At Bethel, Jacob built an altar (vv. 6-7). Jacob's experience of the altar was progressive. When he saw the vision at Bethel (28:18-19), he did not erect an altar. Although he did an excellent job of interpreting his dream, he only set up a pillar. During the years at Padan-aram, Jacob did not build an altar on which to offer something to God. Instead, he employed many gimmicks to supplant Laban. After leaving Padan-aram, Jacob firstly returned to the eastern part of Jordan to Succoth (33:17). In 33:17 and 18 the Bible does not say that Succoth is in "the land of Canaan," as it does with Shechem. At Succoth, Jacob built a house for himself and booths for his cattle, but he did not erect an altar for God. This reveals that he cared for himself and for his cattle, but that he did not care for God. Eventually, Jacob left Succoth and journeyed to Shechem in the land of Canaan, where he pitched his tent and erected an altar (33:18-20). Jacob called that altar "El-elohe-Israel," which means the God of Israel. This altar was built to the God of Jacob's individual, personal experience. In calling the altar El-elohe-Israel, he was actually calling it the God of himself. Many Christians are like this. They seek spiritual experiences for themselves individualistically. They have learned how to experience Christ and how to trust in God individualistically. God is not El-Bethel to them; He is El-elohe-Israel. But few Christians care for God's being the God of the house of God. On the contrary, nearly all Christian seekers care for God's being their God. Some of them might say, "Was not God the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? What is wrong with saying that God is my God? Oh, this wonderful God is my God!" Perhaps their book of Genesis does not have more than thirty chapters. They must proceed to chapter thirty-five and see that God is no longer merely the God of individuals, but the God of the house of God.
At Bethel in chapter twenty-eight, in Padan-aram, and in Succoth, Jacob had no altar. In Shechem he did build an altar. Although it was good to build an altar in Shechem, this altar was not built at the house of God; it was not built in the church life. Rather, it was erected at a place somewhat removed from the church life. If you consult a map, you will see that Shechem was not too far from Bethel. The word Shechem means shoulder, signifying strength. When Jacob came to Shechem, he was strengthened, for Shechem was a place of strengthening. Likewise, when we come to our "Shechem," we also are strengthened. Nearly all the revivals in today's Christianity take place in "Shechem." These revivals merely strengthen people. Many Christians need a "Shechem," a revival, once a year to strengthen them. No revivalists care for the church life. They are only concerned with strengthening people to go on in the Christian life. Nothing related to the church is covered by them.
The altar built at Shechem was called El-elohe-Israel, by the name of God as related to an individual, not El-Bethel, by the name of God as related to a corporate body. Some may say, "Isn't it good to be strengthened at Shechem?" But look at what happened to Jacob in chapter thirty-four. After he had settled down in Shechem, trouble came to him. He had a tent for his dwelling and an altar on which to sacrifice something to God. Although Jacob might have been satisfied, God was not. Thus, the experience of chapter thirty-four was necessary. Trouble came, and this trouble caused Jacob to lose his peace. Following this, in 35:1, God could say, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God." God seemed to be telling Jacob, "I don't want you to stay in Shechem. It is not adequate merely to be strengthened in the Christian life. A strengthened life can never satisfy Me. I desire the church life. I don't want strength—I want the house of God. I don't want you to remain in Shechem, but to go up to Bethel." After Jacob arrived at Bethel, he made an altar and called it El-Bethel.
Jacob's experience of the altar was a gradual progression. There was no altar in Padan-aram or in Succoth. The altar in Shechem was erected to the God of his individual experience; it was not an altar for the experience of God in a corporate way. The individual experience of God is good, but it is insufficient. We need to go on from the individual experience to the corporate experience.