God Was With Jacob

Intro:

It’s the last day in our One True God theme for this month. Today we learn about Abraham’s grandson, Jacob.

Have you ever had a wild dream before? I have wild dreams all the time. Whether my house is getting broken into and I’m trying to fight off robbers, or I’m falling from the sky, I’ve had some wild dreams.

Jacob had a dream that we could say was rather wild…

Lesson:

Isaac, who is Abraham’s son and is Jacob’s dad, commanded Jacob to go and find a wife. So, while on his way, he makes a stop to spend the night because the sun had set and it was dark. Jacob took a stone, and laid his head on it to sleep. Then, the Bible tells us this...

Genesis 28:12-15 NLT

12 As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

13 At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, “I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.

14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants.

15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Later that next morning when Jacob woke up, he realized that the Lord had been there, and he didn’t even realize it!

So then, Jacob took the stone that he slept on and used it to make a pillar that could be used to worship God.

Genesis 28:20-22 NLT

20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing,

21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the LORD will certainly be my God.

22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”

Main Point:

Guys, what did Jacob realize about God? That God was with him! Because Jacob knew that God was with him, he could be confident that God wouldn’t leave him. That made Jacob want to worship God and serve Him with everything that he had.

Our bottom line is: God is with us always.

Christ Connection:

Just as God was with Jacob, if we are followers of Jesus, God is with us too!

Do you remember before Jesus went to heaven, He promised that He would send us a helper, someone who would live in us forever?

Jesus said this:

John 14:25-26 NLT

25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.

26 But when the Father sends the Advocate (Helper, Comforter) as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

If we have repented of our sins and believed in Jesus, He has sent us the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us! God is with us everywhere we go. He will never leave us or forsake us. No matter what!