 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” 5 Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
Esau Marries an Ishmaelite 6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, 9 Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. Jacob’s Dream 10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made 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 clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lordshall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” Meditation An authentic encounter with the living God will transform hearts and lives. Jacob was a grabber, taking birthright and blessing from his brother. After leaving his family to save his life, God meets Jacob personally and Jacob responds by promising to worship God through giving (22). The gospel transforms grabbers into givers. Before leaving, Isaac re-enforced the blessing of Abraham for Jacob and his family, promises that included a place, a people, and the presence of God (1-5). These aspirations must have seemed unfathomable for a deceiver dashing away to avoid death. Grace alone establishes connection between Heaven and earth. Divine initiative is our only hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled. Jacob stopped to sleep and God met him in a dream. A ladder came down from heaven, “set up” on earth (12). The traffic between heaven and earth was heavy with angels, and the Lord stood at the top to reinforce His authority. More than a cop, God doubled down on His promises to bless Jacob and his offspring with a place and a people to fulfill God’s purposes. God’s covenant faithfulness is not dependent on the performance of His people! Jacob named the place “House of God” (Beth-El) and set up a stone to mark his meeting with God. Jesus reveals the height of God’s love by coming down from heaven to make a way for heaven and earth to connect and bring people into God’s house. Jesus uses the ladder imagery to describe Himself and His work (John 1:51). Jesus came to redeem sinners, His steadfast love transforming grabbers into givers. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially God’s pleasure to meet Jacob and double down on His promises. -Where do you need to encounter Christ personally or freshly to soften your heart and open your hands, transforming your practice from grabbing to giving? -How does Jesus’ claim to be Jacob’s ladder open your eyes to the relentless love of God for you, His desire to meet you and connect you with Heaven? Key Verse 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” Comments are closed.
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