The Gate of Heaven

Jacob’s Dream

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 28

10 Then Jacob went out from Beersheba and went to Haran.

To begin this passage we start by identifying much as his forefathers Jacob leaves his home to follow his calling. One thing that always ties Jacob to his past is his fear. Jacob has things in his past that make him afraid; mainly Jacob is afraid of his brother. 34 When Esau heard the words of his father he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry of distress. And he said to his father, “Bless me as well, my father!” 35 And he said, “Your brother came in deceit and took your blessing.”

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ge 27:34–35.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 27

Then Esau held a grudge against Jacob on account of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are coming, then I will kill Jacob my brother.”

God works in mysterious ways to say the least. How many have given great thought about the name Jacob? 36 Then he said, “⌊Isn’t that why he is named Jacob⌋? He has deceived me these two times. He took my birthright and, look, now he has taken my blessing!” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ge 27:36. Jacob is the deceiver so how does God use the deceiver? And behold, Yahweh was standing beside him, and he said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The ground on which you were sleeping I will give to you and to your descendants.

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ge 28:13.

This is the first promise that Yahweh gives to Jacob and it is nearly the same promise given to his father and grandfather.

The next promise may have been more meaningful to Jacob because of his deceit that stole the birthright and blessing from his brother. 15 Now behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go. And I will bring you to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to you.”

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ge 28:15.

Genesis: Salvation Begins A Fearful Dream

The second promises speak to Jacob in particular, and seem designed to meet his particular needs and disposition. First, God speaks words of assurance: ‘I am with you’. The staircase itself, intimately connecting Jacob and God, would have confirmed this in a visible form.

Genesis: Salvation Begins A Fearful Dream

If we are right in thinking that Jacob felt alone and frightened, then these words parallel the words given by God to Abraham and Isaac, who also experienced fear in the Promised Land (although probably over different issues

Genesis: Salvation Begins A Fearful Dream

Second, God tells Jacob that he will ‘keep’ him (NIV has ‘watch over you’). The ascending and descending angels are at Jacob’s disposal. Later in his life, Jacob probably refers to this when he talks about ‘the Angel who has delivered me from all harm’

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 48

16 The angel who redeemed me from all evil,

may he bless the boys.

And through them let my name be perpetuated,

and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac.

And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth.

Genesis: Salvation Begins A Fearful Dream

Last, God assures the homeboy that he will bring him home. God will not leave him abandoned and displaced, but will return him to where he belongs.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 28

And I will bring you to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to you

When Jacob awakens from his sleep and his dream or vision, he declares that he had felt as though God was not in this place where he now lays his head. 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely Yahweh ⌊is indeed⌋ in this place and I did not know!”

W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Ge 28:16. Notice now that Jacob realizes that God is with him in this place he is afraid again. I want to share with you that this is where I find a difference between fear and fear. Jacob was afraid his brother would kill him one day. That was a real fear. What I see in his realization that Yahweh is with him is more like finding out you are not alone.

Genesis: Salvation Begins (A Fearful Dream)

As far as we can tell, this is Jacob’s first personal encounter with the God of his parents. He is scared and overwhelmed, and confesses that he had not realized that God was in this place. However, having met God he responds appropriately by setting up a sacred pillar and naming the place (‘Bethel’—‘the house of God’).

The Lexham English Bible (Chapter 28)

Then he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! ⌊This is nothing else than the house of God⌋, and this is the gate of heaven!” 18 And Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a stone pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel;

Take homes for this week:

1. Is God working to get you moving?

a. Do you wonder if this is why Jacob found himself on the run?

2. When you realize that God is with you, where you are, will you honor him?