Daily Bible Portion (Sunday)
Daily Bible Portion - 1 of 7
"AND HE DEPARTED"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 28:10-32:3, Hosea 11:7-12:12, John 1:43-51)
Jacob’s Life: Part Two
This Place
The last study closed with Jacob leaving his family as he fled his brother Esau’s wrath. As Jacob journeyed from Beersheba to his relatives located east in Haran he reached a certain place and stopped for the evening.
Looking back, we see that Jacob’s grandfather Abraham was also asked to stop at a certain place.
The place Jacob came to was in the mountains of Moriah, the same place where his grandfather Abraham offered up Isaac, Jacob’s father. We now have a picture of all three patriarchs coming to the altar.
Scripture records,
Would you be able to sleep with your head on a cold hard stone? This was not just a piece of hard cold granite. The English translation of Genesis 28:11 can be very dry until we look at it through a Hebraic lens. This scripture reveals to us that Jacob took his life and placed it on the stone/altar in the same location that Abraham offered Isaac. Jacob lay down his life, the soulical dishonoring fleshly side of his life, and placed it as an offering. The altar is The Rock - Yeshua.
Yeshua said to Peter,
It is here; at this place that a believer comes to surrender his/her life in order to receive and walk in Yeshua’s indwelling life.
This altar is:
•The place of intimacy.
•The place of betrothal.
•The place where we enter into Yeshua’s Life.
Jacob will go on to become the father of twelve sons; together they are known as the twelve tribes of Jacob or Israel. Believers who are in Yeshua are also called Israel as we are of the seed of Abraham. The Covenant of Abraham was passed on to his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and from Jacob to his twelve sons. All three laid their lives down at this altar, the same altar that Yeshua lay down His life as an offering. When believers are obedient to the Gospel they too will offer their lives in agreement with Him in Covenant. Thus they are also called living sacrifices or living stones. Because the patriarchs obeyed and we follow the patriarchs through Yeshua we are also given the same inheritance, access and right of return to the land as the patriarchs. We are Yahweh’s inheritance - the inheritance of Jacob (Psalm 33:12; Deuteronomy 32:9; Jeremiah 10:16; Isaiah 58:13-14; Galatians 3:7, 9).
The Dream
As Jacob lay his life down, Yahweh gave him a dream with divine purpose. Jacob saw a ladder resting on the earth reaching heavenward with the messengers of Yahweh ascending and descending on it. This will be the same for us when we truly give up our life. Releasing bitterness, deceit and strife as Jacob did, will open up the window of heaven to us (Genesis 28:10-12; John 1:51).
As Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked in the Gospel before us as forerunners, this same realm at the altar is presented to believers. Because of what Yeshua did for us, believers can now meet with Him face to face at the Rock/altar (the Olam Haba). Without the Gospel, there is no altar experience and very little if any life in Him. It is this Rock of offering (Yeshua) we are built on. There is no other. He is the very foundation of our lives that we are to build upon.
When we truly accept the Gospel in our hearts we will feel more and more comfortable meeting with Yahweh at the altar. It is here that we will receive real peace and joy. When we are in this place we will no longer live a life of constant turmoil trying to control the things what we do not know or understand around us. Situations or the course of others will no longer cause us anxiety or concern, as we know our lives and theirs are under the watchful care of Yeshua. Recognizing this will bring us peace without the need to carry a heavy yoke of false burdens.
continues tomorrow...
"AND HE DEPARTED"
(Weekly Reading>>Genesis 28:10-32:3, Hosea 11:7-12:12, John 1:43-51)
Jacob’s Life: Part Two
This Place
The last study closed with Jacob leaving his family as he fled his brother Esau’s wrath. As Jacob journeyed from Beersheba to his relatives located east in Haran he reached a certain place and stopped for the evening.
Looking back, we see that Jacob’s grandfather Abraham was also asked to stop at a certain place.
“Then He said [to Abraham], ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:2, 4, 8-9).
The place Jacob came to was in the mountains of Moriah, the same place where his grandfather Abraham offered up Isaac, Jacob’s father. We now have a picture of all three patriarchs coming to the altar.
Scripture records,
“So he [Jacob] came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep” (Genesis 28:11).
Would you be able to sleep with your head on a cold hard stone? This was not just a piece of hard cold granite. The English translation of Genesis 28:11 can be very dry until we look at it through a Hebraic lens. This scripture reveals to us that Jacob took his life and placed it on the stone/altar in the same location that Abraham offered Isaac. Jacob lay down his life, the soulical dishonoring fleshly side of his life, and placed it as an offering. The altar is The Rock - Yeshua.
Yeshua said to Peter,
“And on this rock [the Gospel of Yeshua] I will build My church/ekklesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
It is here; at this place that a believer comes to surrender his/her life in order to receive and walk in Yeshua’s indwelling life.
This altar is:
•The place of intimacy.
•The place of betrothal.
•The place where we enter into Yeshua’s Life.
Jacob will go on to become the father of twelve sons; together they are known as the twelve tribes of Jacob or Israel. Believers who are in Yeshua are also called Israel as we are of the seed of Abraham. The Covenant of Abraham was passed on to his son Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and from Jacob to his twelve sons. All three laid their lives down at this altar, the same altar that Yeshua lay down His life as an offering. When believers are obedient to the Gospel they too will offer their lives in agreement with Him in Covenant. Thus they are also called living sacrifices or living stones. Because the patriarchs obeyed and we follow the patriarchs through Yeshua we are also given the same inheritance, access and right of return to the land as the patriarchs. We are Yahweh’s inheritance - the inheritance of Jacob (Psalm 33:12; Deuteronomy 32:9; Jeremiah 10:16; Isaiah 58:13-14; Galatians 3:7, 9).
Luke 1:33 “And He [Yeshua] will reign over the house of Jacob [Israel] forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
1 Peter 2:1-10 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ/Yeshua. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word [the Gospel], to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
1 Peter 2:1-10 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ/Yeshua. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word [the Gospel], to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
The Dream
As Jacob lay his life down, Yahweh gave him a dream with divine purpose. Jacob saw a ladder resting on the earth reaching heavenward with the messengers of Yahweh ascending and descending on it. This will be the same for us when we truly give up our life. Releasing bitterness, deceit and strife as Jacob did, will open up the window of heaven to us (Genesis 28:10-12; John 1:51).
As Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked in the Gospel before us as forerunners, this same realm at the altar is presented to believers. Because of what Yeshua did for us, believers can now meet with Him face to face at the Rock/altar (the Olam Haba). Without the Gospel, there is no altar experience and very little if any life in Him. It is this Rock of offering (Yeshua) we are built on. There is no other. He is the very foundation of our lives that we are to build upon.
Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone [the Gospel - Yeshua] for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily (1 Peter 2:6-8).
Isaiah 44:8 “Do not fear, nor be afraid; have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
When we truly accept the Gospel in our hearts we will feel more and more comfortable meeting with Yahweh at the altar. It is here that we will receive real peace and joy. When we are in this place we will no longer live a life of constant turmoil trying to control the things what we do not know or understand around us. Situations or the course of others will no longer cause us anxiety or concern, as we know our lives and theirs are under the watchful care of Yeshua. Recognizing this will bring us peace without the need to carry a heavy yoke of false burdens.
continues tomorrow...