God tells Jacob to return to Bethel to fulfill a vow he had made decades prior. Jacob had vowed that if God protected him, he would worship God and dedicate a stone. However, Jacob had since forgotten his vow. This passage has several lessons: 1) God expects us to keep our vows, just as we should keep our commitment to follow Christ. 2) People often forget vows made in times of trouble once fulfilled or when life is comfortable. 3) To fulfill a forgotten vow, one must return to the fundamentals of faith, just as Jacob returned to Bethel.