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Category: Through the Bible Page 6 of 46

Giving back to God

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On July 15, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 28:20-22 gives the account of a promise that a man (in this case Jacob) makes to God in response to God’s promise to him of giving him and his seed the land where in he was. Jacob vowed conditionally that if God was with him and if God keeps him in the way he should go and give unto him food (bread to eat) and clothes (raiment) to put on, then the Lord shall be his God and of all that God gives him, he will surely give the tenth back to God (Genesis 20-21).

The Lord God promised to be with him (Genesis 28:15).
The Lord God promised to keep him (Genesis 28:15).
The Lord God promised to provide for him (Genesis 28:13).
The Lord God identified himself to be the God of his grandfather Abraham and of his father Isaac.

Now Jacob is personalizing that this same Lord would also be his God (not just that of his fathers) (Genesis 28:13,22). Jacob also recognizes that the source of everything that he will get is God for he exclaims “and of all that thou (God) shall give me.”

Points to ponder:
God has given to all mankind his only begotten Son, Jesus (John 3:16).
Jesus promised to be with us, even to the ends of the age (Matthew 28:20).
Jesus assured us that if anyone believes in him, no man can pluck us out of his hand (John 10:28) – in other words, we are kept in Jesus’ hands.
Jesus assured us that we ought not to worry about what we shall eat or drink or wear, for the heavenly Father knows our needs and will provide for us (Matthew 6:31-33) and that we ought to seek God and his Kingdom first.

Jesus need not only be the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – he can be ours too. Have you asked him to be your God?
While we can never out-give God, we learn from the Holy Scripture that Jesus gave himself totally for you and me and he has given us eternal life – Are we willing to give back to him, our life, at least a tenth of it – if not more? Think about it and act on it.

Genesis 28:20-22 (KJV)
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

From Luz to Bethel

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On July 14, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 28:18-19 reads “And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.”

The name of the Hittite city where Jacob consecrated a pillar from the stone he has used as pillows was Luz. According to Strong’s Hebrew dictionary, Luz means an almond tree/wood, and the name of the city was possibly named such because of the almond trees in that region (Genesis 30:37), but Strong’s Hebrew dictionary also indicates that Luz could mean, to turn aside, depart, crookedness or perverseness, possibly because of the wicked people of the city. While either of these meanings are subject to human interpretation, what we ought to recognize from this account, is that where the Lord God is, and where there is a consecration of the place – then that is Bethel (House of God).

Points to ponder:
When we believe in Jesus Christ, as our Lord, Savior and King, we are turned aside from our perverseness of sin and the Holy Spirit of God is poured upon us, like oil anointing our head (Psalm 23:5) and Jesus who has been standing at the door of our heart and knocking (Revelation 3:20) comes into our lives and takes residence. In other words, we become the house (temple) of God. We go from being Luz (crooked and perverse in our sinfulness) into being Bethel (the House of God – perfect). Are you a Luz or a Bethel?

Genesis 28:18-19 (KJV)
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Jacob’s Pillow and Pillar

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On July 13, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Pantheon - The Paul Family Pantheon - OculusWhen we visited the Pantheon in Rome, what struck us in this architectural splendor is the girth and strength of the pillars that hold the ceiling of the entrance into the dome, which has within it in the center, an oculus through which sun light enters into the building. As we waited for our turn to go in, we leaned and against the pillars at the entrance, which supported us.

Genesis 28:18 records that when Jacob rose from his sleep, in which he dreamed of the Lord God and his ladder, the gate of heaven, he work up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar and consecrated it by pouring oil on top of it. While the exact significance of what Jacob did is not explicitly given in the book of Genesis, we are told that what once served as a head rest (a pillow) now served as a reminder and refuge (a pillar of strength), consecrated by oil.

Points to ponder:
Jesus expressed that he would give rest unto all who come to him (Matthew 11:28). In other words, he would be their spiritual pillow. He also expressed that he was the chief cornerstone (pillar) – a refuge of strength to all who believe and lean on him (as one would lean on a pillar). The Holy Spirit (symbolized by oil in the Scripture) was over him at his baptism, consecrating the one who consecrates all, and Christ Jesus is The Pillar of God.

