Israel And The Modern Church- Seek Not Bethel (The Revived Church-Part 2)

   As we made the point yesterday, Israel and the Church can easily be compared in throughout the history of the Old Testament scriptures. I have often said that the greatest commentary to the New Testament is the Old Testament. So realizing this, we will take a passage of scripture from the Old Testament, and use it to size the Church today.

   Amos 5:4-6a, “For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live: But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live.”

   Now let us look more closely at the names mentioned in these verses given, before we take the verses in their entire depth. Here we see Bethel, which was a literal geographical place, but the Prophet is using it in a much deeper meaning. And so shall we also.

   Bethel was a very religious place. God had made Himself known there many years before, with Jacob. It was a place that had been very spiritual, and life changing events had taken place there. But over the course of time, this great spiritual place, became filled with flesh, and moved to be just another religious place. Even to the point that it often no longer became labeled as Bethel, which is to literally say “House Of God”, but became labeled Beth-Aven, which is to say “House of Naught, or House of Vanity”. Bethel had become the place where the people of Israel had tried to give God a label as being the Calf God. They had made, apparently, many images and idols of Golden Claves, and had tried to make God something they could hold, and see with natural eyes. But God departed from Bethel, for nothing can label His Greatness, and it is as blasphemy to even try such an task. So It was no longer Bethel, but the fitting name came as it was labeled Beth-Aven. For without God being in a house, that house is a house in vain. Today, we are the temple of God, and make up the body of Christ which is called the Church. But I must say, I feel God has been forced away from most of the Church today, simply because most of those in leadership are a “house of naught” themselves because God is nothing in there life. We have tried to produce God out of a golden calf, and this has developed through the prosperity message, and the flaunting of flesh labeled as the charismatic movement. Whatever happened to the simple Book of Acts move of God? God doesn’t fit into the image of a dollar, nor will He stay near a flaunting of the flesh that is to somehow produce His nearness, and be called worship. This is why I see the name Beth-Aven overtaking Bethel. God has moved out, and flesh has moved in.

   Gilgal and Beersheba were also very great spiritual high places. They was known at some point as a place where God was. But we see that God was no longer in any of these places, for He tells His people to not seek these places to find Him, as they could have done in times past. The Prophet under Holy instruction boldly speaks for God, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live.”

   I am simply saying, beloved, before the Church can ever have revival again, we must stop seeking the modern Bethel, for God has been pushed out, and it has become nothing more than a house of vain worship. But we must become once again, the House of God. And this is only produced by seeking His face earnestly, and continually. The Book of Acts Church had the answer, but it only came from seeking God. We have lifted the Church up so high, when the Church is truthfully only the House of God because God is made priority of the people in the first place. The Book of Acts Church didn’t get the answer themselves, it came from the indwelling Power of Christ in them. So it will have to be once more. Programs wont cut it anymore, this prosperity message will not produce it, this charismatic message will not bring it back. Bethel has been labeled Beth-Aven in Gods eyes, and only a remnant will be left. And that remnant will be only those that have sought nothing but the Face of God. Beloved, don’t seek a modern method to produce this old time move of God, but seek the God of the old time move. We must get back to seeking God wholeheartedly before the so called Church can be the true Church again. Don’t seek Bethel, …seek God Almighty.