Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17 Jacob gets a blessing by trickery, flees,
dreams of a ladder with angels ascending and descending. Receives God’s promise.
To the right of the bed Rebecca is standing.
By Govert Flinck – Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15609690
It would be tough (impossible?) to tell then entire Jacob story in one Sunday, yet that’s almost what we’re going to do today. Hold on, here we go! The passages start with Isaac at the end of his life, trying to pass on his blessing. Isaac speaks to Esau, and sends him off to prepare a meal. Meanwhile, Rebekah overhears and sets Jacob up to appear as Esau.
This time, the child speaks and the father answers. Jacob lies about who he is, and secures the blessing. The voice identifies the person more than the hair on the arms – even Isaac, blind and dying, knows that. Jacob gets the blessing, and goes on his way.
While on his way, Jacob falls asleep, and has quite the dream. In the dream, there’s another introduction. Jacob doesn’t ask to be introduced, he doesn’t ask who this is who appears in his dream and speaks. He isn’t asked for his attention. Instead, God simply speaks. It isn’t a two way conversation. God simply states who God is and what God will do, and perhaps what God is already doing.
That revelation of identity wakes Jacob up. It doesn’t change his attitude in general, but it does have him name the place – Beth el – the house of God – and to mark it with an anointed pillar. We hear Jacob lie about who he is, and we hear God give the great truth of who God is to Jacob.
God’s identity is impossible to be hidden. Ours, on the other hand… How do we identify ourselves? What do we hide behind to be who we think we should be, and how have we been blown away by the identity of God?
