Jacob: A Precious Promise (1)

There are times and places in our lives we never forget. Think of Moses at the burning bush. Think of the disciples of Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration. Think also of Jacob at Bethel. They are places where the Lord comes down to visit, comfort, and instruct His people. Perhaps you may know of such a time and place in your life. If you do, what a longing there can then lie in your heart for another visit.

The days before Bethel, Esau and Jacob’s father Isaac had become old and had desired to bestow the patriarchal blessing upon his descendent. Therefore, Esau had gone out to hunt to bring venison for his father, who would eat and then bestow the blessing upon his son Esau. However, their mother Rebekah had heard and come in between. That is why Jacob brought a meal to his father, confessing to be his son Esau. It is true that Jacob’s receiving the blessing was the will of the Lord, but the way he received it was wrong. He and his mother could not leave the matter in the hand of the Lord, trusting that He would bring it to pass. How often it is that way with us when we cannot trust the Lord, and we forge ahead with what we think is the way it must go. There, in the home of Isaac and Rebekah, matters ended in hatred; therefore, Jacob must flee.

That night he came to a certain place, a place where all was empty and dark. We can imagine how it must have been with this lonely traveler. He had a promise but missed the Promisor. Perhaps you are not a stranger of those lonely nights when it seems as if you will never hear the voice of the Lord anymore—when it is all dark outside but the deepest darkness lies inside. There, in that night, a young man slept with a stone for a pillow. Now we read it is the Lord’s time; He comes when all has come to an end from our side, but when He comes, it is an unforgettable time and place. As Jacob lay there the Lord came in a dream; Jacob saw angels ascending and descending.

What a wonderful revelation we have here of angels ascending and descending. This means that the Lord, at all times, has his angels around His children even when it is empty and dark in their heart, when they do not hear the voice of the Lord anymore. Sometimes it is a struggle from day to day, there are times when they weep, “Lord, when will I hear Thy voice once again?”—times that with David they cry, “Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11).

Jacob, in that long dark night, saw a ladder and upon that ladder angels descending. That ladder is Christ. In Christ the Lord had a message for Jacob. In this message we read that the Lord knew his fears. In the dream he heard God’s voice, “I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac.” Then the Lord confirmed the blessing that Jacob had received from his father Isaac. Oh, what a wonderful time when the Lord comes and confirms in one’s heart that He knows him. Legion are the times that the devil comes with the question: Are you sure that the Lord knows you? Why is it so empty and dark in your heart? However, when the Lord comes back, then one may believe, then in a night like that he may trust that it is the Lord who has sought and saved a wretch like him. We read in God’s Word that the Lord came with a promise to Jacob for the future, “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.” (In all those tomorrows, no matter how difficult your way may be, I will always be with you. When it becomes so dark and you may not see Me, I always see you.) Know then, God’s children do not travel their earthly journey alone. Oh, what a wonder it becomes when they may learn that in Christ He sees them. In Christ He is ever there to lead them onward, and in Christ He will bring them home.

When Jacob awaked out of his sleep, he knew that the Lord was there. He knew that the promise of the Lord was with him. “And he called the name of that place Bethel.” As he traveled onward, he was a man who had received a promise but missed the Promisor. Know then that those travelers cannot perish in a strange land. Think of Jacob, where for twenty years there was no further revelation of the Lord. In that time, His people miss a visit for their soul. In that time, they learn to cry, “Oh, Lord, may I hear Thy voice once again.” Remember, they cannot perish. Why? Because there is a faithful, guiding Lord. He says, “I will allure them, lead them into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto them and give a door of hope.” That door is Christ. Jacob had a Bethel in his life. There, he not only heard a promising God, but that there was also a ladder. With that he could see that in Christ the door is open.

Perhaps at the end of this article I may ask you something. Dear friends, do you have a Bethel in your life? A place that you may hear from heaven that the Lord hears and knows you and, at the end, will bring you back to what you have lost? A place where you may see that there is a God-given door? That door is Christ. May God give that your eye may ever be upon that door and that we may remember that door is open. From that door we poor, needy travelers may hear His loving voice calling out, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

(To be continued)

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