Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

-

 



Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. Genesis 28:10-11 NIV

 

Lesson 1.

Speak to me, God of my Father!

It is difficult to understand where Jacob came to. It is traditionally believed that he went north from Beer Sheva, and having reached the place that today is called “Beit El”, he spent the night and saw angels ascending and descending from a ladder, and the Lord God stood at the top... In 1994, I happened to serve a short time in the Israeli army, in this very settlement (Beit El). It is located near Ramallah. In general, the heavens are open there and praying at night is very spiritual.

Another opinion says that he reached the place where his father Yitzhak once lay on the altar. Quite possibly, in frustrated feelings, because of the events that happened (and through his fault), he had to hastily retreat from the wrath of Esau, and he went to where his own father suffered. I wanted to experience God's Comfort. This sounds very plausible. We seek solace where something is dear to us... And so, Jacob reached Mount Moriah, the place where the Temple was built in the future, or the place where our Lord was crucified.

The thought crept in that it is in this context that Yeshua advises not to focus on any place:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 NIV

And yet, the moment that, as a human being, we go to where we know that significant events took place, there is a place to be in our lives. It's easier to pray there. And, probably, it is important to attach importance to the "dictations of the soul." It is possible that Consolation is available there in a special way.

 

Lesson 2

There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.” Genesis 28:13 NIV

In the original language, in Hebrew, this place sounds much richer and more powerful: Here is Adonai “nizav alav." - as if "hanging" over him. I am sure that Jacob experienced fear and trembling, and all possible feelings (not joy and fun for sure) at that moment. At such moments, you become nothing and repent of everything ... but, on the other hand: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and, as a result, the vision of God confirmed Jacob in his election and gave strength, both mental, and spiritual, and physical, to overcome the next 21 years of exile/temptation/correction/affirmation.

In the book of Numbers, we read:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:22-26 NIV

The Aaronic Blessing repeats twice "Turn Your Face to Me". That's what Jacob experienced there, when "the Lord hung over him." The New Testament also says:

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NIV

“The Image of the Hypostasis” is just about the Face of Adonai!

 

Lesson 3

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”

So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?” Genesis 29:21-25

Lavan means "white" in Hebrew. But clearly, he was "deceptively white." His soul was obviously not so bright. He led Jacob into sin and, in fact, provoked him to have four wives. This gave rise to various scandalous stories, and some things, psychologically or hereditarily, accompanied many descendants of Jacob in the future.

But it is important to consider the fact that Jacob was restored before God, despite the machinations of Laban (the symbol of this world). He continued with honor to carry the baton of the Restoration of the World, which God entrusted to his grandfather and father. And Jacob was able to pass this value on to his children! It is more important than sin and more important than heredity.

This is a very important lesson for us - you fall (do not push yourself), get up, recover, and go, do not sin, fulfil the Will of the Almighty. Praise God for the promise of the New Testament “and your sins I will remember no more”! The ancients also knew this principle - they got up, drove away "Lavan's accusations and shame" and went forward. With God’s help!

Sincerely, Leon Mazin


You can support or learn more about our mission here: www.shaveitzion.org





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Imitating the Messiah's Humility

-
Image
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Messiah, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Mashiach Yeshua: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every kn
Read more

Three Types of Unities and the Power of the Risen Messiah

-
Image
In this article, I will continue my reflections on Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. Paul ’s central thought is the restoration of the three types of unities. They were all part of God's plan , but they all became degraded for various reasons. Adam was meant to bring restoration to these unities , b ut the sin of the first people aggravated everything. However, when the last Adam – Yeshua of Nazareth – died and rose from the dead, powers were revealed that did not exist before – p owers for the consistent restoration of everything! Unity of Heaven and Earth Ephesians Chapter 1 says that Yeshua united / restored / healed the heavenly and the earthly in Himself. " … that all things in heaven and on earth may be united under the head of Christ." (Vs. 10) O ur role in this ongoing process is essential, but not very clear . Important concepts sometimes challenge our ability to understand. Still, it is important to think about our role in this process. In Him
Read more

Annual Report - 2022

-
Image
  Shalom dear friends, brothers and sisters, and partners in service for Zion. I would like to report to you in general about this past year. I hope that each year makes us all wiser, more experienced, more dependent on the Lord God, and more willing to do His will. 2021 was remembered by many for the difficulties with Covid (I personally spent nine days in the hospital, and thanks to the Grace of God I survived.), then 2022 became a year of many corrections. Unfortunately, Covid did not go away in 2022. Unfortunately, the war between Russia and Ukraine began, we saw troubles and flows of refugees in Europe, and we saw new immigrants and refugees from this war in Israel. All this causes a lot of sadness and expectations of future upheavals. The Holy Scriptures write about “coming upheavals,” but the main instructions for us in this context are the words: “... do not fear what they fear, serve the Lord your God ...” and “... raise your eyes to the mountains; from there Salvation w
Read more

