After bring called by God (Acts 7:2; Gen. 12:1, 7), Abraham proceeded in steps “to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to Jehovah and called upon the name of Jehovah.”
Bethel means house of God and Ai means a heap of ruins*. In God’s view these are our only choices. May the Lord call each of us enough to bring us to Bethel, to build an altar for offering ourselves (consecrating) to God for His house, and to call on the name of the Lord to enjoy His riches (Rom. 10:12-13).
Abraham’s experience was a beginning. The nation of Israel followed him, and the present church age is another step forward for God. Today we are part of “the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10), “the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17).
We go onward toward New Jerusalem by faith, not by outward appearance (2 Cor. 5:7). “By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive as an inheritance” (Heb. 11:8). By faith he dwelt in tents showing that in that time he had no permanent home (11:9) “for he eagerly waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God” (11:10).
By faith now we eagerly await the city with foundations, New Jerusalem, the eternal house of God and our permanent dwelling place.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about The House of God (4).
