This Sunday is the second of three weeks spent with Jacob, who will be the father of Israel. As a matter of fact, Jacob will be Israel, but that is for another week.
Last Sunday, we looked in on Jacob as he encountered God through a dream at the place he named Bethel (House of God). He recognized the place as the very door to heaven and was confronted by the Lord Himself. We observed that the promise made to Abraham has now come through Isaac to Jacob. In addition to holding the blessing, Jacob is now tasked with bringing the Covenant to life. Not unlike Edward Hayes’ Great White Rabbit, Jacob has seen a vision of the future. It is life changing.
We observed a couple of things: first, God is steadfast in God’s covenant. When God makes covenant with people, it is inviolate. Second, we realized that Jacob is alone, maybe for the first time. He has had Rebekah’s steady, perhaps duplicitous, hand guiding him to the place of blessing. Now, Jacob encounters God all alone.
He has a mighty task and alone becomes Alone, which probably becomes ALONE. Imagine being the one who is to carry the covenant forward on nothing more than a dream. So, what does Jacob do? He simply moves on to Haran and an encounter with Laban, father of Leah and Rebekah. When in doubt, keep moving.
As the story continues, we will discover that Jacob is not ALONE. Neither is he Alone, nor even alone. God is with Jacob and continues to give him a vision of his future.
Life can make us feel as though we’re alone at times. The story of Jacob reminds us that we are not really alone. Listen to your heart, listen to your gut, and simply be ready to hear God’s word.
This Sunday, we’ll work in Genesis 29.15-28. We’ll also celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.
See you Sunday,
Paul