Bethel is mentioned quite a number of times in the Old Testament, but one of the early mentions that stands out for me was that it was the setting for Jacob's dream in Genesis 28. Jacob had been a very ambitious young man, with a tendency to do things his own way, instead of doing them God's way. But that kind of ambition can only be fruitful for a limited time before it becomes a trap for us. Jacob had finally come to the end of himself and his own resources... and that's when he arrives at a place called Luz (the name means separation) and there he has a dream and a personal encounter with the presence of God. He sets up a memorial stone and changes the name of the place to Bethel (which means house of God.)
It's not wrong to be ambitious for ministry, to want success and fruitfulness in the things God has called us to. It's not wrong to long to see our ministry impact the lives of many young people and families. But one of the dangers that every young leader will face is the danger that the ministry will become more important than the One we should be ministering to; the danger that ministering to people, to children, becomes more important than ministering to the Lord; the danger that we get so busy with programmes and activities that we don't leave enough time and energy for our levitical calling; the danger that we mistake God's early anointing on our life as the fruit of our own efforts and achievements. That's when we'll begin to depend on our own talents and giftings instead of on the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It's when we'll catch a glimpse of what's on God's heart, but fall into the trap of trying to make God's will happen in our own way and strength.
That's where Jacob was at, at the time of his first Bethel encounter, and it was only the first step in a journey of transformation where Jacob was learning to do things God's way instead of insisting on doing things the way he wanted or thought best.
It wasn't a short journey for Jacob. Twenty years later, we see him still struggling with God. But whenever God takes Jacob a step further, He often refers to Himself as, "the God of Bethel." (For example, in Genesis 31: 13) The Bethel encounter had been the start for Jacob in the journey of transforming personal ambition into godly motivation. And once a place of breakthrough had been reached, what did God ask Jacob to do? To get rid of all idols, to go back to Bethel, and build an altar to the Lord, the God who revealed Himself at Bethel.
That was Jacob's story, not Elisha's. But when I read in 2 Kings 2: 2 - 4 that Elisha refused to stop his journey in Bethel, it reminds me that this is a milestone all leaders must pass, a hurdle that aspiring leaders must overcome: will my ministry be based on self and on what I think is best, or will it truly be built on bringing joy to God's heart?
Hopefully we have that encounter and make that crucial decision when we are young; it can be painful to be confronted with it when we are older. Elisha didn't turn back at Bethel, but chose to continue on for the next leg of the journey.
Check in again tomorrow for the third location in Elisha's journey.
