Single lesson
Jacob Returns to Bethel
Genesis 35:1–15
In this lesson, children will trace Jacob’s return to Bethel in order. They will notice God’s command, the household’s choices before travelling, what happened on the way, and how Jacob responded when God spoke again.
Before you teach
Genesis 35:1–15 starts with God telling Jacob to go to Bethel, live there, and build an altar. Jacob then tells his household to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change garments. The passage follows their journey, Jacob’s altar, Deborah’s death and burial, God’s appearance and blessing, and Jacob’s memorial at Bethel.
Students will be able to sequence Genesis 35:1–15 and explain how the passage connects people’s choices with what happened next, including the household putting away foreign gods before the journey and Jacob building an altar at Bethel.
Welcome: Listen for the order
4 minIntroduce Bethel as the place God told Jacob to go in this passage. Ask children to listen for three things as you read: what God commanded, what Jacob’s household did before travelling, and what Jacob did when he arrived. Explain that this lesson will follow the passage step by step.
Genesis 35:1, Genesis 35:3, Genesis 35:15
Read and explain: God’s command and the household’s choice
8 minRead Genesis 35:1–4. Point out the order carefully. God told Jacob to arise, go to Bethel, live there, and make an altar. Jacob then told his household to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change garments. They handed over the foreign gods and rings, and Jacob hid them under the oak by Shechem.
Genesis 35:1, Genesis 35:2, Genesis 35:3, Genesis 35:4
Discuss: The journey, the altar, and Deborah’s burial
6 minRead Genesis 35:5–8. Make the choices and outcomes clear from the text: after the household gave up the foreign gods, they travelled, and the cities around them did not pursue them because a terror of God was on those cities. Jacob came to Bethel and built an altar there. The passage also says Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried below Bethel, and the oak was named Allon Bacuth.
Genesis 35:5, Genesis 35:6, Genesis 35:7, Genesis 35:8
Make and respond: Sequence cards for Jacob’s return
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards showing key moments from the passage: God’s command, putting away foreign gods, travelling, the altar at Bethel, Deborah’s burial, God’s blessing, and the pillar. After arranging the cards in order, invite them to explain one choice or event from a card using the words of the passage.
Genesis 35:1, Genesis 35:4, Genesis 35:5, Genesis 35:7, Genesis 35:8, Genesis 35:9, Genesis 35:14
Closing: God speaks again and Jacob marks the place
4 minRead Genesis 35:9–15. Explain that God appeared again, blessed Jacob, named him Israel, and spoke about nations, kings, and the land. The passage then says God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. After that, Jacob set up a stone pillar, poured out a drink offering and oil on it, and called the place Bethel.
Genesis 35:9, Genesis 35:10, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 35:12, Genesis 35:13, Genesis 35:14, Genesis 35:15
Questions to explore
What did God tell Jacob to do at the start of this passage?
Look closely at the first verse and name each part of God’s command: where Jacob should go, where he should live, and what he should make there.
Genesis 35:1
What choice did Jacob’s household make before the journey, and what happened when they travelled?
Read the household’s actions first, then connect them with the next verses that describe the journey and the surrounding cities.
Genesis 35:2, Genesis 35:4, Genesis 35:5
What did God say about Jacob’s name and future when he appeared again at Bethel?
Find the verse about Jacob’s new name, then the words about nations, kings, and the land.
Genesis 35:10, Genesis 35:11, Genesis 35:12
Make, think or respond
Jacob Returns to Bethel Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Draw or write seven moments from the passage on separate cards: God’s command, putting away foreign gods, the journey, the altar at Bethel, Deborah’s burial, God’s blessing, and the pillar.
- Mix the cards up and ask children to place them in the order the passage gives.
- Read the verses again and let children check or correct the order.
- Invite each child or pair to choose one card and explain what happened in that part of the passage.
This activity helps children follow the sequence of Genesis 35:1–15 and notice both the choices people made and the events that followed in the passage.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare the card titles for them and let them add simple drawings before placing the cards in order.
- For older or more confident readers, ask them to add verse numbers to each card and explain how one choice in the passage is followed by a result in the next verse or two.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, thank you that you spoke to Jacob at Bethel. Please help us pay attention to your word and remember what this passage teaches about listening and responding.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Genesis 35
1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
2 Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
3 Let’s arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”
4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
7 He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.
9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel.
11 God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.
12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you I will give the land.”
13 God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.
14 Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.
15 Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.