Personal Introduction



Genesis 28:10-22
10Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.
12And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
13And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.
14Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15Behold, 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.”
16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17And 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.”
18So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
19He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20Then Jacob made 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 clothing to wear,
21so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God,
22and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

As a child, I was introduced to Jesus by my faithful parents and so I also introduced my daughters to the Lord as well. But I noticed both in my case and with my own children that childish faith that was imparted by parents needed to almost be shrugged off so that something more personal and mature could replace it. Now please don’t get me wrong here. I’m not supporting “decision theology” – not at all. What I’m saying is that eventually, in a maturing Christian, the faith must become your own. You don’t believe it because your Mom and Dad said to. You believe because it’s true.

So far, God has made Himself known to Abraham and Isaac. Now it is time for Jacob to get to know God, up close and personal. Most certainly he knew the stories of Abraham’s journey with God. He had probably also been told the story of Abraham and Isaac’s trip up the mountain where Isaac almost was sacrificed. That would be one you would repeat for years. But until this point in Jacob’s story, he has had no personal interaction with the Father that we are told about. Now, as he runs from certain death at the hands of his brother he is confronted by God and thus begins his own personal walk of faith. God comes to Jacob and reiterates the promise that was made to his grandfather and father. Even though Jacob has left his homeland, God has come with him and will stay with him. The people held a belief at that time that the “gods” were territorial gods. If you left a geographical location you also surrendered the protection of the "god" who ruled that land. Jacob is learning first hand that with Yahweh this is not the case. He is not bound by geography. God also promises Jacob that he will return to the land he is leaving and it will belong to his people.

Jacob’s response is immediate. He sets up a “standing stone” made from the rock that was his pillow during the dream; right there where God came to him so that it would always be remembered that God is faithful and the keeper of promises. I find verse 20 interesting as we hear Jacob’s response to this dream. His vow starts with “If”. He’s going to let God go first. You keep Your promise to keep me safe and bring me back here, and I’ll give you 10%. It is a vow made out of immaturity. His faith still needs to grow up. But at least he’s trying. He has had a personal encounter with God and he is being changed. We will find that it takes several years for Jacob to truly become God’s man. His deceiving ways are difficult to give up. But eventually it happens. It is my prayer for you that each day draws you into a deeper relationship with the Father. May you find that your maturity level grows with your age. And hey, maybe you could build a few standing stones along the way to remember all that God has done in and with you.

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