Grace & Faithfulness

Come now to our worship where we hear the voice of God and pray that you give attention to it. You join me in prayer now as we ask him for his help. Father in heaven, we thank you that because of Christ we can call you Father. We thank you that because of your grace you have called us and by your grace you purify us. By your grace, you set us apart. By your grace, you give us great and precious promises.

We thank you for a marvelous grace in our lives. We thank you for the grace that brings us to the point where we can call you Father without fear. Thank you that we can come now and instead of hearing your voice terrorize us, we hear your voice encourage us, rebuke us. We hear your voice as it gives grace to us. thank you now for your words speak to us plainly we ask speak to hearts today not just an intellectual accumulation of facts but a desire to be what you would want us to be because of what you have done we thank you now in the name of Jesus our Lord Amen once more put yourself on that desert road with your people making your way to the land promised to your forefathers by god every night as you rest from the journey you get one more installment in this in the one you hear another installment in the story of our people and that story is supposed to encourage you and strengthen you so that you'll be able to accomplish the conquest that is the taking of the land from the warlike canaanites the land that god had promised your forefathers how should you view god who made the promise how should you respond to him what should you be and what should you do because of your god how will you face those powerful enemies that live in Canaan.

Well, in order to see that, you need to understand the God who delivered you from Egypt. You need to understand and have a good grounding in the history of God's work with your people. And in the last installment of the story, you heard about the horrific events at Shechem. Here you are, the nation of God's people. But how did you get to this point because the last thing you heard was about a fearful man and his vengeful sons and the rape of his daughter and you've read about or you've heard about Jacob a half-hearted man when it comes to obedience and the one who compromises all the way and now he faces this incredible crisis so how is it that you are now a nation poised to go into that land how did that happen And what went on?

Well, that's what the rest of the story is all about, isn't it? And as we read the next installment, you need to understand that this is your God too, not just the God of those people making their way to the promised land. This is your God, and that he intends to give you confidence as you navigate the hostile territory of this world. He wants you to have confidence. in order for you to have confidence you must be convinced of certain truths regarding this God and that confidence has to grow in you well let's look at this chapter chapter 35 and see what God has to say what are the truths that you must be convinced of if you're going to have confidence in the hostile world in which you live God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there.

Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau. So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.

So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and the rings that were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, that is Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

And there he built an altar and called the place El Bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and she was buried under an oak below Bethel, so he called its name Elan-Bakuth. God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Padamaram and blessed him. And God said to him, Your name is Jacob.

No longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name. So he called his name Israel. And God 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 from your own body. the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you and I will give the land to your offspring after you then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him and Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him a pillar of stone he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it so Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel Well here the first thing that God says You must be convinced of God grace to his people You must be convinced of God grace to his people Here stands Jacob sinking into the depths of faithlessness.

He let comfort and prosperity squeeze out his faith, and he witnessed the rape of his daughter and the vengeful anger of his sons. This worshiper of God has lost his way. Not only has all this happened, but he has not fulfilled his vow to go back to Bethel. he has lived in the promised land now for 10 maybe 15 years since since he met Esau it's been 10 or 15 years and he still has not gone back to Bethel which he vowed to God that he was going to go to and which God commanded him to go to when he appeared to him when he or when he spoke to him when he was working for Laban.

But into all this personal and family chaos, God speaks. In grace, God calls Jacob and tells him to return to Bethel. God took the initiative. God did not wait for Jacob to get it together. God instead intervened and spoke to him. Jacob will indeed make it back to Bethel, as God commanded and just as he promised.

But it's God who's going to get him there. You see, God will never abandon those whom he has chosen. God will never abandon those with whom he has made a covenant. now he's not only going to go to Bethel but he wants him to build an altar to him there notice make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau build an altar remember when you were fleeing from your brother Esau you know what he's saying to him here remember how I appeared to you when you fled Esau do you remember me remember i'm the one who promised to walk with you all the way in those days long ago remember my grace to you build an altar to me when to the god who was with you when you were fleeing from esau remember who i am you see god had made a covenant with abraham and isaac and even his flawed covenant partners are not going to keep him from fulfilling his promises in that covenant.

