Lesson 11 – Jacob’s Dream

God revealed the certainty of His presence now and forever to Jacob in his dream. God reveals Himself and His plan of salvation for us in His Word and Sacraments; we respond with praise and worship.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Exploration Guide and the Lesson 11 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Jacob dreaming about the ladder between heaven and earth with angels ascending and descending and the Lord standing at the top. Also paper and pencil will be needed.

You may remember watching a video about Kid President, but you need to hear the rest of the story.

 Watch the video, "The True Story of Kid President".

Robby has osteogenesis imperfecta, a medical condition that makes his bones break very easily.  A child like him might get easily discouraged.  Robby said, "Wherever you are today, give the world a reason to dance.” He also said, "Keep watching Kid President, and you'll get more spirit to be more awesome, especially you grown-ups."

How can Christians be more awesome, especially the grown-ups? Christians have an advantage in tough times by knowing God's grace and forgiveness in Jesus. The Holy Spirit works through God's Word and Sacraments to bless, strengthen, comfort, encourage, and motivate us and to keep us in the one true faith in Christ Jesus. These precious gifts are always available to us (to make us more awesome).

You can put the ESV Bible on your phone or other electronic device. The ESV Bible is free from all major app stores. You can reach for it whenever you need it.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, open our hearts to Your Word so that we can know Your love and live in Your grace. In Your name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

What do we remember about Isaac and Rebekah's family? They had twin sons. Jacob was his mom's favorite. Dad Isaac loved Esau best. Esau gave Jacob his firstborn birthright (an extra share of the family wealth, designation as family leader, worship leader, and carrier of the messianic promises).

Rebekah and Jacob conspired to get feeble Isaac to give Jacob the blessing Isaac wanted to give Esau. Esau ended up with leftovers.

This lesson starts with what happened next. On page 2 of the leaflet, under The family saga continues, follow the directions but for all the parts of the story.

Read Genesis 27:41-28:9.

Then continue with the Debriefing on page 2 of the leaflet.

 

Summarize what happened. Esau plotted to kill Jacob, but Mom found out and told Jacob to run to her brother's house. She didn't tell Isaac about Esau's threat. Instead, she said that Jacob needed a good wife from her family.

Convinced, Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Rebekah's brother Laban. In the meantime, Esau heard about this and decided he wanted to make his parents happy too. So he married a daughter of his Uncle Ishmael (granddaughter of Abraham). She was one of Esau's many wives.

Isaac gave Jacob the blessing of Abraham before he left. He blessed Jacob and his offspring, which was the promise of the Messiah. He said to be fruitful, multiply, and take possession of the land that God gave to Abraham (Canaan).

How do we receive this blessing? Read Galatians 3:13-14, 27-29 on page 2.  Abraham's blessing is ours through Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus fulfilled the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We put on Christ in Baptism and are one in Him. Since we belong to Christ, we are also Abraham's offspring and heirs of God's promise to bless all nations through Jesus.

Continue on leaflet page 3 with Jacob's Dream.

Jacob received the birthright and the blessing of his father, but he had to abandon everything and run from his brother's rage. He didn't return for twenty years.

Why do you think that happened? This is how God worked His will in Jacob's and Esau's lives.

Read Genesis 28:10-22 then answer the questions on page 3 of the leaflet.

Where did Jacob spend the night? Why? (verse 11) He stopped at a “certain place" because the sun had set. The Hebrew words indicate that Jacob did not come to the place but that "'a place met him" See the hand of God working!

What amazing dream did Jacob have? (verses 12-15) He saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending and the Lord standing at the top.

What three promises did the Lord Himself give to Jacob? The Lord identified Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. He gave Jacob the same promises He had given to Abraham and Isaac: (1) He and his offspring would possess the land. (2) His offspring would be as many as the dust of the earth. (3) All families on earth would be blessed through his offspring. The Lord also said He’d be with Jacob, keep him safe, and bring him back to his homeland.

Isaac included these things in Jacob's last blessing. Why do you think the Lord repeated them? These words are the core of the messianic promise, that God would send an offspring to bless the world through this line. God gave these promises to Jacob directly. That way, Jacob wouldn't think he lost the blessings because of the circumstances.

Jacob didn’t deserve these blessings. None of us do. But God in His mercy gave us Christ, the Lord, who lived and died to save us from sin, death, and the devil.

What do you think the dream meant? Read John 1:51 on page 3. The dream was a vision of how God Himself (Christ) would descend to earth. In John 1:51, Jesus compared Himself to the stairway. He is the way that God came to us and the way we return to God.

How did Jacob react when he woke up? (verses 16-17) Awed and afraid.

What did Jacob do to mark the spot of his dream? (verse 18) He set up the stone he had used as a pillow and poured oil on it to consecrate that place, to set it apart as holy.

What promise did Jacob make to God? (verse 20) The Lord would be his God; Jacob would tithe, or give 10 percent of all he had, to Him.

We Live

Continue with Our faithful Lord on page 3.

How can a real-life event like Jacob's ladder console us when we feel afraid, lost, or alone? Read Proverbs 3:24-26 on page 3. Jacob traveled alone, separated from his family, and running for his life. He probably felt frightened, sad, lost, and afraid. But the Lord loved, protected, and comforted Jacob, just as He does us.

Those of us who believe in the Lord understand that we are sinners who need God's mercy and forgiveness. We trust His promises to love, protect, and care for us. When we sin and make mistakes, the Lord forgives us for Jesus' sake, because He paid the price owed for our sins with His death on the cross. 

Has God ever made you wait for an answer to prayer? Did you get impatient and give up? The Bible narratives about the patriarchs are filled with waiting for many years for God to keep His promises, including the two-thousand-plus years they waited for Him to send His Son as the Savior.

How can it comfort us to know that God's answers to prayer sometimes take years? It helps us learn to be patient, to wait on the Lord, to trust Him, and to leave our concerns in His hands.

God's will was accomplished in the life of Jacob, despite his sins. In the same way, God uses us to accomplish His will, even when we sin and fail.

Read Angels on pages 25-26 of the Bible Exploration Guide.

Read Meaning 3 of the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed from Luther's Small Catechism on page 4 of the leaflet.

Closing

As a closing prayer, listen to the video "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow".