RACAD Genesis 28 Highlights
“At sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and lay down to sleep” Genesis 28:11(NLT)
There are two parties to a covenant- God and the receiver of the covenant. We can count on God to fulfil His part, but would we do likewise? The covenant began with Abraham.
He fulfilled its requirement through obedience to God’s voice. Isaac heard that same voice and also obeyed in Gen 26. But when it was the turn of Jacob in chapter 28, it was a different matter. Jacob had his own terms that God must hear and comply with….
His chance at knowing God for himself, as his grandfather and father did was jettisoned by him. Not even with God’s self introduction as LORD could strike an awakening in Jacob to leverage on the open door that was set before him (a ladder that reaches to heaven) as he made his way to Paddan-Aram.
He had an opportunity at Bethel, a place of encountering His presence to break away from his supplanter past and begin a journey of obedience with the One who has spoken to him.
He had a unique opportunity to know God for himself the same way his grandfather and his father had known Him.
Yes he acknowledged God was in that place, but he just wasn’t ready to commit. Rather, he laid down his terms for God- “if you will give me bread, if you provide me clothing, then I will”
Jacob deliberately continue the familiar path he has been treading, reducing the seriousness of God’s assurances in verses13-25 to the mundane matter of food and clothing.
Same way through our pursuits of these things, we jettison the things God is drawing our attention to.
How many times has God let down the ladder for you and I to consciously rearrange our priorities and pursuits as we hear His voice, yet, we resolutely journey on expecting Him to agree to our terms first after all, God can wait…..
Sadly, what should have been a sunrise to a new beginning for Jacob became a sundown for him. May we not experience any sundown this year in Jesus name.
Jacob journeyed on from Bethel without a tangible evidence of an encounter with God for the next 21 years. Save for God’s mercy, he probably would have remained in Laban’s for God knows how long, without any manifestation of the Blessing.
God is giving us another opportunity of a *good place to set up camp* this year and align our lives with His kingdom permanently, not just on a temporary basis.
This is a personal responsibility we must commit to. Yes, He is the God of Daddy Joe, but He must be your Lord first.
We can recover our lost grounds through individual commitment as we climb the ladder into His presence, with an innumerable company of angels (ministering spirits sent on assignment to assist us) given charge to keep us in all our ways, for the manifestation of all He has spoken concerning 2023.
