Stones intro sampler - Flipbook - Page 29
promised Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, that the blessings intended for everyone
in the world would come through Abraham’s family. No pressure.
And God-fearing parents were not the only thing Jacob shared with my friend
from the luncheon. Both of them also had hover mothers who meddled.
To understand Jacob’s faith life, you need a little insight into his backstory.
But how does one summarize the beginnings of the world as we know it? How
could I possibly synthesize the hinge moments in our faith history from Adam
and Eve through the line of Abraham to get us all the way to Jacob? The best that
we can do for now is acknowledge that Jacob’s story in isolation is riveting. But
in context, Jacob is a link from God’s promise to his grandfather, Abraham, all
the way to Jesus.
Jacob is best known for his sneaky ambition, trickster deception, and emotional outbursts.2 And for some, Jacob’s most memorable moment in Scripture
is when he schemes to inherit his brother’s blessing. The plan Jacob and his
mother hatch together works, leaving him with the “blessing” of material and
social capital—but bankrupt emotionally and relationally. Jacob runs away from
his vengeful brother and ends up distanced from the only life he’s ever known.
But there, far from the security and familiarity of his familial ties, Jacob has an
encounter with God that shapes the rest of his life.
As I researched the bedrock of Jacob’s faith, I was surprised by the stone imagery in his story:
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Jacob uses a stone as a pillow at Bethel while he has a dream about God’s
presence (Genesis 28:11-17).
Jacob uses the stone to create a memorial at Bethel to commemorate his
vision from God (Genesis 28:18-22).
Jacob rolls a stone away from a well after meeting his future wife, Rachel
(Genesis 29:10).
Jacob builds a stone memorial when entering into an agreement with his
father-in-law, Laban (Genesis 31:45-54).
Jacob creates a pillar of stone at Bethel to renew his covenant with God
(Genesis 35:9-14).
L ES S O N O N E
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