Beth Aven is a small, almost forgotten place in Scripture, mentioned only in passing. Its name means house of iniquity, almost a pun on Bethel, which means house of God.
In the book of Joshua, Beth Aven appears only as a geographical reference. It lies near Ai and east of Bethel, marking a stretch of the northern border of the tribe of Benjamin, in a desert region of the central hill country of Canaan.
In 1 Samuel, the name appears again in a battle. After the courageous attack of prince Jonathan against the Philistines, the Lord gave Israel the victory, and the fighting spread beyond Beth Aven.
Centuries later, the prophet Hosea uses the same name in a different way. He begins calling Bethel, the ancient sanctuary where Jacob met God, Beth Aven, because of the golden calf that king Jeroboam had set up there for the people to worship.
What had been the house of God had, in practice, become the house of iniquity. Hosea warns Israel not to go up there and announces that the idol would be carried off into exile.
Beth Aven is a reminder that a place of encounter with God can, through idolatry, become a place of judgment.
