Rock Bottom (Jacob’s Dream) Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob hit bottom 10 Meanwhile Jacob left Beer Sheba and set out for Haran. He had lived in the comfort of a wealthy family. He was the image of the materialistic man. He schemed for prosperity. He now has nothing and is alone.

At Rock Bottom God adjusts our dreams. 11 He reached a certain place where he decided to camp because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones and placed it near his head. Then he fell asleep in that place 12 and had a dream. His self made dreams were: prosperity, a soft pillow, servants, … In this state we may think we can clime our way to God. God comes to us when we are at the bottom.

God reveals himself to the humble He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it 13 and the L ORD stood at its top. We cannot climb our way up to God. The angels are God’s messengers to mankind.

I’m their God – I’m Your God He said, “I am the L ORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the ground you are lying on. I am Yahweh – the God of the promise. I am (not was) the God of Abraham and Isaac. I am Your God. My promise to them is a promise to you. This land is your land. It’s not because of Jacob righteous scheming, but of God’s choosing.

The Blessings I promised them I now promise to you 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using your name and that of your descendants. I promise to multiply your descendants so they can’t be counted. I promise you and your descendants that the world will be blessed through you.

God is with you NOW! 15 I am with you! I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!” I’m not just the God of your future. I’m with you right now. – I’ll protect you wherever you go – I’ll bring you back to this land. – I won’t leave you. – I’ll keep my promise.

God is in the Place 16 Then Jacob woke up and thought, “Surely the L ORD is in this place, but I did not realize it!” 17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!” God is a local God. The place is the house of God. The place is the gateway to heaven. Jacob seems more impressed by the place than by God.

Jacob honors the location 18 Early in the morning Jacob took the stone he had placed near his head and set it up as a sacred stone. Then he poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, although the former name of the town was Luz. Jacob made a pillar with the stone to serve as a memorial for his awesome experience. Bethel – House of God.

The event marks the beginning of His Walk with God. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear, 21 and I return safely to my father’s home, then the L ORD will become my God. 22 Then this stone that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” His commitment to God is conditional. – If God protects him – If God feeds him – If God clothes him – If he returns to his father’s home. He would only commit to God after God fulfills His promises to him. He promises to give God ten percent if God fulfills his promises to him.

Lessons Having godly parents and grandparents doesn’t make us godly. We cannot scheme our way into God’s blessings. God often waits until we reach rock bottom before He makes himself visible to us. God comes to us on his terms, not ours.

Lessons True spirituality is not our climbing our way to God, but God opening the heavens and making himself visible to us. An experience with God doesn’t provide instant spirituality and maturity. It merely begins the process. God is not restricted to a place, though He may use a place to make His presence known.

Lessons God is patient with our spiritual immaturity. God fulfills his promises in spite of our lack of commitment and spiritual immaturity.

Angels are Messengers to Jesus John 1:51 He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

None could climb the ladder to heaven but Jesus John 3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man.