Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 11-16-18

Jacob’s Dream GENESIS 28:10–22 (KJV)
was a thief and a deceiver. Yet God had chosen him to be the steward of the great covenant. When Jacob awak- ens from his dream, he is as- tonished. He has encountered God for himself.
Jacob does not have to rely on the testimony of his father or grandfather; he now knows without a doubt, “Surely the LORD is in this place” (Genesis 28:16). Now he recognizes that God is right there on the spot he is standing on! Not only is God present, but God has prom- ised him the very blessings he had unsuccessfully tried to steal.
No longer is Jacob alone or running away from his past. He now has God’s promise: “I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (v. 15). Rather than es- cape his past, Jacob now has the hope of a future that is rightfully his. Jacob goes from alone with nothing on his journey to renewed in purpose and in the presence of the Lord who will provide everything he needs.
Remembering the Promise
(vv. 18–22)
Here in the desert, outside of this Canaanite city, God had chosen to reveal His presence. It is no wonder that Jacob wants to preserve the memory of this awesome ex- perience and erect a memo- rial. He does not have the necessary materials to build a proper altar, so he uses the materials at hand: stones.
This act is reminiscent of Jacob’s grandfather Abra-
ham, who similarly con- structed an altar in the place God had appeared to him (Genesis 13:18).
We would do well to re- member that for some of us, our blessings will not happen until we get to the place where God wants to bless us. GodiswithusandHeisfor us!
God transforms sinners into servants.
The Scriptures Genesis 28:10 And Jacob
went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and be- hold the angels of God as- cending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pil- lar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and rai- ment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Resting In Promise (Genesis 28:10–12)
Jacob is traveling from the house of his father Isaac in Beersheba in Canaan to the house of his uncle, Laban in Haran. During his journey, he stops at sunset near the city of Luz. Jacob embodies
obedience to his parents in making the journey to find a wife from his own family line. This is a welcome change from the Jacob who had been a selfish trickster concerning his brother Esau’s blessing and birthright.
As a result, Isaac kept his word of blessing, but sent Jacob to travel alone in the wilderness with no servants, resources, or protection. His sin against his brother did not negate the promise of God, but it did have the con- sequence of losing his father Isaac’s provision and protec- tion for his journey.
Jacob now walks through the wilderness alone because he tricked his brother. His deceit leaves him confused about his purpose, in danger at home, and weary on his trip.
Too tired to continue alone in the night, Jacob sets up camp and decides to rest hisheadonarockashe sleeps. When he falls to sleep, he dreams about a stairway reaching from earth up to heaven and angels going up and down it. Jacob discovers as he dreams that there is a connection be- tween earth and heaven in that place. Jacob has the rev- elation that God was present while he slept undistracted by his journey and danger at home. God was present for Jacob even while he was alone in the wilderness.
Renewing the Promise (vv. 13–17)
God identifies Himself as “the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac” (Genesis 28:13). There is to be no mistake. Jacob is in the presence of the God honored and revered by his father and his grandfather. At this point God confirms His covenant blessings that He had promised to both Abraham and Isaac of land, numerous descendants, pro- tection, and God’s presence. Jacob had not experienced the blessing of God until his arrival in the place that God had promised to bless.
Here Jacob was a fugitive, fleeing from the wrath of his brother. He was certainly not a likely candidate to be se- lected by God. Jacob’s ac- tions toward his father and brother clearly indicated he
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