Jacob's Dream

SC 8/30/2008

Jacob’s dream

Genesis chapter 28:1-22

Disclaimer-

This sermon is from private study and resources from others at sermon central. I will attempt to give proper credit where due.

Intro-

The scripture we are looking at this morning is the same one that we looked at our Wednesday Bible study. As I began to teach this lesson I realized that a lot of people are struggling with their relationship with the Lord. A lot of people have to get past their past. A lot of people need a fresh encounter with God. Some may never have had a personal encounter with God and not know what it means to have a personal relationship.

Let me set this up:

Jacob is on the run exiled from his brother Esau who he deceived and took the family blessing from. For 3 chapters we see Jacob and Esau (twin brothers) did not get along well. (Which is not normal for twins) we see the father Isaac favors Esau, the first born, and Jacob the second born was a mama’s boy. Rebecca the mother is told in Gen. 25 that the older will serve the younger. Through many events of deception, Esau gave up his birthright for a bowl of red stew, and lost the blessing of inheritance given by his dying father because his brother pretended to be him.

We can quickly learn a lot here. It seems that all people involved are always learning everything the hard way. They have all attended the “university of hard knocks. That is the hardest school to graduate from, it does not come with a diploma. They say that when things get rough, remember it ‘s the rubbing that brings out the shine. We should be pretty shiny by now

Illustration:

There are 4 kinds of bones in the world. (Sermon Central)

Wishbones-Those that spend their time wishing everything into existence.

Jawbones- Those that spend their time talking about what they are going to do.

Knucklebone- knock everything that someone else is doing.

Backbone- Those that take responsibility and do what is needed and what they say they will do.

Bill Gates from his book “ Business at the speed of thought” brings out some interesting points. The same things my mother instilled in her two boys growing up.

Life is not fair- get use to it, get over it.

If you mess up, it is not your parents fault. Don’t whine about mistakes, learn from them.

Schools may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. They may say that 2+2=5, but it is wrong. The answer is 4. It is the real world. Stop making excuses and make the right decisions.

Illustration

Chuck Colson , the one involved in Watergate with president Nixon once said “ I found myself behind razor wire and the confine of a federal prison for several months for my part in Watergate. “The real legacy of my life was my biggest failure- that was that I was an ex-convict. My greatest humiliation - being sent to prison, was the beginning of God’s greatest use of my life.”

Why am I saying all this? Because this is where Jacob is at.

He messed up There is consequences to face. He is exhausted. He’s tired of running. He does not want to be sociable. He does not like himself, he don’t like what is going on, he see’s no way out. That is why he is sleeping in the woods. Secluded from everyone else. A rock for a pillow. The custom was to put up travels, to be hospitable, he waits until the city is locked down, and beds down outside for the night.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE GOD CAN GET OUR ATTENTION

Alone time- that time where everything we have tried has failed. We are out of answers and out of excuses.

Jacob’s dream- v12-15

“He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the Earth, with it’s top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said; I am the Lord, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised to do.” That’s good stuff.

-stairway or ladder from Earth to heaven.

- angels ascending and descending (commentary says that angels going up are bringing our needs and prayers to God. The angels descending are bringing the answers from God.