Jacob and his family do not deserve this, but in grace, God calls him. Listen, God will never abandon those whom he has chosen. He will never abandon those with whom he has made a covenant. You will never abandon them. You know what God does? You know what He does in grace?

He brings crisis and He disturbs your comfortable sloth. In grace, He intervenes with trials and failed temptations in order to destroy your comfortable lukewarmness. In grace, He calls you back to Himself. you see you belong to God through Jesus the Savior and because the promises he has made in his son he will never let you go you know the second law of thermodynamics remember learning about that in high school the second law of thermodynamics says that matter will always proceed from order to disorder we can call that the first law of walking by faith if we wanted to and that is this unless we are vigilant we move from order to disorder from obedience to disobedience from love for god towards a lukewarm attitude towards god unless we're vigilant that's always going to happen.

But God in grace will never let you continue down that path. God will never let you go. I love this statement from the Second London Confession of Faith. It's a Baptist confession from 1689. In fact, later on, we're going to say these very words as a congregation but i love these words here's what they said many storms and floods may arise and beat upon the saints yet they can never be moved from from the foundation and rock on which by faith they are firmly established even if unbelief and satan's temptations cause them for a time to lose the sight and comfort of the light and love of God, yet the unchanging God remains their God.

And he will certainly keep and save them by his power until they come to the enjoyment of their purchased possession. God will never let you go. That's his grace. You must be convinced that God is gracious. of he must be convinced of his grace to his people that is the grace and the faithfulness of our God he was that way with Jacob he be that way with you now as we move on it fascinating to see that this grace does And it starts to change everything And in verses 2 through 8, I think we see this, that you must be convinced that God, by grace, separates his people from all others. you have to be convinced that God by his grace separates his people from all other people you see that happening now as God begins his work of grace in this household now the first thing that's interesting to notice is that God's grace transforms Jacob into a spiritual leader it's amazing to see this because God has been gracious to him he commands his family now to renounce their pagan worship and to turn to God and they do it and then he tells them that they're going to Bethel that is, we're going to travel through hostile territory to arrive at the destination that God has commanded and they follow him and then he tells them why they're going to Bethel.

Please note that. Why are they going to Bethel? Then let us arise, I'm in verse 3, and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone. Now, he's remembering again. He should have remembered this before. but now again he's reminded by the grace of God that this is the God who answers him when he calls him in the day of distress the God who made that promise at Bethel that he would be with him and walk with him and bless him until the very end now he says we must go to Bethel because the God who called me is the God I call in my distress he remembers the grace of God God appeared to him first when he was on the run when all seemed lost he had been with Jacob all through his journey in spite of his half-hearted obedience and his continual compromise he had left Bethel with only the clothes on his back he is returning now to Bethel a wealthy man with 12 sons and he recalls the God of promise and he believes that God will do the same now.

Because of God's past grace and his present grace, they can renounce the old ways and trust him in the face of their enemies. Because of God's grace, Jacob is now going to lead them into a path that will cause them to be separate from all the rest of the peoples around them. they're on the way to becoming the people of God. Notice what happens. God's grace modifies you to purify yourselves.

God's grace modifies you to purify yourselves. Jacob says, because of this God, this God who appeared to me at Bethel years ago, this God whom I can call on in distress, this God, because of his grace, you now should renounce your impure worship practices and by that separate yourselves from the Canaanites. Jacob calls for singular loyalty to God. Get rid of your foreign gods.

Singular loyalty and allegiance to God by ridding themselves of their idol and all the things associated with it. Purify yourself from the practices of the pagans. Change your clothes as a symbol of your new walk with God. and so they do exactly that they gave up all the idols they had they gave up their earrings now what are earrings what's that all about well it's possible these were amulets these were something associated with magic with the pagan view of magic controlling the world through magic and so they get rid of their gods they get rid of their earrings and Jacob dumps them in a hole now ESV has translated it hid.

