Jacobs Dream At Bethal/Pentecost Series

Jacob’s dream at Bethel.

We continue today with the deep dive into scripture, and we will be referring to a couple of things, well more than a couple.

In the Christian calendar today is? That is right, Pentecost. The other thing is that we have been following the journey of the patriarchs being Abraham, Issac and now we come to Issac’s son Jacob.

What do you know about Jacob?

He was the child of Issac and Rebekah, he was born at roughly the same time as his brother Esau, he was the second born twin. He came out of the womb holding onto his brothers heal, he was smooth, and Esau was red and hairy. He liked to hang out around the camp of his family while Esau would go out hunting in the wild country. His name means “he who holds the heal” or more literally “deceiver.’ He was a very cunning character. Esau sold his birthright to him for a good feed of meat stew, and Jacob tricked his Father with his Mother’s blessing, into believing he was Esau to ensure that he received his Father’s blessing. This blessing gave him all the rights as a first-born son to all his Father had to give as inheritance.

Jacob pretended to be Esau, the blessing went like this, I’m reading from Genesis 27: 27-30;

27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac (his old Dad) caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said,

“Ah, the smell of my son

is like the smell of a field

that the Lord has blessed.

28 May God give you heaven’s dew

and earth’s richness—

an abundance of grain and new wine.

29 May nations serve you

and peoples bow down to you.

Be lord over your brothers,

and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.

May those who curse you be cursed

and those who bless you be blessed.”

30 After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting.” (Pause)

As you see, Jacob certainly was a cheat. Also, Esau then held a grudge against him, as you would having been deceived out of your inheritance.

But we come to an understanding that a whole nation of people would come from Jacob’s line and his name would eventually be changed and that nation would be named after him. The name of that nation is? Right Israel.

If you would like to open your scriptures to Genesis 28:10 and I’m going to be reading down to verse 22.

Then the dream Jacob has this dream, like Abraham had a dream. Angels on a stairway ascending and descending from heaven to earth. “God talks with him, like Abraham, three things are promised: land, descendants…lots of dust like descendants, spreading descendants who a blessing for the whole earth will come through. Also, God says this; “I am with you wherever you go, I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15. Jacob’s response was one of awe!

Why is this important? Well this is when Jacob has his spiritual awakening, his understanding changes from just all of life being about physical/inherited things to spiritual, heavenly things. To the place where he was at that time being Bethel, which means “the house of God” he also stated that the place was the gate to heaven.

The thing to remember here is this is a past age, no comics, no tele, certainly no movies or sci-fi. This dream was a real eye opener to Jacob. Jacob will have had an understanding, knowledge of his father Isacc’s experience with God and his Grandfather Abraham’s journey with God and the history of how God had interacted with this reasonably physically well off but dysfunctional family since Adam and Eve left the garden.

Of interest is that there are a number of step hill’s around the world that have a track or road called Jacobs Ladder. Remember this dream of Jacob’s was the spiritual encounter that would alter his life, he had been a deceiver, the theft of his own brother inheritance by deception but God had a plan for him. The plan included like what his forefathers had been promised, land, offspring and blessing. God desires that in our relationship with him that we do his will and are blessed but also a blessing to others.

Now for a sneaky little segway here into our own spiritual journeys:

Acts 2:1-4 NIV

When the day of Pentecost?came, they were all together?in one place.??Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.?They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.??All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit?and began to speak in other tongues?as the Spirit enabled them.