Thursday, January 12, 2012

Jacob received the birthright earlier when Esau bargained for a bowl of soup. Jacob deceitfully received the blessing, which gave him and his future descendants riches and power. The birthright was the scepter promise which gave him the right for future generations to be kings. The birthright was a legitimate purchase from Esau. The blessing was stolen.

Rebekah fears for Jacob's life and sends him away to Haren. This was not a short journey. It was between 600 and 700 miles away.

What is the significance of angels ascending and descending from heaven in the dream that Jacob had? Does it have something to do with angels interacting with humans now? Jesus told the disciple Nathanael that he too would see something similar.

John 1:51
He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Jacob names the place Bethel, which means house of God. It is here that God confirms the promise that He made earlier to Abraham and He offers this same promise to Jacob. Bethel became an important center for worship but later became a center for idol worship, which the prophet Hosea condemned. Isn't that just like Satan? He takes a place for worship of God and turns it into something evil. This makes us want to guard closely our place of worship and be careful to keep evil from slipping in.

No comments:

Post a Comment