Prepare Yourself and Establish Yourself
Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.”
Genesis 35:1-2 (NLT)
When God called Jacob to Bethel, He not only asked him to move to a new place but also to prepare spiritually. Bethel means “House of God,” a place of encounter and altar, where life must be in order to remain established. This passage reminds us that no one can remain firm in the house of God unless they have first prepared, cleansed, and sanctified themselves.
- It is time to leave the past behind
Jacob told his family to remove their idols. For us, those idols may be traditions, customs, hidden habits, double life, sin, or anything that takes the place of God. We cannot enter Bethel carrying what displeases the Lord. - It is time to purify ourselves
Clean clothes represent holiness. It means aligning our hearts and lives with God. Purification begins with recognizing our need, repenting, and receiving God’s forgiveness. - It is time to sanctify ourselves
God calls us to be set apart for Him. Sanctification is not human perfection but a life surrendered to the Lord, seeking to please Him in thoughts, words, and actions. - It is time to establish altars
The altar at Bethel was a reminder of all God had done for Jacob. We too need to raise altars of gratitude, testimony, and consecration that show our lives belong to the Lord.
In this decade God desires that we be established in His house, not unstable or wavering, but firm in faith, holiness, and service. But before we can be established, we must prepare: letting go of the old, purifying ourselves, and raising altars to the God who has been faithful in every season of our lives.
Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.”
Genesis 35:1-2 (NLT)
Think About It:
- What modern idols or bad habits do you need to let go of in order to align yourself with God?
- How can you practice purification and sanctification in your daily life?
- What altar of gratitude and testimony do you need to raise in this season as a sign of what God has done for you?