10 “And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward 11 Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay 12 down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land 14 whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the 15 families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have 16 done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; 17 and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and 18 this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.”
Golden Text.—“Surely the Lord is in this place.” Verse 16.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What journey of Jacob’s is mentioned in this lesson? Verse 10. (2) What was the occasion of this journey? Note 1. (3) What indicates the wearisome character of his pilgrimage? Verse 11. (4) What wonderful dream accompanied his slumber? Verse 12. (5) What was the crowning feature of the vision? What comforting assurance was given to Jacob? Verse 13, first part. Note 2. (6) What promise was given to Jacob? Verses 13, last part, and 14. (7) To whom had this promise been given before? Note 3. (8) What promise of present personal assistance was given to Jacob? Verse 15. (9) When Jacob awoke what did he say? Verse 16. Note 4. (10) What feeling did he specially experience? Why? Verse 17. (11) What time did Jacob arise? What then did he do as a memorial of the occasion? Verse 18. (12) What name did he give to the place? What had it been formerly called? Verse 19.
NOTES.
1. The occasion here referred to was Jacob’s leaving home for fear of his brother Esau, who had threatened to kill him. His exile from home had been caused by his own selfishness and deception. By deceiving his aged and blind father, he had secured the blessing which was designed for Esau. His mother had incited him to this deed, and was now separated for life from her favorite son. “It was with a deeply troubled heart that Jacob set ‘out on his lonely journey. With only his staff in ‘hand he must travel hundreds of miles through a ‘country inhabited by wild, roving tribes. In his ‘remorse and timidity, he sought to avoid men, lest ‘he should be traced by his angry brother.’”—Patriarchs and Prophets.
2. The comfort of God’s Word always comes in time of greatest need to those who are in condition to receive it. Jacob had traveled at least two days from Beer-sheba to Bethel. He was lonely, tired, fearful, sorrowful, and penitent. But he realized that night that “the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Ps. 34:18. “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.” Ps. 145:18.
3. The promise here made to Jacob was a repetition of the promise to Abraham and to Isaac. Every true child of God has a part in this promise. Surely there is enough in it to induce faithful service, and to prove a solace in the hour of severest trial. A full belief in the promises of God will enable us to surmount the most formidable obstacle, and sustain us to the end, be the journey never so long or wearisome.
4. “I Knew It Not.”—How much of life’s troubles and fears might be avoided, if we could but realize the omnipresence of God; if in every condition and every place we could just look up to Him as “our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble.”
