January 13- The Stairway to Heaven

January 13, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 28:1-29:35

Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
 ~C.S. Lewis

Many people have read the Harry Potter books. I am not one of them. As I understand though, some fans were disappointed at the end of the series when Harry Potter lives to defeat Voldemort, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.  J.K. Rowling, the author, chose to give a happy ending to the story.


The truth about God's story in the Bible is that for those who love God there is also a happy ending to the story.  Part of that happy ending includes believers living forever with God in a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21 and 22).

Today in our reading the Lord gives Jacob a glimpse of the existing heaven in order to bolster his faith in God.

First, Isaac calls Jacob to himself to give Jacob his official blessing and admonish him not to marry any Canaanite women.  Esau, meanwhile, has mulitple wives including Canaanites and his cousin from the tribe of Ishmael.  Esau represents the unrighteous in this story. Jacob represents the righteous.

Jacob travels towards Haran to find a wife from their family in that area, just as Isaac found Rebekah. During the journey the Lord appears to Jacob in a dream, standing at the top of a stairway to heaven.  He announces to Jacob the same promise He gave to both Abraham and Isaac. He says the whole world will be blessed through his descendants, meaning that the Redeemer Child of the world would come through Jacob's offspring.


Jacob is affected by the vision, vows to make this God his Lord, worship Him alone, and tithe a tenth of all of his wealth to Him, IF God will give him a successful journey.  Sounds like Jacob is bargaining with God to me.  Jacob obviously has some maturing to do in his faith.  Right now, he just doesn't "get it."

Do you bargain with God in your life?  What have you tried to get from God in exchange for your loyalty to Him?

God does give Jacob a successful journey.  Jacob finds his Uncle Laban and falls in love with his younger cousin, Rachel. Laban makes Jacob work seven years for Rachel's hand in marriage. On their wedding night Laban deceives Jacob and gives Jacob his homely first daughter Leah instead of Rachel. I told you that deception runs in this family! This seems like cosmic pay-back for what Jacob did to Esau.

Jacob also takes Rachel as his wife, but has to work for seven more years to earn her.  He doesn't mind though because of his great love for her. Leah, meanwhile, is in a wilderness-experience. She is in a loveless marriage. As with all wilderness experiences, God draws near to Leah and comforts her by giving her four sons.

Jacob will be the family member of Abraham's line to have the twelve princes prophesied by the Lord. Isaac had only two sons. Ishmael had twelve sons in fulfillment of the prophecy.  Isaac's twelve sons come through his son Jacob.  Jacob's sons are from his two wives and their two servant concubines.

Leah, the unloved wife, is the one who bore a son named Judah.  It is through Judah's line that the Redeemer Child of the world is born. Note that God uses this woman's hard situation for His glory and His purposes. Jesus said that God blesses those who mourn. Here is an example of that. Leah's faith grows with each child she is given.

How may God be using your hard life situations for good? 

Matthew 9:18-38


Nowadays, music stars go on whirlwind tours across the country traveling to many cities with large tour buses and fancy stage shows.  They dazzle people with concert lights, flying stage craft, and good sound systems. Recently, Carrie Underwood flew out over a portion of her audience in a blue pickup truck, while belting out a popular song!

Jesus goes on a whirlwind tour, too, but his is of a different nature.  His tour went something like this:

• He raises a girl from the dead, in spite of the crowd laughing when He says she is only asleep. Vs. 18-26
• He heals two  blind men and tells them to be quiet about it. Vs. 27-31
• He casts a demon out of a guy. Vs. 32-33
• He gets accused by the religious leaders of being demon-possessed and healing people through demonic power. Vs. 34
• He teaches everyone truth and heals people of every sort of disease and illness. Vs. 35
• He feels great compassion and pity for the masses of people. Vs. 36

• He asks the disciples to pray to God the Father to send more workers to harvest these people into God's Kingdom. Vs. 37-38

What do you think of Jesus' whirlwind tour?  Does he match the hype of the anticipation of what he would do as promised back in the Garden of Eden?

Psalm 11:1-7

Vs. 4 says the Lord still rules the Heavens.  He watches everything closely, examining everyone on earth.
Vs. 7 says that He loves justice.

Proverbs 3:11-12


Vs. 12 says the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

Are you okay with God correcting you?

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton