The story started with Isaac decided to send off Jacob to find wife from Rebekah’s family, upon complain from her about Esau’s Hittites wife. Isaac blessed Jacob.
Upon hearing that, Esau tried to mend and took Ishmael’s daughter as his wife.
On the journey, Jacob took a stop to rest with stone pillow. He had a dream of a stairway to heaven with angels ascend and descend. Then God stood by his side repeated his promise to Abraham and Isaac to Jacob and comforted him. Jacob was in awe when he woke up – and said: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
He poured oil over the stone pillow and named the place: Bethel – the house of God, and prayed to God.
This chapter is certainly one of the closest to my heart. The life journey of Jacob, of his struggles, weariness, worry, fears, weaknesses, often I associate with, and the display of God’s kindness and faithfulness despite of his actions I keep in my heart dearly, so much so that I named my second son’s middle name as Jacob.
God’s promise to Jacob is one of my favorite verse, and this is later quoted by the Hebrews writer.
“I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Jesus also quoted the stairway experience to Nathanael, as if describing he himself as that stairway to heaven, the Son of God who reconciled us to God. He said to Nathanael, “an Israelite indeed” – a subtle reference to Israel (=Jacob). An identity that is by divine election, by grace, not earned.
Often we don’t realize that God is watching over us and His presence is with us, if only we knew, then perpetually, we will be in awe like Jacob – Oh, I am in the gate of heaven now!
Actually the presence of Holy Spirit with us is no less than the encounter that Jacob had.
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