WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday November 18, 2018
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JACOB’S DREAM AT BETHEL
Genesis 28:10-22
In the previous passage
(Genesis 28:1-9), we see how Esau’s spiritual life was continuing on a downward
spiral. However, here in verses 10-22, we’ll see Jacob’s spiritual nature began
to rise and elevate to a, much needed, higher level. Just like his father Isaac
had to learn, here we see Jacob about to learn that GOD resides in more than
just one place, as he begins his 450-mile trip to Padan-aram to live with his
uncle Laban.
In the Hebrew, the word “Bethel” means “House of GOD”, and it is “a good
place” to be for humans. However, sometimes, for example when our hearts are
not right, it can equally be a hard place to abide in. In our minds, the house
of GOD is a place where GOD is always near, and it is a place where we feel
that GOD has always responded to us favorably. To Abraham, Hagar, and to Isaac,
it was Beer-lahairoi, and to Moses it was Mount Sinai, and still to King David,
it would be the pastures of Bethlehem, or even Jerusalem.
However, one can always gather from the lives of faithful men and women
of GOD in Scripture, that, without a doubt, GOD is absolutely everywhere, all
of the time, whenever we need HIM, and, even when we think we don’t. HE is near
us, whether we want HIM to be or not, and, HE absolutely sees all, hears all,
and knows all that we do.
Every one of us must make an account for the deeds done in our
lifetimes, and whether or not we believe that GOD exists, becomes totally
irrelevant. And so the whole world, in that sense, becomes a “Bethel”, or,
“house of GOD”, WHO is the CREATOR of it all.
In Genesis 28, verse 10, Jacob arrives at what he thought was “a good
place” to set up camp for the night. As it turns out, this would be the place
where Jacob has his, now famous, “Dream of the Stairway to Heaven”, and it is a
vision that is based solely on the grace of GOD. Here GOD appears to Jacob for
the purpose of assuring him that the promise of blessings, favor, and
protection that was passed on to him by his father, Isaac, was indeed
legitimate, and was also with him at the present time.
This dream would serve to ignite “a worshipful response, and vow of
loyalty” that can be vividly seen in Jacob’s “spiritual walk” from this point
forward. In fact, Jacob, who had walked with a bit of a “spiritual limp” up
until that time, would now walk away from this experience with a clear
understanding of the constant presence of GOD. He would, from then on, have
confidence, that, wherever he went, GOD would bless, protect, and keep him for
the remainder of his life, as long as he adhered in obedience to HIM.
After leaving Beersheba, Jacob traveled toward Haran and at sundown, he
stopped and set up camp at a place called Bethel where his grandfather Abram
had camped many years earlier after leaving Haran (sin city). He found a stone
and used it for a pillow and dosed off to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a
stairway that reached from earth all the way to Heaven. And he saw the angels
of GOD ascending and descending upon its steps.
Jacob acknowledged this life-changing event with the LORD, and then,
proceeded to make a personal commitment of his own to GOD. Here he makes a vow
that the GOD of his fathers would also be his GOD, and he placed a stone
upright to commemorate the place where GOD had responded to him so gracefully.
In
addition, he vowed to give back to GOD, a tenth of everything that GOD blessed
him with (Vs.20-22). It is a comforting feeling when we can come to rest in the
thought that GOD is near to those who aspire to obey HIM, and HE is indeed with
us, wherever in the world we may go, all the time.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
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