Abram knew what to do in times of blessing also, that is, he called upon the name of the LORD. He didn't forget The LORD when everything was going real well. That's a lesson of true faith by not waiting until our lives become a mess, and then asking for God's help.
     This Beth-el was just a bit farther south, approximately twelve miles north of Jerusalem. 'Beth-el' being translated, means 'House of God' (Strong's 1008). So Abram was declaring that 'This is The House of GOD', then built an altar to The LORD, and called upon Him. This is also near the same area where Jacob would later be given the vision of the heavenly ladder of angels ascending and descending, sleeping on a pillar of stone. Jacob would also build an altar, and anoint the pillar with oil (Gen.28). And Beth-el would become of major religious importance to all tribes of Israel, but suffer capture by the 'house of Joseph', and then Jeroboam of the "house of Israel', would pollute Beth-el with golden calf worship.

 

Judges 1:22-23: And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el: and the Lord was with them.

 

1 Kings 12-13: Read both chapters. 21, 24, 28, 29,

He said unto him,” I am a prophet also as though art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord saying, saying, Bring him back with thee unto thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.” But he lied unto him.

     There's a lot of symbolism being given with this 'Beth-El' (House of God). I want to cover a bit of it now before going further. The area of this Beth-el was originally named 'Luz' (Hebrew 'Luwz'), a Canaanite city.

 

 Gen.28:19: And he called the name of that place Beth-el; but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

 

So with Abraham and Jacob declaring 'God's House', which the land prior to was named 'Luz', this is symbolic of God's People being given the inheritance which the workers of iniquity among the Canaanite tried to claim as their own against God's Will. This is why it was written earlier that "...the Canaanite was then in the land." (Gen.12:6). As the ruins of this ancient city of 'Luz' was never discovered, Abram and Jacob no doubt built altars in a different area near Luz, and then 'proclaimed' "Beth-El" (House of God), reclaiming territory promised to God's children. Ezekiel 28:

 

Reveals that Lucifer has always wanted to proclaim himself as 'God', he tries to steal God's Authority and set up his own false kingdom, and that also means trying to steal the inheritance God has given to His People. We just saw much of that occur in the last Chapter of Genesis with the tower of Babel event.
     Further, this 'Beth-el' which means 'House of God', was right next to the place called 'Hai' towards the east (also named 'Ai'). This 'Hai' means 'heap of ruins', and represents the opposite of the House of God (Beth-el). In Hebrew, this opposite is a 'Beth-aven' (house of vanity, and can be associated with the meaning of 'tohuw'.)

 

 Isa.45:18: For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the Lord and there is none else.

 

Strong's nos. 5857; 1007; BDB definition. There was a place of false idol worship near this 'Hai' (Ai) called 'Bethaven'