Genesis 28:6-17 Only God’s promises give hope and assurance, not solutions

Genesis 28:6-17  Only God’s promises give hope and assurance, not solutions

6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a Wife from there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; 9 and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.

10 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. 12 He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Background

Jacob’s decision to leave Beersheba was an act of faith that has him seated among the patriarchs. Nevertheless, he faced in the natural, an uncertain and bleak future. But not in the spiritual as God revealed to him through a dream His sovereign plans of blessing. Jacob awoke from his sleep a different person as the dream spoke directly into his situation giving him hope and strength to press on. Today’s devotion teaches us that only God’s promises bring hope and assurances to our situations, not solutions.

Observation

Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there

Isaac’s spiritual awakening caused a series of changes never before seen in the household. One of which was Esau’s attempt to realign himself to the family’s values concerning marriage. It is clear that Esau’s actions were triggered when he saw that it pleased Isaac when Jacob acceded to his father’s instruction not to marry the daughters of Canaan. However, questions still remain as to what made Esau decide to obey when he has been defiant all along. Realising Isaac’s renewed emphasis on the Abrahamic values and vision, Esau knew he has to play along or risk falling out of favour. Now with Jacob gone, was Esau hoping against hope to win back Isaac’s approval and perhaps the blessing? Thus, he went to acquire another wife from the household of Ishmael.

Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran.

Jacob’s departure marks the beginning of his journey of faith as a patriarch in his own right. Just as Abraham demonstrated faith in obeying God’s command to leave Haran for Canaan, Jacob demonstrated righteous faith when he listened to his parents’ instructions to leave Beersheba for Paddan-aram. From Jacob’s point of view, now being emboldened by his father’s blessing, could have chosen otherwise: to stay and fight for his right to reside in the land. Or he could leave believing that God is his vindicator and will bring him back. In any case, Jacob’s decision to leave has placed him among the ranks of the righteous. Like Abraham who defered to Lot the choice of land, he let his brother take his place in the promised land. Jacob knew full well that in choosing to obey his parents, he would face the greatest challenge of his life; an uncertain future in the hands of Laban, a man far more unscrupulous than he is.

That night, with his back facing Beersheba, Jacob layed his head to rest. But little did he expect what was about to happen in the ensuing hours would change his life forever.

I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.

Jacob had a dream where he saw God’s grand plans for him and for the promised land. The place where he rested is the gate of heaven; the foothold of God’s kingdom which is about to be unleashed upon the earth. This dream contains four parts with each part marked by the word “behold”:

a.  Behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven. Instead of a ladder, a flight of stairs or a ramp may be more appropriate to accommodate the ascending and descending angels. The grandiose sight of an infinite stairway rising from the ground and reaching the heavens suggests the coming of a heavenly kingdom, an invasion of God’s kingdom on earth. The place where the stairway lands is the gateway, the foothold of God’s heavenly kingdom.

b.  Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. The ascending and descending angels suggests a flurry of activities, and God’s superintending presence to bring the promises to pass. The presence of the angels indicates their definite place in God’s administration of His kingdom. It seemed that God wanted Jacob to come to an acknowledgement of the angelic role in his journey as a patriarch. And taking the kingdom forward involves relating with angels. As angels are frequently seen accompanying Abraham’s journey, they will continue to do so for Jacob.

c.  Behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac… The third segment of the dream is the most substantial for it clarifies what God was about to do. Firstly, God introduces himself as the God who presides over all, and who appeared to his forefathers and gave them the promises. Secondly, God promised to give the land of Canaan to Jacob and his descendants as an everlasting possession (the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.) Thirdly, God will multiply Jacob’s descendants over the earth so that they may bring God’s blessing to all the nations of the world (Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.) Jacob’s descendants in the fuller sense is the church of Christ.

d.  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land… The fourth segment concerns Jacob himself. God promised to be with Jacob, to provide for him, to protect and to bring him back to his father’s house.