Others have said buried. But evidently this is a Hebrew word that is not normal for burying or hide. It's the word that means dumped. So they dumped them in the hole. They got rid of all those things. They purified themselves from the worship of those around them.

They announced their singular allegiance to God. And again, please note, disobedience comes by grace because Jacob tells them of a God of grace who answers him in the day of distress because of that God let's purify ourselves let me ask you this would you not give your allegiance to this God who deals with you in grace and not like the Canaanite gods the gods that you must pacify or they'll be angry with you the gods that you have to offer sacrifices to and if you don't do it right they may wipe you out if you don't do things right you may not have crops would you not rather give your allegiance to this God? And you know what?

God still calls you by his grace to purity. He still calls you to purity by his grace. I want you to look with me at 2 Corinthians 7 for a moment. When I was reading through this and meditating on this passage, this is the passage that seemed to to say the same thing. It's all of grace. And you know what?

God hasn't changed with His people. We still have to purify ourselves. We still are in the business of purifying ourselves from the ways of the old life, the life we had before we came to God, the life that is characterized by idolatrous hearts and lustful hearts desire hearts driven by desire driven by something that I can have looking to something else to bring me fulfillment and now we come to God and he says keep purifying yourself please note second Corinthians chapter 6 I'll begin reading in verse 16 for we are the temple of the living God as God said and he quotes from the old testament I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Therefore, go out from their midst and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing. Then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. Since we have these promises, beloved, what promises? The promise that God will dwell with us. The promise that God Himself will walk among us.

The promise that He will be a Father to us, and we will be like sons and daughters to Him. Because of those promises, what? Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. How are we to purify ourselves? Because of these promises. Isn't it interesting? purify yourself and then God will walk among you.

No, I'm among you. And he quotes this as being fulfilled amongst us. I'm among you. I'm dwelling with you. You are my sons and my daughters on the basis of those promises. Purify yourself.

It is grace that drives us to purity. So purification begins when you bury your idols, all those souvenirs of the former ways of living and thinking, That we've brought along on our journey. We've been transformed by the grace of Christ. His love drives us now. Not the idolatrous desires of our heart. Not only that, but God's grace protects and separates you.

Verse 5. I think this is a key verse in chapter 35. He says in verse 5, And as they journey, a terror from God fell upon the cities that are around them, so they could not pursue the sons of Jacob. This clan of people had lost its reputation as quiet shepherds. They now are seen as rapacious warriors walking through the land. If the Canaanites wanted vengeance for the massacre at Shechem, the whole family could easily have been slaughtered. they could have easily been slaughtered but god sends a terror on those cities so that they leave them alone it is god notice once more it's god intervening by his grace it's nothing they've done he sends a terror on these cities so they leave them alone he protects jacob's clan what would happen if he hadn't done that what would have happened the promise is done right the promise to use this family to bless all the nations of the world is done.

If the Canaanites lie against them and massacre them, it's over. But God, because he's faithful to his promise, sends a terror on those cities so they leave them alone. And by that terror, he keeps them separate from the Canaanites. They don't want anything to do with these people. And you know what? God continues to separate his people from the rest of humanity.

He's still doing that. You know, one of the verses that I love is found in Romans chapter 15, verse 16. In Romans chapter 15, verse 16, Paul says that he is a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified or set apart by the Holy Spirit. Set apart.

What? Set apart from the rest of humanity. Set apart as the people of God. We are a particular people. But notice, God sets you apart from humanity not by terror, but by the grace of the gospel. He sets you apart.

Listen, this is one thing I think we need to understand. God always separates his people from everyone else around them. Now that doesn't mean that we walk around with a holier-than-thou attitude. But it does mean this. Never forget this part of your identity. We are the people of God.

And there are no other people in all the world who have that as their identifying marker. We are the people of God. No one else can say this. We're not a country club. okay we're not you know part of this great conglomerate we're not just part of a a cool society we are the people of god and all across the world there are people separated from the rest of humanity all of them from different nationalities having one identity the people of god set apart from the rest of humanity holy unto god he continues to do that doesn't do it terror he does it by the grace of the gospel notice as well as we come to verse 7 god's grace causes you to stand apart in worship now notice and i think he's the writer moses does this on purpose it says in verse 7 and um verse 6 and jacob came to luz that is bethel which is in the land of Canaan.