The Battle of Gog & Magog

-
Image
  Post-apocalypse, or pre-apocalypse, what times are we living in now?! (See Ezekiel 38:1-6) I think this question worries a lot of people today. We have witnessed the ongoing Covid epidemic, we constantly hear about earthquakes in various places, we’ve seen war in Syria and other armed conflicts in different parts of the world. And of course now, the war between Russia and Ukraine. Many from the former USSR would never have thought of a war like this to even happen. Of course, looking at all this, many are wondering "is the world coming to an end?". This question is still difficult to answer. Similar pictures were drawn during the Napoleonic wars, and at the beginning of the 20th century, and those who are a little over 50 years old remember that during this half a century of ours, the end of the world was foreshadowed more than once or twice. I was born in the USSR, and I can say with confidence that the difference between an Ashkenazi Jew and a Sephardic Jew is much gr
Read more

Keep yourself clean...

-
Image
  Dear friends, brothers, and sisters in Yeshua. First of all, I want to thank you for your prayers and financial support, which help us in Israel to serve the One Lord and proclaim the Name of Yeshua the Messiah! The weekly chapter the Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17) leads to some thoughts that are relevant in our time as well “ Behold, I offer you today a blessing and a curse: a blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today, but a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God … ” Deuteronomy 11:26-28 The commandments of the Lord were never intended for our salvation. Salvation is God's sovereign action based on His mercy and love for us. But the fulfillment of the commandments determines the quality of our life. And the HABIT to act according to His commandments strengthens this blessing – mak ing our lives “usually correct!” Today, some are looking for extreme sports, but as soon as a person gets older, h
Read more

The Life/Death of Sarah

-
Image
 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” The Hittites replied to Abraham, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said to them, “If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.” Genesis 23:1-9 NIV Until now, Abraham and his clan wandere
Read more

In the field of war

-
Image
  I noticed an incredible prophetic power in the Weekly Torah chapters, according to Jewish custom, analyzed from the days of Ezra ... Their images and allegories and sometimes direct instructions on th ese corresponding days and weeks ... And today, against the backdrop of aggression in Ukraine, I am reading and trying to learn something… Pkudey begins with words These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. Exodus 38:21 NIV The Lord gives instructions for “beginning the functioning of the tabernacle”… Everything seems to be clear and we do not want to delve into the details. For today, this is an allegory about diligence and the desire to serve God in any circumstances. The importance of carrying God's torch of faith and hope. Enlighten the darkness of this age with the truth of the Creator. To bring restora
Read more

A whirlpool of events... And this is from the Lord!!!

-
Image
  Congregation news: lots of meetings. Feast of Trumpets, day of atonement, Sukkot and, of course, Simchat Torah (Torah holiday). We have had lots of guests from all over the world — from China to Latvia and Norway. We have seen the ministry of prophecy and words of knowledge, and it was a special time to be renewed in the presence of the Lord and with family and friends from all over the world. WE ARE GLADLY TIRED. Everyone wanted this celebration, and in a sense, in the "incomprehensible situation" that is around us, it was a wonderful time from the Lord. The “situation around” is not clear with our government elections (I ask for your prayers for the Will of God). There are a lot of military rumors around, and the situation with the Russia / Ukraine war has a very strong influence on us. With the influx of NEW OLIM (IMMIGRANTS) AND REFUGEES, we urgently need to “examine” our finances!!! We have helped hundreds of people from Ukraine and Russia in recent months as more an
Read more

With God's help, we'll get through...

-
Image
          For Yeshua , our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5 :7 NIV The special time, when according to the Biblical calendar we celebrate the holiday of Unleavened Bread and the Exodus from the house of slavery, I wish you health , success, and victories. Let’s be honest , we are not living in simple easy times . The whole world is focused on the situation between Ukraine and Russia, we see how various spiritual forces both good and bad are activ e . Unfortunately, these days Israel is being shaken by brutal terrorist attacks. In just three weeks, fourteen people were murdered by terrorists. Pain, anger, disappointment. . . All this is our pre - Passover experience. I think many are disappointed with the government's policy of not being able to solve internal problems… Speaking of news near home – at Return to Zion , three staff members of our Ministry are ill with Covid , as well as m any others in the Congregation, which prompts me to ask
Read more

Be satisfied with what God has set for you.

-
Image
  The Lord said to Moses, “Take a census also of the Gershonites by their families and clans. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting. This is the service of the Gershonite clans in their carrying and their other work: They are to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, …“ (Numbers 4:21-25 NIV) Why can't I teach others like the sons of Kohath? Or enter the Holy of Hollies like the children of Aaron? Are they more worthy than I am? I think this is often asked by believers who desire to serve. Perhaps they don’t give sermons or take the role of a pastor, but they set up chairs before/after worship, and they do other good deeds such as visiting the sick. They have ambition and desire, and they pray for the guidance of the Spirit! But what is their purpose? More than once the Scriptures describe fraternal conflicts in which a brother revolted against his brother, leading to fatal outcomes, as was the case with Cain and Abel
Read more