Truth

Only God’s promises bring hope and assurances to our situations, not solutions 

Until the revelation of the grand vision of the stairway and the columns of angels, Jacob’s circumstances appear cold, dark and bleak. The landing of the stairway at Jacob’s place signifies two things: the immanence of God’s blessing in Jacob’s life and God’s plan to bless the world. Given the current circumstances, the dream imparts faith and clarity of vision for Jacob to press on. Jacob emerged from his sleep a different person. Having encountered God, he now possessed a divine assurance as heir of the Abrahamic covenant. No matter how dark the circumstances may be, only the promises of God can provide assurance of a bright future. In the later chapters, we will see God’s promise being fulfilled in stages when he returned to Canaan no longer as Jacob, but as Israel (see Genesis 32:28).

Many believers prefer to rest their hopes on practical solutions, they think that God’s promises are specious. Such live in perpetual fear, always looking for solutions without which they cannot rest. But those who live by God’s promises entrust their future to God while focusing on fulfilling the tasks for the day. That is the reason why God did not show Jacob the solutions to his predicament. Solutions will be provided along the way, but what Jacob needed then is the promise of a bright future and the assurance of divine providence.

Believers experience the full spectrum of God’s blessing by obeying the words of Christ

What God has promised for Jacob, He makes available to us through the covenant of Christ’s blood. When we make a covenant with God to love Him with all our heart and to love others as ourselves, we will in His time experience all the promises as Jacob did. Having said, the dream carries the vision to bring the full spectrum of God’s blessing into the world.

What does the full spectrum of God’s blessing include for us believers?

• We will experience God’s providence and will never be in lack. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10
• We will prosper in all our endeavours and become a righteous influence in the community. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Psalm 1:2-3
• God will set us in families and we will never be lonely. In Jesus’s name, we can break the power of sin, disunity and poverty in our families. Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families. Psalm 68:5-6.
• God will cause our work and ministry to prosper beyond our lifetime and we will leave a legacy. The Lord knows the days of the upright and blameless, and their heritage will abide forever. Psalm 37:18.
• We will put on the attributes of Christ to become wise, godly and full of authority. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:27.
• We will have in heaven an eternal inheritance reserved for us. Those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:15.
• God will always be with us to provide, to protect and to lead us out of every difficult and impossible situation. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15.

Having said, the devil attempts to deprive God’s people of the full blessing by fabricating lies and deceptions concerning Christ. To those who are lukewarm in faith, he appeals to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. The devil downplays the journey of Christ-likeness: the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit. He promotes glamour and worldliness as opposed to obedience to Christ’s commands; to love God with all your heart and to love others as yourself. He deceives lukewarm Christians into thinking that the cross has guaranteed for them eternal blessing on earth and in heaven. The devil deceives them into thinking that there are no more spiritual warfare and many let their guard down. As a result, they fell irremediably into bondage and lost their blessing.

To those who are passionate in their faith, the devil robs them of their full blessing by appealing to asceticism as an expression of righteousness. Asceticism is to deny oneself of the full spectrum of Christ’s blessing in order to pursue spiritual goals. Having said, a believer should fast and refrain from sexual relations occasionally as a spiritual discipline to pursue God. However, adopting asceticism which is abstinence from physical pleasures as a way of life does not make one spiritual and is not the will of God. On the contrary, it robs believers of the manifold blessings that God has prepared in this material world. Those influenced by it cannot not relate to God as One who is infinite in His capacity to bless. Hence, some cannot experience miracles or material wealth as the legitimate blessing of Christ. Therefore, while it is the believer’s right to experience all of God’s blessing, they must in turn be a blessing to the world. Having said, material wealth or power does not make one happy. But it does give us the means to lead a fulfilling and happy life when we use it to bless others. The apostle Paul said that it does not matter if one is materially rich or poor. But a life of contentment and eternal blessing is evident in one who is able to love and serve God under all circumstances.

For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13

Application

When you feel stressed and lost, do you have a tendency to look for practical solutions as opposed to God’s promises? As a result, your mind becomes restless in search of solutions to alleviate the uncertainty. But, the apostle Paul said concerning God’s promises,

For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20.

The promises of God sets our minds at rest and assures us of God’s providence and protection. At the same time, God’s promises draw us to read His word so that we may discern His ways and walk in it.

Dear Lord, I apply the blood of Christ on my soul and command divine peace to prevail over my circumstances. I send the angels into my situation to do the will of God and to prosper my work and ministry. In Jesus’s name I declare my future as being bright and prosperous. Bless me in due time so that I may be a blessing to the world. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.