" He rose up early in the morning, and took the stone which he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el ; but the name of the city was called Luz at the first." He determined to erect a memorial of the stupendous mercy that had been vouchsafed to him, and to serve
a Rom. x. 20.
his God in that very place which had been so com- mended to him by the providence and grace of God. Accordingly he took the stone on which he had re- clined his head, and erected it for a pillar, and poured oil upon it, in order to consecrate it to the special service of his God. We have no account of any ex- press command from God that oil should be applied to this purpose by him : but in after-ages it was parti- cularly enjoined to Moses to be used in consecrating the tabernacle, together with all the holy vessels and instruments that were employed in God's service13; as also to be used in all the peace-offerings that were presented to the Lord : " This is the law of the sacri- fice of peace-offerings, which he shall offer unto the Lord. If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried0." Thus not only under the law, but long before the law, we behold the solemn rite of consecration performed by one of God's most highly-favoured servants ; and a place that was common before, rendered holy to the Lord by the administration of this ordinance. And how acceptable to God this service was, may be judged from hence, that, twenty years afterwards, God again appeared to Jacob, and reminded him of this very circumstance, saying, " I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me11." " Arise, and go up to Beth-el, and dwell there ; and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother6." And in obedience to this command, we are told, " Jacob came to Luz, that is, Beth-el, and built an altar there, and called the place El-beth-el, because God there appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother f."
Do we not then see in this record how we also should mark the interpositions of God in our behalf ? Does it not become us to remember them, and to
b Numb. vii. 1. c Lev. vii. 11, 12. d Gen. xxxi. 13.
e Gen. xxxv. 1 . f Gen. xxxv. 6, 7.
45.1 Jacob's pillar at beth-el. 235
perpetuate the remembrance of them for the instruc- tion and encouragement of others ? Should not the honour of God be dear to us; and, if the place which God has signalized in so remarkable a way, have hitherto been distinguished by the name of Luz (a place of almonds, and of carnal delights), should we not labour to convert it to a Beth-el, and to render it to all future generations a house of God, and, if possible, the very gate of heaven ? Let the idea be derided as it may by them that know not God, this is an action worthy of a child of Abraham, a service acceptable and well-pleasing unto God.
In the verses following my text we have the vow of Jacob respecting this place recorded : " This stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house ; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Thus, whilst he consecrated here an altar to the Lord, he provided for the service of that altar by an actual endowment. What might be his circumstances, or the circumstances of his family, in future life, he knew not : yet he bound himself by this solemn and irrevocable vow. What any ignorant and ungodly man might think of this, it is easy to imagine : but I find not in all the inspired volume one single word that discountenances such a conduct. I find, on the contrary, the whole people of Israel contributing according to their power towards the erection of the tabernacle, and stripping them- selves of their ornaments in order to furnish it with vessels for the service of their God — I find David, the man after God's own heart, even when not permitted to build the temple himself, devoting not less than eighteen millions of money to the preparing of mate- rials for it — I find similar exertions made by others, at a subsequent period, for the rebuilding of the temple — and I find a poor widow, who had but one farthing in the world, commended for casting it into the treasury, to be expended for the Lord. In what- ever light then the lovers of this world may view such an appropriation of wealth, I have no hesitation in saying, that it will never be condemned by our God.