Jacob hears from God

We are continuing our series What is Your Name: The Life of Jacob.

This series explores the highs and lows of Jacob in Genesis. Through Jacob’s birth, family conflict, and relationship with God, we see God’s redemptive plan on the move. God transforms Jacob from a deceptive young man into Israel: the one who wrestles with God.

So far in this series we have look at three different parts of Jacob life.

Week one was the promise from God on the brith and the promise that Jacob would be the one to rule over the his older bother. When makes a promise it will come true.

Week two was the stolen birthrights. Esau sold his birthrights because he was hungry. Don’t chase short-term success. It will often short-circuit your goals in life. We must make are decisions based on God’s promised future.

Last week we saw how Jacob deceived is father and stole the blessing that was meant for Esau. This blessing are different for the birthrights. Blessing are the promise of future wealth and posterity.

By Jacob deceiving his father and stealing the blessing. He cause the family to be torn about. You see Esau wanted to kill Jacob for what he did. Being deceitful can and will destroy your life. While we may still receive God’s blessing, trying to achieve the blessing through deceitful means can lead to disastrous results in our personal lives.

This week we will be look at what happen next in Jacob life. The moment right after he deceived his father. The moment that Esau wanted to kill him. What would Jacob do?

If you have your bible turn to Genesis 28. If you do not have you bibles you can follow along on the screen in a few moments.

Before we look at today passage. I have a question for you. SO think for a moment.

Has sin ever taking you in a different direction?

or has sin caused you to run away for what you thought the plan for your life was.

Sin can and will cause us to go a different direction than what we had planned. It also can destroy the plans that God has for our life. God can not look upon sin. If we have sin in our life that cause us to go in a different direction can God still use us? Are we still worthy of the plan that God has.

You see Jacob had sinned. He had deceived is father and his bother. Jacob cause his bother to want to kill him becuase of what Jacob had done.

We pick up the life of Jacob right here.

Jacob depart to Rebekah bother house

for the time reason today we will not be read the first few verse of this chapter. In a nut shell. Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him on his way to Rebekah bother house and tell him to marry one of his daughters.

You see because of the sin in Jacobs life up to this point he had to leave the promised land of that God had give to Abraham.

Sin has totally missed up the plans that should have happened. What will happen now. Can God still use Jacob? Is Jacob still able to receive the promises of God?

Genesis 28:10–22 CSB

10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. 13 The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying. 14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.” 18 Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it 19 and named the place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I’m making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s family, then the Lord will be my God. 22 This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me.”

Jacob had a dream

this is one crazy dream right. He dream of a stairway with angels going up and down. This dream could suggest that angels reqularly visit earth to do Gods work. This is one hack of a dream that he is having.

Jacob hears from God

All the sin that was in Jacob life God could have said that he wanted nothing to do with Jacob. He could have said that you are not worthy of my love and I do not need you. God didn’t say any of that he said that you offspring will be like dust on the earth spreading for west to east and north to south. He also promised to ever leave him and to bring him back to the land that he left.

there is also another key statement here. Lets take a loo at it one more time.

Genesis 28:14 (CSB)

All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

We are blessed because of this. Do you know why? Jesus was one of his offspring many years later. this is how the people of earth are blessed and continue to be blessed.

Jacob turns back to God

God did not renege on his promise to Jacob, even though Jacob had to leave his home because of his sins. He did not have to leave his God because of the sin. He knew that God was real and that he would protect him.

No matter what you have done. God still loves you.

Jacob’s encounter with God reminds us that God’s love is not based on our morality but on his faithfulness.

Jesus can still forgive you for whatever you have done.