Jacob's Dream

Story: Jacob's Dream

Passage: Genesis 28:10-22

Characters: Jacob, God

Summary: Jacob was travelling to Haran to find a bride. He stopped to sleep. He had a dream that there was a ladder/staircase reaching from heaven to earth and angels were going up and down it. God spoke to him and promised to bring him back to his land and to bless all families on Earth through him. Jacob woke up and set up an altar to God and made a vow that if God upheld His promise, that he would make Him his God.

Notes: Jacob would not travel through the night because it was dangerous to travel at night in that area at that time. Instead, he found a rock to use as a pillow and he rested. Having a rock for a pillow seems like it would be really uncomfortable, especially when we remember that Jacob was not outdoorsy but rather he stayed with the tents. At this point, God was not his god but rather the God of Abraham and Isaac. This was his parent's religion not necessarily his own. That was about to change. When he saw the ladder or staircase coming down to Earth, he saw that God was connected to the Earth. He was not distant, He was in Heaven and on the earth. God promised that He would bring Isaac back to his land. This was probably significant because if you recall, Jacob was fleeing for his life. He probably feared he would never be able to return home. I also wonder if this is God predicting Israel's return to the promised land from Egypt. God also promised to bless the entire Earth through him. This linked him to his grandfather Abraham's covenant with God. When the dream ended, Jacob's reaction was fear and awe. He said that the place was the house of God and he named it Bethel which means "House of God". Today, we have entire buildings dedicated to worshipping in the presence of God, and the Spirit has chosen us as His dwelling place, yet are we filled with fear and awe at the presence of God? Is the god we picture a powerful holy God who created the universe with a few words, or is it a watered down god designed to serve us and help us be comfortable and happy? The God Jacob encountered was powerful, scary, and in total control of his life! Jacob responded by making an altar out of his pillow. (That must have been a huge pillow!) Jacob then anointed his altar with oil. He made a serious vow that if God kept His promise and provided for him and brought him home safely, then God would become his God. At first, you might think that such a conditional promise is an issue. Jacob was putting faith in God only if God met a certain condition. I don't see this as a problem however. God made a promise. If that promise was not kept, it would mean that God was not perfect and holy. This would mean He would not be worth following. Jacob was essentially saying if you really are holy, if you really are perfect, if you really are the one God, then you are my God. If you are not, if you are an imposter, I will not follow you. We can see Jacob's devotion to God by his promise to give God a tenth of all God gave him. Jacob acknowledged that everything he had came from God and that he owed it all to God. This devotion is impressive and shows what a powerful and life changing experience this dream must have been!

Questions: Did Jacob completely believe God's promise? Why did he have oil with him? Was he afraid for his life at this point of his journey? What about this dream made it so life changing for Jacob?

Lessons: An experience with the power and holiness of God can only be life changing. We need to make sure we acknowledge God for who He really is and not who we want him to be. When we have a good understanding of who God is, it becomes much easier to follow Him instead of ourselves. It becomes easier to give all of our time, money, and efforts to Him. When we get a grasp of who God really is, it is a life changing experience. I encourage you to really look into who God is. If you are looking for a good book on the holiness of God, I recommend "The Holiness of God" by RC Sproul. It is a great book which attempts to define what it means to call God holy. If you read it with an open heart, I suspect it will change how you view and approach God and will make you better appreciate the grace He has offered us which will in turn draw you closer to Him.