Genesis 27-28: If God Will Be With Me

Jacob left his father's home, running away from Esau who was plotting to kill him once Isaac died, because Jacob stole both his birthright and Isaac's blessing.  As it became night, Jacob stopped and using a rock for a pillow, lay down to sleep.  During the night, He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”  - Gen. 28:12-15 NIV

God's blessing echoed Isaac's blessing over Jacob as he prepared to leave for Haran.. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.” - Gen. 28: 2-4 NIV When Jacob woke the next morning, he knew he had been in the presence of God, so he took the stone, used as his pillow, anointed it with oil and named it Bethel, or 'House of God'.

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”  - Genesis 28: 10-21 NIV

What more can we ask?  If God will be with us, watch over us on the journey we are on, if God will give us food to eat and clothes to wear until we return safely to our Father's house, what more can we want?  And what a small amount to give back when God has given us all we need....only a tenth, a tithe, a pittance compared to all we have received.

2010 Post - Genesis 27-31: Cunning and Conniving