Which is in the land of Canaan. He wants you to understand these people are in the land of Canaan. They're surrounded by these pagans who now have the terror of God upon them so they leave them alone. But now that they're in the land of Canaan, what do they do? They build an altar. And by that worship, again, they declare that they belong to this God.

Please, let's remember the culture they're coming from. They're coming from a culture, they're surrounded by all these people. In fact, the whole rest of the world are people who worship a multitude of gods. Not just one God, but a multitude of gods. And one nation, let's say Egypt, would say, here are our gods. And another empire, let's say the Sumerian Empire over here in Mesopotamia, would say, here are our gods.

And the Egyptians wouldn't say, no, our gods are the true gods. Your gods don't exist. Nor would the Sumerians say to the Egyptians, no, you don't have the real gods. We do. They would say, you have your gods. We have our gods.

It's not that even argued about that. but here they're saying no to the rest of the world by building this altar you know what they're saying we worship the one true god all the rest are false god separates his people by their worship they restate by building this altar they do a number of things they restate their separation from the canaanites they witness again to the existence of the true god as opposed to all these others and they lay claim to the land that's been promised to them do you remember you remember long ago as we saw abraham walk into this land however he went he built an altar you remember that before he went to egypt he was building altars why was he doing that because that was the custom of saying this altar to this god he owns this land and so what they're saying to everyone around them is this is the land that god has promised us this one true god this belongs to him See, they believe that promise. Now notice as well, Jacob renames the place El Bethel or El Bethel. Bethel is Hebrew, Beit El, which means house of God.

So now he names it El Bethel or El Bethel or the God of the house of God. What is he doing here? he's taking the emphasis and putting it on God rather than the place. In other words, he's declaring that this is God. He's saying instead, not just this is the house of God, but we're worshiping the God whose house this is. You know what? This family has to find a way of living among the Canaanites and to be separate from them, and they are by their worship.

They're not supposed to do it by walking around slaughtering everybody. And they're not supposed to do it and they can't do it if they accommodate themselves. What's going to set them apart? What's going to set them apart is their worship. Do you know that our worship separates us from everyone else? Now listen, I'm not talking about our liturgy.

I've had people say to me, wow, I've never been in a Baptist church who had public confession of sin. And, oh, that's really different. Right? Offering at the end of the service. But, you know, we can change all that. That's no big deal.

We can change all that. The liturgy doesn't set us apart. That's not what sets us apart. What does set us apart? What worship sets us apart from everyone else in the world? You know what it is?

Worship in the name of Jesus. That's what sets us apart from everyone else in the world. Look at Hebrews 10 for a moment. Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, beginning in verse 19. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

You see, we enter into the very presence of God by Jesus. We are a people set apart from all other peoples in all the world, because we worship in the name of Jesus, this one, this one Savior. and by the way many so called Christian congregations are not set apart that way there are many Christian congregations who deny the deity of Jesus I don't know how they can call themselves Christians but they do they have forgotten all the commandments of Jesus they do not come in the name of Jesus I was reminded of this as listening to a news story this last week about the great memorial service that was held in Louisville Kentucky this weekend for Muhammad Ali. And Muhammad Ali said, in my memorial service, I want all faiths represented.

Okay? So there was a Baptist preacher there. Would I say, oh, your worship is distinct from everyone else because you come in the name of Jesus? I wouldn't say that about him at all. I wouldn't say that about him at all. Because Jesus says what?

Oh by the way all the rest of you are wrong You know if I was invited to speak there the only way I could agree to it is if I stood up and said now we're going to hear the truth. The rest of you have been wrong the whole time, right? I'm trying to imagine that. I would probably not live to see the next day. What's the point? The point is what separates us from the rest of humanity is our worship.

