Jacob in the Wilderness.

Review, Esau gave Jacob his birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew.

Jacob and Rebekah trick Isaac into blessing Jacob, stealing the blessing from Esau.

Esau is angry and wants to kill Jacob.

Isaac Sends Jacob to Rebekah’s family hoping he can find a wife while he is fleeing from Esau’s anger. Isaac then blesses Jacob again and sends him away to Rebekah’s family.

So Jacob goes into the wilderness. The sun begins to set, so Jacob finds a place to sleep. He finds a rock and uses it as his pillow. And then he has a dream. This is Jacob’s dream.

Genesis 28:12–15“12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.””

And this is what Jacob did.

Genesis 28:16–22 “16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.””

Lesson:

Jacob had done some bad things. He cheated his brother out of his birthright. He lied to his father and stole the blessing from Esau.

Did Jacob deserve God’s blessing?

Have you ever done bad things?

None of us deserve God’s blessing.

God blesses us. Even though we are sinners. So in thankfulness, we should serve God.