Only Jerusalem is mentioned more than Bethel in the Bible. Bethel (Beit El) is an amazing place. In this video, we leave no rock unturned. You will learn everything there is to know about Bethel in this video.
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Historical Background
1. Bethel is mentioned sixty times in the Bible, representing over thirty distinct stories and prophecies, all found in the Old Testament. Only Jerusalem is mentioned more times in the Bible than Bethel.
2. Bethel means “House of God.”
3. The site of Bethel, the close-by sites of Abraham and Jacob, and the high place are all holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. They have artifacts, buildings, tombs, and ruins pertaining to each religion.
Places of Interest
1. The site where Abraham and Jacob pitched their tents and built altars.
There are ruins at this site which provide strong evidence that this was the place Abraham and Jacob pitched their tents and built altars. Later, a Byzantine church was erected here, marking this spot. Jerome (347-420 AD), an early Christian leader, confirms this. He wrote the following about this site: "There is also a church built where Jacob slept as he passed to Mesopotamia."
2. The original city of Bethel.
This site was once excavated and revealed ancient Bethel's walls, buildings, and remains. It has since been abandoned and filled in by those living in the area. However, some remains can still be seen in various places.
3. The high place of worship.
1. Muslim Prayer Shrine
2. Crusader Chapel
3. 1,000-year-old oak tree, and other ancient trees (trees were never cut at holy sites).
4. Walls of a Byzantine Church
5. Walls & towers of protection – these would have been used during times of war between Judah and Israel after the nation divided.
6. Burial Tombs
7. Ruins of a foundation measuring the exact size of the tabernacle.
8. Jeroboam’s Golden-Calf Altar
Bethel in the Bible
1. It was near Bethel that Abraham built one of the first altars mentioned in the Bible, and there he: “invoked the name of the Lord.” Genesis 12:8
2. After Abraham fled to Egypt to escape a famine in the Holy Land, he returned to the same place near Bethel, and once again invoked the name of the Lord. Genesis 13:2–4
3. When Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau, he stopped for the night at Bethel, where he had a dream. Genesis 28:10–22
4. When Jacob was in Paddan-aram, God told him to return to the land of Israel.
Genesis 31:13: I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.
5. After Jacob returned to the Holy Land, he moved to Bethel to live. God spoke to him and changed his name from Jacob to Israel. Genesis 35:1, Genesis 35:9-15
6. Bethel was a place the tabernacle resided for some time during the period of the Judges. Judges 20:26–27
7. After the Kingdom of Israel was divided, Jeroboam, the king of the northern kingdom, set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan. 1 Kings 12:26–29
8. God warned Jeroboam about erecting the golden calves at Bethel. Jeroboam’s arm withered and was then restored by a prophet to show Jeroboam that God was serious about his great sin. However, Jeroboam did not heed God’s warning. 1 Kings 13:1–34
9. The continual disobedience of Jeroboam, and the succeeding kings, sealed the fate of Bethel. By the time of Jesus’ birth, Bethel had completely faded away as a place of importance and is not mentioned anywhere in the New Testament.
10. Josiah, a righteous king, destroyed the Golden-Calf Altar Jeroboam erected at Bethel. 2 Kings 23:15
11. Just before Elijah ascended to heaven, he and Elisha were in Bethel. 2 Kings 2:1–3
12. After Assyria conquered and exiled the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the king of Assyria sent one of the captured Israelite priests back to Bethel to teach the people from other nations who lived in Israel how to worship Yahweh, the true and living God. 2 Kings 17:24–41
Faith Lesson from Bethel
1. Bethel was a place of two different kinds of responses to God.
It was a place where Abraham and Jacob had special encounters with God and worshiped Him, and a place where the Ark of the Covenant dwelt, which represented the presence and glory of God.
Unfortunately, it also represents a place of disobedience to God and the worship of false gods and idols.
2. We could learn a great lesson from this biblical site of Bethel.
3. Are we going to be like those who worshiped and obeyed God, or like those who disobeyed and worshiped their own desires and plans?