We come to God, the one true God, in the name of Jesus. Now I must admit to you right now, I have to admit this, I never like doing this, and I don't like preaching a sermon until I'm absolutely convinced of everything. but I don't know if I would ever figure this out. Why do they talk about Deborah dying here? Why? The whole theme seems to be running this way and all of a sudden, boom!

Deborah dies. She was a nurse to Rebecca. There was great sorrow at her death. I'll just say this. God's grace causes you to honor the right people. because you know what's happening here? If you were hearing this or reading it for the first time, you would expect to hear Rebecca's obituary.

But one thing that's interesting is that Rebecca is never mentioned again after she deceives her husband and sends Jacob off. All the other wives of the patriarchs, Abraham and Jacob, their wives are mentioned at death. Rebecca's never is. Never mentioned again. That's purposeful. That's purposeful.

It's to say, honor not here. But her nurse is honored. Isn't that interesting? Her name is Deborah. We read about her in chapter 29, is it? or 24, verse 59, and she's not even named there. It's just that when Isaac's servant, or Abraham's servant, no, when Rebecca left, her nurse went with her.

Just mentions, and her nurse went with her. And so she is honored here, and there's great sorrow at her death. Listen, rank alone does not deserve honor, but grace honors servants. Grace honors servants. You know, I've often said, when I die, I don't want people talking about me. I want them talking about Jesus.

Grace honors servants. I want to be honored as a servant do you? when I die I don't want people saying wow Tim Pasma was a great guy I would like them to say you know what Tim Pasma looked like Jesus the greatest servant of all grace honors servants so be convinced that God's grace separates you from all others as the people of God. Lastly, verses 9 through 15, you must be convinced that in grace God lavishes promises on his people.

God lavishes promises on his people. Now while worshiping at Bethel, you will know God appears to Jacob a second time. The first time was his first visit to Bethel. The only other time that God appears to Jacob then is now, as he returns to Bethel. And here it says he blesses him. Now first, he blesses him by reminding him of the transforming new name that he had given him at Peniel.

Alright? He reminds him of that name. And God said to him, verse 10, your name is Jacob. No longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name. So he called, who? So God.

So God called him Israel. It's as if he says, other people may call you Jacob, but as for me, I will call you Israel, the man who has striven with God and prevailed. God's gracious work in Jacob's life could not be halted he would make him a man of faith God is going to make him Israel God is going to remain faithful to this half-hearted compromising, fearful, whatever we want deceiving guy and make him a man of faith God will not be halted in accomplishing that purpose And He won be halted in accomplishing the purpose of changing you into the image of Christ Nothing will stop him.

And then God blesses him again. The second way he blesses him is by repeating the premises of the Abrahamic covenant. Don't miss that. Now you remember in chapter 28 when he's fleeing, God says, he again tells him about that covenant. But this time he really reiterates it as if to say, Jacob, this is your covenant. This is the covenant I made with Abraham and this is the covenant I make with you.

I will not be swayed from keeping the promises of this covenant I made with Abraham and Isaac. You too are in this covenant. Now he does what he did with Abraham before. You remember that the covenant of God, it comes in Genesis 12, God promises Abraham. In Genesis 15, he makes a covenant. In Genesis 17, he does something with Abraham.

Now watch. Turn back to Genesis 17. First, we've read God changing His name to Israel. And God said to him, I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply, and then all the promises. Notice, remember what happened with Abraham. Chapter 17, when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord what?

Appeared to him. We have the appearance of God, just like with Jacob. appeared to him and said to him, what? I am God Almighty. The very same thing he's saying to Jacob. He's revealing that name again in the context of a covenant. Just like with Abraham, he's doing it with Isaac.

I am God Almighty. Behold now the Lord has proved. Whoops. I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless that I might make my covenant between me and you and you may multiply and multiply you greatly. same promise to Jacob. Then Abram fell on his face and God said to him, behold, my covenant is with you and you shall be the father of multitude of nations.

No longer shall your name be called Abram, but Abraham. He's renaming Jacob too, right? All the same things that happened with Abraham when God reaffirms his covenant with him, the same thing is happening to Jacob. Jacob ought to be getting the message, wow, God's serious about this. This is my covenant too. Jacob, I am the God of the covenant, God Almighty, and I have the power to keep the promises of this covenant.