We can rest on Jesus, who is the only entrance (the gate of heaven) into where God, the Father of lights (James 1:17) can shine over us. Come unto him and he will give you rest and refuge, for Jesus is Jacob’s pillow and pillar.

Genesis 28:18 (KJV)
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

Gate of heaven

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On July 12, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

When Jacob woke up from his sleep in which he dreamed of the angels of God ascending and descending the ladder that led from earth up to heaven, he expressed and said that the place where he was, was the house of God and that place was the gate of heaven. The gate of heaven implies that the one who enters through that gate would be able to enter into heaven.

Points to ponder:
When Jesus spoke with Nathaniel and Nathaniel believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the King of Israel, Jesus assured him saying that thereafter he shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon him, the Son the man (John 1:51). In other words, Jesus is Jacob’s ladder, the gate of heaven. Jesus said, that he is the gate (door) and if any man enter by him, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture (John 10:9). Jesus is The gate of heaven – there is no other gate by which man can enter into heaven. The question is have you believed in him i.e., have you entered into the gate of heaven?

Genesis 28:12,17 (KJV)
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
…
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

John 1:51 (KJV)
51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

John 10:9 (KJV)
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Unaware of God’s presence

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On July 11, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

As Jacob was running away from his brother Esau, he stopped at a certain place to rest for the night and he dreamed. In his dream he saw the ladder set on the earth and the angels of God, ascending and descending on it and on top of it, he saw the Lord God standing. The Lord assured him of his presence, preservation and protection. When Jacob woke up from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.”

Points to ponder:
Into this dark world, where sin as the pitch of night abounds, God has shined his Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ – The Light of the World and Jesus’ presence, preservation by his Holy Spirit and protection is assured to all who believe in him and yet, many a times, we are unaware of God’s presence, as Jacob was. Let us recognize that God is in this place, no matter what the circumstances of your life are or how bleak the world may seem. Surely the Lord is in this place for Jesus is Emmanuel and that means God is with us – Are you and I aware of his presence? or as we saying, “I knew it not.” John 17:3 says – “To know God is Eternal life.” Are you assured of eternal life?

Genesis 28:16 (KJV)
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

The promise of God – Presence, Preservation & Provision

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On June 14, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 28:15 records the words of the Lord God in Jacob’s dream. It reads “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”

This is a wonderful promise of the Lord God unto Jacob, and close scrutiny of the text reveals that the Lord God promised his
– presence (I am with thee; I will not leave thee),
– preservation (I will keep thee in all places)
and his
– provision (I will bring thee again into this land).

Points to ponder:
To all who are Jesus’ disciples, who love him and follow him, he promised his
– presence for he said that he will be with us always (Matthew 28:20) and that he will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
– preservation by his Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23) who would seal (Ephesians 1:13) and preserve (keep) us so that we may keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7)
and his
– provision of the promise land where he has gone to prepare a place for us so that where he is, we may be also (John 14:3).

So the question that remains to be answered is, are you assured of the Lord God’s promise of his presence, preservation and provision? In other words, are you his disciple i.e., do you love him and follow him? Think about that. Love God and Love man for in doing so will people know that we are Jesus’ disciples and you can be assured of God presence, preservation and provisions in your life.

Genesis 28:15 (KJV)
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

All the families of the earth shall be blessed …

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On June 13, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Enroute to Haran, running away from his brother Esau, whom he had deceived, Jacob comes to a certain place where he stayed for the night as the sun had set. He took the stones of that place and used them as pillows and lay down to sleep. And in his dream, he saw a ladder set up on the earth reaching into heaven and saw the angels of God ascending and descending on it and on the top of the ladder, he saw the Lord standing. The Lord said “I am the Lord God of Abraham, your father and the God of Isaac and the land where you lay, I will give to you and to your seed. Your seed shall be numerous, as the dust of the earth and you shall spread in all directions (west, east, north and south) and in you and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Then the Lord assured Jacob that he was with Jacob (i.e., will be present with Jacob), and would never leave him, and will keep him in all places where he goes (i.e., will preserve and protect Jacob), and will bring Jacob into this land (i.e., will provide for Jacob) until all that the Lord had promised would come to pass. (Genesis 28:10-15).

