Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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Genesis -35
God Blesses Jacob at Beth-el
1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, 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 brother.
God reminds Jacob of his vow at Beth-el, and sends him thither to perform it, Ge 35:1. Jacob had said in the day of his distress, If I come again in peace, this stone shall be God's house, Ge 28:22. God had performed his part of the bargain, and had given Jacob more than bread to eat and raiment to put on--he had got an estate, and had become two bands; but, it should seem, he had forgotten his vow, or at least had too long deferred the performance of it. Seven or eight years it was now since he came to Canaan; he had purchased ground there, and had built an altar in remembrance of God's last appearance to him when he called him Israel (Ge 33:19,20); but still Beth-el is forgotten.
Note, Time is apt to wear out the sense of mercies and the impressions made upon us by them; it should not be so, but so it is. God had exercised Jacob with a very sore affliction in his family (Ge 34:1-31), to see if this would bring his vow to his remembrance, and put him upon the performance of it, but it had not this effect; therefore God comes himself and puts him in mind of it: Arise, go to Beth-el. Note,
1. As many as God loves he will remind of neglected duties, one way or other, by conscience or by providences.
2. When we have vowed a vow to God, it is best not to defer the payment of it (Ec 5:4), yet better late than never. God bade him go to Beth-el and dwell there, that is, not only go himself, but take his family with him, that they might join with him in his devotions.