Nothing will keep God from fulfilling those promises. I am El Shaddai, God of might. you know I make promises I make promises I'll say hey I'll see you on Tuesday Tuesday at 10 does that work for you works for me okay good I'll be there and guess what happens something comes up something I can't control my grandson goes into the hospital we're all in a panic right hey i can't make it i'm busy i'm gone we'll have to meet another time i can't keep the promise you know that never happens with god nothing will keep him from fulfilling his promises nothing wow not even you not even you look at this this half-hearted compromising deceiver it's made into a man of faith why El Shaddai this is the God of might he'll accomplish his covenant promises and listen look at when he repeats the promises of the covenant as he did with Abraham, Jacob then has no doubt that this covenant is his as well. Many descendants be fruitful and multiply.

By the way, that's what Isaac said to him when he blessed him, and it's coming to pass. Be fruitful and multiply. He has 12 sons. Now they need to be fruitful and multiply. He says a nation is going to come from him. Kings of that nation are going to come from Jacob.

The land belongs to you and to your descendants. But there's an interesting promise that wasn't really in the first part of the Abrahamic covenant. It wasn't there at first. And Isaac brings it up. And it's this. A company of nations will come from you.

A company of nations will come from you. A company, a congregation, a community of nations will come from you. Some kind of a community that would transcend all national boundaries and limitations. By the way that us That the promise he makes There going to be this wonderful community of all nations out of all nations That's what I'm promising you. Now do you think like Sarah, Jacob might have been tempted to laugh?

He says, what? A community, a peaceful, harmonious community from this family? Right? Have you ever thought things like that? Right? Oh, God.

Okay, I hear you. You serious? Right? You think Jacob might, like Sarah, might have been tempted to laugh at that? Well, God says he's going to do it. That's what he promises to do.

You know what? He does it in Jesus. He does it in Jesus. in the book of Colossians the apostle Paul at one point says this for Christ is in all and is all how does that happen how are we made this one community here's how Christ is in you all and Christ means everything to you and I'm going to Romania and Mongolia and Albania Azerbaijan and I know this these are my brothers these are my sisters Christ is in them and Christ means everything to them and so God fulfills that promises here's what you need to see what separates us from the rest of humanity?

We are people of promise. We are people of promise. God has lavished promises on us. Now, we could spend the next hour or more looking at all the promises God has made His people in Christ. Right? We are people of promise.

We have every reason for hope we have every reason for joy we have every reason for contentment we have every reason not to be upset about the coming year politically we have every reason for hope instead God sets apart his people as the people of promise and so what does Jacob do in response what do we do in response he sets up a memorial to God again marking the place of promise after God had ascended now look he did this before you remember except it's different because now he knows by experience the God who has a history of keeping promises. When he was there before, he erected this pillar to say, God has promised me these things. Now it's a little bit different.

He erects the pillar that says, God has kept his promise to me. It's now the God who has a history of keeping his promises. A history of faithfulness. That's what our worship is about. that's what sets us apart we have a God who is faithful to us now you don't belong to those people marching along the desert road who heard the story for the first time but you are the people of God separate, different, set apart you have to be convinced that you're recipients of God's grace in Christ you have to be convinced of that you see no one deserves to go to Bethel no one deserves to go there and even though you neglect him compromise, walk the other way God still remains faithful to his covenant promises and he calls you back to him you have to be convinced that God's grace leads you to purity and sanctification making you different than those around you you have to be convinced that you are the recipients of the promises of God in Christ the only people in all the world who can make that claim Bethel it's for undeserving people thank you Father thank you for your word thank you for your grace thank you that you don't just choose those who are good candidates because Father when we look around there are no good candidates none of us are good enough to go to Bethel but we thank you that like Jacob you are a God of grace who because he is intent on keeping his covenant he will shake us up he will intervene he will move in such a way that we will follow Jesus thank you for such grace as this we pray it in Jesus name Amen