First, note that Jacob who was the grandson of Abraham is referred to here as the child of Abraham. Second, it is important to note that God’s presence, preservation, protection and provision was assured to Jacob along with a blessing that Jacob and his seed would be a blessing to all the families of the earth.

Points to ponder:
First, all who are of the faith, who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord, Savior and King are referred to as children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7). Second, God’s promise of his presence, preservation, protection and provisions is for all who are Abraham’s children. He blessed those who believe in him, to be a blessing to others and expects that through us and our children, all families of the earth shall be blessed. Question: Are you and I who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ a blessing to others? Are the families of the earth blessed on account of us?

Genesis 28:10-15 (KJV)
10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Willful disobedience of Esau

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On June 3, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

Genesis 28:1-9 (KJV) gives the account of Isaac, calling and blessing Jacob, and requesting that he did not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Instead, Isaac sends him off to his father-in -law’s house (the house of Bethuel). He asks Jacob to go to Padanaram where Betheul and his son, Laban lived and asked Jacob that he married one of Laban’s daughters. Then he blesses Jacob with the blessing of Abraham and sent him away.

Now when Esau had seen that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and learned of his father’s request of Jacob to not marry a daughter of the Canaanites, knowing that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac, his father, went to Ishmael and willfully disobeyed his father, taking not one but two wives from his uncle Ishmael’s daughters. This gives insight into how much Esau despised spiritual things, once again gratifying his fleshly desires, over the matters of the Spirit.

Points to ponder:
Before we end up judging Esau for his worldly ways, let us take a moment to introspect, for many a times, I find myself to be willfully disobedient to God and his Holy Spirit; in union with the world in more than one way. Jacob obeyed his father unlike his brother Esau. Let us not be willfully disobedient gratifying the desires of our flesh, but instead let us submit to the Holy Spirit and to the will of God, the Father.

Genesis 28:1-9 (KJV)
1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.
3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughers of Canaan;
7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;
8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Grave marriages

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On May 31, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

The last verse in the book of Genesis chapter 27 ends with a question, posed by Rebekah, Isaac’s wife and the mother of Jacob and Esau, wherein she asks “What good shall my life do me?” (Genesis 27:46). She asks this question, hoping that her favorite son, Jacob, does not marry a ungodly wordly woman as did her elder son Esau, who had taken not one but two wives from the daughters of Heth, who had made Rebekah’s life wearisome.

Points to ponder:
Worldly alliances and ungodly union can result in the weariness of those who love us. When we live an life that is in union with the world, in an ungodly relationship with the things of this world, then we are in an adulterous relationship against God himself (James 4:4), which is a grave marriage. Do we really want to have God, who gave his life for you and me, ask “what good shall my life do me?”. In other words, let us not live lives that are wearisome to God, but as a bride prepares herself to be ready for the bridegroom, let us ready ourselves for the marriage supper of the Lamb of God (Revelation 19).

Genesis 27:46 (KJV)
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Rebekah’s Curse

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On May 25, 2016

In Christian, Genesis, Through the Bible

When Rebekah told Jacob to listen to her and go to his father Isaac, as if he was his brother Esau, so that he could be blessed, he was concerned and told his mother, that just in case, his father detects their deception, then he would be cursed by his father, instead of being blessed. To this, Rebekah, responds to Jacob that may the curse be upon her. (Genesis 27:13). From the recorded account, we learn that heeding to his mother’s voice, Jacob deceives his father and brother. This angers his brother Esau, who intends to kill Jacob. Fearing for the loss of her younger son, Rebekah, now tells Jacob to flee to her brother Laban for a few days. Little did she realize then that the few days would turn into years (about two decades) and she would never ever again see her son on earth, for she passes away before Jacob returns from her brother’s place.

Points to ponder:
Rebekah’s sin (deception) had consequences. In this case, for Rebekah, it was the curse of being separated from the one she loved.

Our sin has consequences too. Since the wages of sin is death, we will be eternally separated from God if we choose to sin and deceive ourselves (James 1:22). Rebekah’s curse would be our curse, but praise be to God, that Jesus was made a curse for you and me and when we believe in him, we do not have to be separated from God. Are you cursed and being separated from God?

Genesis 27:41-45 (KJV)
41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
45 Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

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