Passing On The Promise

Genesis 28:10-22

Genesis 28:10–22 NLT

10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. 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.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 17 But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!” 18 The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz. 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.”

INTRODUCTION:

A- BACKGROUND

1- The conflict between Esau and Jacob.

a. Both brothers continued in their misplaced life focus.

Jacob continued to seek to manipulate circumstances to get his own way.

Stealing the blessing that “rightfully” belonged to Esau - the firstborn. (Genesis 27:1-40)

Esau continued to seek to live life “his way.”

Choosing the pathway of rebellion. (Genesis 28:6-9)

2- Jacob forced to leave home to save his own life and to find a wife.

I- RECOGNIZE WHEN GOD IS DEALING WITH YOU. (Genesis 28:10-17)

Genesis 28:10–17 NLT

10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep. 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.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 17 But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”

A- God will speak to you at unexpected times and places. (Genesis 28:10-11)

Genesis 28:10–11 NLT

10 Meanwhile, Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11 At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep.

1- Jacob was not expecting an encounter with God.

a. He was not at a place of worship.

b. He was looking for a place to sleep.

2- God often comes to us in a time an place that we are not expecting.

a. God is always at work around us. (John 5:17)

John 5:17 NLT

17 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”

b. God will find a time and place when we are quite and able to listen.

John received the Revelation when he was on the Isle of Patmos. (Revelation 1:9-20)

Revelation 1:9–20 NLT

9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” 12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. 19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

c. He expects us to listen when he speaks. (Ps 85:8)

Psalm 85:8 NLT

8 I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.

B- God will speak to you in harmony with His already revealed will. (Genesis 28:12-15)

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.”

1- The Lord spoke to Jacob in a dream, reaffirming promises he had already made.

(Note Genesis 12:1-3; 17:3-8; 26:2-4)

a. God identified himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac.

b. He reaffirmed the promise to Give Jacob and his descendants the land he was in.

c. He reaffirmed his promise to multiply the seed of Abraham.

d. He reaffirmed his promise to use Jacob anbd his descendants to bless the world.

e. He added a promise to protect Jacob and bring him back to the promised land.

2- When God speaks to us, for direction or promise, it will always be in harmony with his revealed word (scripture).

a. God does not contradict his word.

(Num 23:19)

Numbers 23:19 NLT

19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

(Ps 119:89)

Psalm 119:89 NLT

89 Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.

C- Recognize that God’s word to you is important. (Genesis 28:16-17)

Genesis 28:16–17 NLT

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 17 But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”

1-Jacob recognized the importance of what had happened to him.

a. He had experienced the presence of the Living God.

b. He had received the reaffirmation of God’s covenant.

2. You and I must recognize the importance of God’s word to us.

a. God never says anything that is not important.

(Prov 8:6–8)

Proverbs 8:6–8 NLT

6 Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, 7 for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. 8 My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it.

b. Unlike Jacob, God’s presence is not in a physical place, but in his child.

(1 Cor 6:19–20)

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

II- RESPOND POSITIVELY TO GOD’S DIRECTIONS AND PROMISES. (Genesis 28:19-22)

Genesis 28:19–22 NLT

19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz. 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.”

A- Respond positively to God’s presence. (Genesis 28:19)

Genesis 28:19 NLT

19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.

1- Respond in a way that produces change.

a. Jacob renamed the place… it took on a whole new meaning for him.

b. Living in the conscious awareness of God’s presence calls for a positive response.

(James 4:8)

James 4:8 NLT

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

(John 15:4–5)

John 15:4–5 NLT

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

B- Respond positively by submitting to His Lordship. (Genesis 28:20-21)

Genesis 28:20–21 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.

1- Jacob made a positive commitment to God.

a. Unfortunately he was also still trying to manipulate the circumstances.

2- When we have an encounter with God and his word, we should respond positively by submitting to His Lordship.

a. We should not try to manipulate or make deals with God.

(Isa 40:13–14)

Isaiah 40:13–14 NLT

13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him? 14 Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good? Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?

b. We should just obey and submit to His Lordship.

(John 14:15)

John 14:15 NLT

15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.

C- Respond positively through committed worship. (Genesis 28:22)

Genesis 28:22 NLT

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.”

1- Jacob made the place of his encounter with God a call to worship.

a. He made the commitment to worship through tithing.

2- We are to use our encounter with God as a personal call to continual worship.

(Col 3:16–17)

Colossians 3:16–17 NLT

16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Note Moses’ response to his encounter with God.

(Exodus 34:6-8)

Exodus 34:6–8 NLT

6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.” 8 Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped.

a. Worship includes the giving of self and all that we possess.

(Romans 12:1)

Romans 12:1 NLT

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

(Mal 3:10)

Malachi 3:10 NLT

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

CONCLUSION: