#DailyDevotion The LORD Chose Jacob Out Of Grace Just As He Chooses You
Gen. 28:10-17 10Jacob left Beer-sheba and started out for Haran: 11When he came to a certain place, he stopped there for the night because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones of the place and laid it under his head and lay down there. 12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth. Its top reached up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. 13And the LORD stood above it. “I am the LORD,” He said, “the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land you’re lying on I will give you and your descendants. 14Your descendants will be like the dust on the earth, and you will spread out east and west, north and south, and in you, that is, in your Descendant, all the peoples on earth will be blessed.
Jacob was fleeing his brother Esau after cheating him out of his inheritance. He was off to his mother’s brother’s home, the home of Laban. This will be important. Now he stopped for the night at a certain place and got a stone for a pillow and laid his head there. Now I don’t know about you but that doesn’t sound particularly comfortable. While he was sleeping, Jacob had a dream of a ladder going up to heaven with angels descending and ascending on it. At the top was the LORD. Now the angels going up and down upon the ladder represent Heaven’s constant communication with the earth. They carry man’s needs to the LORD and they bring back the answer from the LORD, for they are ministering spirits of the LORD to mankind.
The LORD (YHWH) identified himself to Jacob with his name and let him know he was the God of Abraham and of Isaac. Certainly Jacob had heard of the LORD from his father and grandfather as they preached his name in all the land. He sees the LORD and lives, because the LORD is a gracious, kind, merciful and forgiving God. The LORD had made a covenant with Abraham and with Isaac and now he is reaffirming the covenant with Jacob. I find this quite amazing. Seriously, look at who the LORD is choosing to make his covenant with, a liar and a cheat! Remember, Jacob is there because he is fleeing the wrath of his brother for steeling his inheritance. But such is the LORD’s choice and who are we to argue. Perhaps though we should take great comfort in this because the LORD has chosen us, he has chosen you to be his dear child despite all the evil and wicked you have thought, said and done.
The LORD promises Jacob to multiply him and make his descendants many. He promises to give him the land to east, west, north and south of where he was. Most importantly for us, he promises Jacob that in him, that is in his Descendant, his seed singular, all nations of the earth would be blessed. Jacob is blessed by the LORD not because of how great he is but by the mercy, kindness, forgiveness and steadfast-love the LORD is on account of Jacob’s future Descendant, whom Paul identifies in Galatians 3, our LORD Jesus Christ. Yes the LORD who is speaking to Jacob and blessing Jacob will join himself to the flesh of Jacob, become one with him in his seed, the seed of the Woman Mary and become Man. As Man, he will fulfill the Law for mankind. He will by his suffering and death redeem and ransom mankind. In his resurrection Jesus justifies mankind and opens the kingdom of heaven to all who would believe in him. That would be you, who like Jacob didn’t deserve it but for the sake of Jesus receives it by grace.
Heavenly Father, grant us faith in the seed of Jacob, our LORD Jesus Christ in who we receive every grace and blessing from your fatherly hand and make us grateful. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.