The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 48:3-4,
"Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, "I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you."'"
Jacob had renamed the city of Luz to Bethel, Genesis 28:19. God actually appeared to Jacob twice there, the first time recorded in Genesis 28:10-22 and the second in Genesis 35:1-15.
In the Genesis 28 passage, Jacob dreamed of a stairway to heaven where angels went up and down between heaven and earth. At that time the Lord told him there, "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. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:13-15.
In the Genesis 35 passage Jacob had later settled in Bethel (Luz) and after returning from a trip to northwest Mesopotamia, God appeared to him a second time there and said, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." Genesis 35:11-12.
Just as his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, God promised Jacob a mighty nation from his offspring and land. The land was Canaan and the mighty nation is described as an "increase [of] your numbers", "a community of peoples". Descendants "like the dust of the earth".
God also told Jacob, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Today we have the Scriptures God gave to the offspring of Jacob who faithfully preserved them for us. We also see all peoples of the earth blessed through Jacob's offspring, because it was through this lineage the Son of God came to us and paid for our sins on that cross, making a way for us into God's family.
Talk about blessing!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Jacob said to Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, "I am going to make you fruitful and increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you."'"
Jacob had renamed the city of Luz to Bethel, Genesis 28:19. God actually appeared to Jacob twice there, the first time recorded in Genesis 28:10-22 and the second in Genesis 35:1-15.
In the Genesis 28 passage, Jacob dreamed of a stairway to heaven where angels went up and down between heaven and earth. At that time the Lord told him there, "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. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:13-15.
In the Genesis 35 passage Jacob had later settled in Bethel (Luz) and after returning from a trip to northwest Mesopotamia, God appeared to him a second time there and said, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you." Genesis 35:11-12.
Just as his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, God promised Jacob a mighty nation from his offspring and land. The land was Canaan and the mighty nation is described as an "increase [of] your numbers", "a community of peoples". Descendants "like the dust of the earth".
God also told Jacob, "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring." Today we have the Scriptures God gave to the offspring of Jacob who faithfully preserved them for us. We also see all peoples of the earth blessed through Jacob's offspring, because it was through this lineage the Son of God came to us and paid for our sins on that cross, making a way for us into God's family.
Talk about blessing!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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