
multiply; A nation and a company
of nations shall come from you,
And kings shall come forth from
you. 12 “The land which I gave to
Abraham and Isaac, I will give it
to you, And I will give the land to
your descendants after you.”

15. LEAD BY
EXAMPLE
Jacob set up a pillar in the
place where He had spoken
with him, a pillar of stone,
and he poured out a drink
offering on it; he also
poured oil on it. So Jacob
named the place where
God had spoken with him,
Bethel.