Jacob’s Dream

November 18, 2018 Background Scripture: Genesis 28:10 – 22 Lesson Passage: Genesis 28:10 – 22 I relish hearing the testimony of those who recount their personal encounter with the Lord. Oftentimes, we are not seeking God at the time of such encounter. This is not to suggest that we are participating in anything unholy at the time. It’s just that we may be pondering our present state of being and where do we go from there. Maybe it’s just one of those times when we are trying to make sense out of life. I believe that there is no better time for a personal encounter with God than when one is deliberately trying to find some life directions for one’s self. In our lesson today, Jacob had, what we believe to be, his first personal encounter with the Lord. The encounter occurred while he was running from his brother, Esau. Jacob had just stolen his brother’s blessing that their father intended for him. Jacob encountered God that night in a dream. God renewed the covenant He made with Abraham and Isaac. This was the blessing that Isaac had intended to pass to Esau but was deceived into passing it to Jacob. That night, God confirmed the blessing that Isaac had bestowed upon Jacob. Just as Isaac had told his son Esau concerning Jacob: I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed. God promised Jacob divine protection and His divine presence wherever he went. The covenant God established with Jacob was a one-sided covenant. God did not ask anything of Jacob nor did He require anything of him on the night that the covenant was confirmed. When Jacob awoke from the dream, he acknowledged that the presence of God was there, and he did not know it. The next morning, Jacob anointed the rock that he had used for a pillow and made a vow. Although God did not require it of him, Jacob vowed to claim God as his God and to follow the pattern established by his grandfather, Abraham, and give God a tenth (tithe) of all that God blesses him with. It is worth noting that the one-sided covenant that was established by God was bestowed upon Jacob while he was yet of questionable character. Indeed, God was going to change Jacob’s character, but the covenant was put into effect before the change of character. God always insures that no flesh can glory in His presence as though we could do something to make ourselves worthy of whatever God chooses to bestow upon us. If Jacob had first “gotten himself together”, then he could have claimed that the blessing of God was received after he had become worthy of it. This was not the case. None of us, born of man and woman, can ever claim to be worthy of a blessing from God. God cleans us up afterwards, but He sends forth the blessings while we are yet in our sins. Put another way, God saves us while we are yet sinners and then He works on us to conform us to the image of His Son. What Jacob vowed to do because of the covenant God made with him is a good reaction to encountering the grace of God. We are not worthy of the blessings of God, but when we receive them, we should act in a way that shows gratitude. Robert C. Hudson October 12, 2018