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God is waiting for you further ahead! He wants to take you beyond the mere revelation of His existence to establish you in a true relationship with Him. Jacob saw Bethel, but he had to go through Peniel to finally understand the true essence of his encounter with God. From Bethel to El-Bethel—this is the spiritual journey God expects from each of us.
How many have remained at Bethel, amazed by what God can do, without ever knowing the One who does? How many are attached to God’s works instead of being attached to God Himself? Today, God is calling you to go farther, to not be content with seeing Bethel but to experience El-Bethel: the God of the house of God.
Let’s look at Jacob’s journey to understand how to move from mere knowledge of God to true intimacy with Him.
Jacob is fleeing. He is running from his brother, from his home, but most importantly, from the consequences of his own actions. Having stolen his brother’s blessing, he finds himself alone, with only his guilt and fear for company. It is in this flight that God appears to him for the first time.
Genesis 28:10-22 describes this striking scene where Jacob, exhausted, takes a stone for a pillow and falls asleep. He then has a dream: a ladder connecting earth to heaven, angels ascending and descending, and God speaking to him. God renews the promise made to Abraham and says: I am with you, I will keep you wherever you go.
But where Jacob should have fully surrendered to God, he makes a conditional vow: “If God is with me, if He keeps me, if He provides for me, then the Lord shall be my God.”
Jacob is amazed by the revelation, but he does not yet grasp who God is. To him, Bethel is a remarkable place, not because he met God, but because he saw an impressive vision. He names the place “Bethel,” the house of God, but he does not mention the “God of the house.”
How many today are living in this illusion of Bethel? How many cling to spiritual manifestations, miracles, revelations, and answered prayers without truly seeking God Himself? It is possible to be moved by what God does without ever truly knowing Him. But God expects more than that.
Years later, after enduring years of oppression under Laban, God calls Jacob to return to his country. But a great fear grips him—he must face Esau, his brother, the one he betrayed. This fear finally leads him to an honest prayer, not conditioned by a bargain with God, but by a real acknowledgment of his helplessness in the face of what awaits him.
Genesis 32:24-31 tells us that on that night, isolated, alone with himself, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious man who is none other than God. This struggle symbolizes Jacob’s internal battle, his refusal to let go, his desire to obtain something by force instead of accepting grace.
Then, suddenly, the decisive blow—God touches him at the socket of his hip. Jacob is broken physically, but more importantly, internally. He stands before God, no longer as the cunning deceiver he had always been, but as a vulnerable man. Instead of fighting, he clings to God differently: “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”
The true blessing is not found in an improvement of circumstances but in a transformation of identity. God then says to him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel.” He is no longer the deceiver; he becomes the one who prevails with God.
How much longer will you struggle with God? How much longer will you try to control your life when God is simply waiting for you to fully surrender to Him? Until you pass through Peniel, until you allow God to break in you what must be broken, you will not live in the fullness of your destiny.
After his experience at Peniel, God commands Jacob to return to Bethel. But this time, he does not return the same way.
Genesis 35:1-7 shows us that before even setting out, Jacob gives a new instruction to his family: “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.” He is no longer a man bargaining with God; he is a transformed man.
And when he finally reaches Bethel, something extraordinary happens. He no longer simply names the place as the house of God—he calls it “El-Bethel: the God of the house of God.” The place itself is no longer impressive to him; what matters is the One who dwells there.
Jacob has transitioned from being attached to God’s manifestations to being attached to God Himself.
Bethel is not enough. You must go to El-Bethel. Knowing the house of God is not enough—you must know the God of the house.
Today, God is calling you to no longer settle for His blessings but to seek His presence fully. He doesn’t just want to bring you into His church; He wants you to become His church. Your entire existence must be immersed in Him—not just in what He does, but in who He is.
When God calls you to return to Bethel, it is not to remain fascinated by His manifestations, but to discover His heart, His character, His deep love, and to enter into a true intimacy with Him.
Father, today I choose to leave Bethel to go to El-Bethel. I no longer want to simply see what You do—I want to truly know You. Break in me everything that keeps me from You, shape me in Your image, and draw my heart to You. May I no longer seek Your hand, but Your face, and in this transformation, become a living testimony in my generation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I need You. I believe that You died for my sins and that You rose again. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Transform my life and lead me in Your ways. Amen.
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