The God Pause Daily Devotional - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Monday, 17 July 2017 - Genesis 28:10-19
Genesis 28:
10 Ya‘akov went out from Be’er-Sheva and traveled toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and stayed the night there, because the sun had set. He took a stone from the place, put it under his head and lay down there to sleep. 12 He dreamt that there before him was a ladder resting on the ground with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of Adonai were going up and down on it. 13 Then suddenly Adonai was standing there next to him; and he said, “I am Adonai, the God of Avraham your [grand]father and the God of Yitz’chak. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants. 14 Your descendants will be as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. You will expand to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. By you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15 Look, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go, and I will bring you back into this land, because I won’t leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 Ya‘akov awoke from his sleep and said, “Truly, Adonai is in this place — and I didn’t know it!” 17 Then he became afraid and said, “This place is fearsome! This has to be the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!” 18 Ya‘akov got up early in the morning, took the stone he had put under his head, set it up as a standing-stone, poured olive oil on its top 19 and named the place Beit-El [house of God]; but the town had originally been called Luz.
(Complete Jewish Bible)
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How many times have we said, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it"? Jacob's surprise recognition of God's presence is significant enough to precipitate a name change; what was once called Luz is now Bethel, which literally means "house of God."
Jacob's story prompts us to consider God's presence in those places where we do not immediately recognize such presence. Our own experiences of deus absconditus ("the hidden God") remind us that God often reveals Godself indirectly, in a seemingly concealed manner--through a dream as in Jacob's case, or even through weakness and suffering as in Jesus' death on a cross--often in places we least expect.
Imagine if the name of all places could be changed to Bethel: from the kitchen table to the courtroom; from the classroom to highway intersections; from the office to the hospital room. Surely the Lord is in these places.
Mysterious God, reveal yourself to us in places we least expect. Surprise us with your life-giving presence everywhere we go. Amen.
Shauna Hannan, '98
Associate Professor of Preaching, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.
11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place.
12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;
14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.
15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it!"
17 And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
19 He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
How many times have we said, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it"? Jacob's surprise recognition of God's presence is significant enough to precipitate a name change; what was once called Luz is now Bethel, which literally means "house of God."
Jacob's story prompts us to consider God's presence in those places where we do not immediately recognize such presence. Our own experiences of deus absconditus ("the hidden God") remind us that God often reveals Godself indirectly, in a seemingly concealed manner--through a dream as in Jacob's case, or even through weakness and suffering as in Jesus' death on a cross--often in places we least expect.
Imagine if the name of all places could be changed to Bethel: from the kitchen table to the courtroom; from the classroom to highway intersections; from the office to the hospital room. Surely the Lord is in these places.
Mysterious God, reveal yourself to us in places we least expect. Surprise us with your life-giving presence everywhere we go. Amen.
Shauna Hannan, '98
Associate Professor of Preaching, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.
11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place.
12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;
14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring.
15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it!"
17 And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
19 He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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