Abram and his entourage have just arrived in the Promised Land, Canaan. He has already built an altar at Shechem, and now we come to the second of the four recorded altars that Abram builds.
“From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 12:8)
We can only speculate about what is going through Abram’s mind as he builds these altars. These moments represent memorable encounters with God and declarations that this land belongs to Him. It’s reminiscent of when we say, ‘All I have is Yours.’
In this location, Abram finds himself between two cities that would later become significant in the Bible: Bethel, the House of God, and Ai, a powerful enemy of God. At that moment, he is unaware of their future significance. However, even if he knew, he would likely still do the same thing. The critical point is that he did not know. Amid unfamiliarity, he chose to worship. He may not have known whether to go west to Bethel or east to Ai, but what he does know is to whom he belongs: “This is who I worship: I call on the name of the Lord.”
Today, our destiny is not determined by what the world can offer us or where we set up camp—whether we find ourselves in a Bethel or an Ai. Those are not our measures of success. Instead, it revolves around us creating space to come, humble as we are—perhaps with little to offer—and to worship the Lord.
Abram’s simple act in the eastern hills serves as a reminder that faithfulness is not about reaching a destination; it’s about building altars. These altars are not monuments to our accomplishments, but rather humble stacks of stones where we connect with the God who is always present. You may not know what to do next, but you know who to worship, and that is true success.
Missions Paul 