Back to Basics #9: DUST OF THE EARTH

 Rebekah had packed Jacob off ‘for a few days’ and Isaac told him to ’take a wife’ from uncle Laban’s daughters.  That’s a journey more than 1000kms!

On the way, Jacob spent a night on a wooded ridge resting his head on some rocks for pillows. This is his first visit to Bethel: ‘the house of God’. 

He dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven and look!...God the “I AM” of Jacob’s fathers even spoke and UNCONDITIONALLY PROMISED that land to him and his seed:       

“Thy seed shall be as THE DUST OF THE EARTH”                                                      

No stars of heaven for Jacob, like it was for grandad Abe and dad Isaac – this is real down-to-earth stuff.  Jacob then tried his bargaining with God too!...IF YOU HELP ME then ‘the Lord will be my God’.  28:11-22 

Years later after some very ugly family mess, the “I AM God of Bethel” very graciously now calls Jacob back to Bethel (31:13) to finally ratify that great unconditional land grant.

“I AM God Almighty...the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.”  35:12

It gets even more impressive!            

Jacob has had his name changed to Isra’el: ‘He will rule as God’  32:28

No matter what skulduggery Jacob’s polygamous family of rascals get up to, God Almighty has given this family His prime real estate – the pivot of Africa, Asia and Europe – and this is who He has chosen to bless all families of the Earth thru.

God Almighty has done it – so we’d better get used to it!