Meeting God

Jacob is the father of Israel. At an early age, Jacob was known as a deceiver, trickster, and supplanter after scamming and scheming to take away his brother Esau’s inheritance and covenant blessings of Abraham and Isaac. The Sovereign LORD God had already promised and ordained these divine blessings to Jacob before Jacob’s birth. Eventually, Jacob left his home in Canaan (the Promised Land of God, also known as Israel-Palestine) and traveled many miles in the desert, going to Haran (Paddan Aram in Mesopotamia). On his journey, the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth came to Jacob full of promises, protections, and blessings by His grace with mercy and not blame, disapproval, and shame that Jacob deserved. Jacob was not looking for God, but God looked for him on his journey. At sundown, Jacob took a stone pillow to sleep, and as he was sleeping, he had a wonderful dream from heaven. Jacob dreamed of a stairway (ladder) that reached from the earth to heaven, and the holy angels of God walked up and down this divine stairway (ladder). At the top of the stairway, the Sovereign LORD God came to Jacob and announced to him that He was the same God of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and He promised that someday the land of Canaan (Israel-Palestine) would belong to him and his descendants (family). As with Abraham and Isaac, the Sovereign LORD God promised Jacob that his family would be as numerous as the dust on the earth, spreading throughout the four corners of the world, and through him and his descendants God would bless all people of the earth as they walked blamelessly with faithful obedience to the LORD like Abraham. The Sovereign LORD God promised to be forever present with Jacob with His love, abundant blessings, and protection, just like Abraham and Isaac. Thus, Jacob inherited Abraham and Isaac’s entire covenant blessings of God Almighty (El Shaddai). After his dream, Jacob woke up with joy, excitement, and reverential fear in God’s Presence. Jacob declared that the LORD (Adonai) was in this holy place, and he called this location the house of God, the very gateway to heaven. Jacob got up early the following day, took his stone pillow, and set up a memorial pillar. Then, Jacob poured olive oil over the monument pillar and named that place Bethel, which means “house of God,” although it was previously named Luz. Next, Jacob made a vow of devotion to the LORD as his God if the LORD would be present with him on his journeys with His divine protection and provision of safety. Jacob worshiped and devoted his life to the LORD God (Adonai), and he promised to give God a tenth (tithe) of everything the LORD graciously gives him, as ALL truly belongs to God.Notably, Abraham and Isaac also worshiped the Eternal God of heaven and earth and presented a tenth (tithe) from God’s abundant blessings and provisions like Jacob. After his encounter with God, Jacob’s life changed from a previous deceiver and trickster to a godfearing man of integrity! Jacob’s vision and dream of the Sovereign LORD God and his vision of a stairway to heaven looked forward to Christ Jesus our Savior. Christ Jesus is our stairway, ladder, and great vine between heaven and earth that mediates and gives everyone access to the Sovereign LORD God. Even more, Christ Jesus brings the fullness of Abraham’s covenant blessings and God’s abundant grace, salvation, and forgiveness to ALL PEOPLE through repentance with faithful obedience in Him as our Lord and Savior. Christ Jesus is the new Bethel (House and Temple of God) as the fullness of God lives inside Him. Jesus is the LORD!

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