Jacob’s Dream: Genesis 28:10-22

Sadly Jacob left his family. He had to walk and walk as he began the long trip to his uncle’s house. Remember, the people in those days didn’t have cars or bicycles like we do, so Jacob just had to walk all day long.

Soon he became very warm because the strong sun beat on him. But Jacob knew he had to keep going. Maybe he would rest a bit, but then he had to get up again and hurry on. Probably he had some food and water from home with him. Sometimes he would take a bite or a drink of water, but then—on and on he walked.

Soon the sun began to disappear below the horizon. Evening was coming. So Jacob needed to find a place to sleep for the night.

Now what do you think he did? Did he start looking for a motel? Did he pull out a sleeping bag and lie down? No, Jacob couldn’t do anything like that, could he? He had to sleep on the ground. And what did he use for a pillow? I’m sure you know he didn’t have a soft, fluffy pillow like yours! He used—a rock! Yes, Jacob had to use a rock for a pillow! You wouldn’t like to do that, would you?

Soon the sky became darker and darker as the sun went down. Jacob’s eyes closed and soon he was fast asleep, all alone, with the stars, moon, and animals for company. But—was he really alone? No. God was with him. God is everywhere. You cannot hide from God. He sees everything you do, hears everything you say, and knows everything you think.

And God caused Jacob to have a dream. We dream, too, don’t we? But our dreams are just from ourselves. They aren’t from God. But Jacob’s dream was from God. God was telling him something in it.

In his dream Jacob saw a tall, tall ladder. The bottom of the ladder was on the earth, but the top of it reached to heaven. And the angels of God were walking up and down the ladder.

Then God Himself stood above the ladder and spoke to Jacob. “I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac,” God told Jacob. “I will give you all this land around you. You will have many, many children, and because of you, all people will be blessed.”

Why did God say this? He said this because many, many years from then, Jesus would be born from Jacob’s children. And because of Jesus, sinful people, forgiven by God, can go to heaven.

Then God told Jacob something else. He said that He would be with Jacob wherever he would go, and never leave him.

Suddenly Jacob woke up. What a wonderful dream he had just had! What a wonder that God would be his God and be with him wherever he went! It made Jacob feel blessed to know this. But it also made him afraid.

What? you ask. Why should this dream make Jacob afraid of God? Let us try to explain. When God spoke to him in the dream and told him He would always be with him, Jacob was amazed that such a good, such a pure, such a holy God would still help such a sinful man like him after he had lied to his father. He was humbled, or made low, to find that such a good God would even want to be with a man as bad as himself. Pray that you may truly feel this for yourself!

Then Jacob took the rock that he had used as a pillow, and set it up so he would always remember this place. He even gave it a name. He called it “Bethel,” which means, “the house of God.”

Then Jacob made a vow, or promise, to God. He said, “If God will be with me, keep me, and give me food and clothes so that I may come again to my father’s house in safety-then He will be my God. This rock will be God’s house. And I will give part of everything I receive unto God.”

Then Jacob went on to his uncle’s house.

Is Jacob’s God our God? If He is, He will be with us also, wherever we go. Then He will help us. But only God can do this for us. Pray for this help in your life.

—SW

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen