Session 4
God’s message to Jacob resembles the promises He made to Abraham.
13 The Lord was standing there beside him, saying,
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.
I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying.
14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth,
and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south.
All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.
I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Believers can find peace in knowing that God is faithful to His promises.
verses 13-15 on pages 40-41 of the PSG
compare and contrast God’s message to Abraham and His words to Jacob.
record the word Promise.
Emphasize that God extended the covenant promises initially made to Abraham and Isaac to Jacob,
even though Jacob may not have completely understood what the Lord was doing yet.
Note that God also promised that one day Jacob would return to the promised land.
The land . . . This land
The Hebrew term translated land most commonly refers to
either the earth as a whole or to a particular territory,
especially the promised land.
The Lord first identified the boundaries of the land promised to Abraham
and his descendants in Genesis 15:18-21.
These geographical boundaries have only been realized twice,
during the reigns of David and Solomon and later during the intertestamental period.
This land has been variously called Canaan and Israel.
It became known as Judah (the southern tribes) and Israel/Samaria (the northern tribes)
after the nation divided following Solomon’s reign.
During the Babylonian exile, separation from the land was a key part of Judah’s punishment,
while a return to the land would indicate a return to God’s favor.
In New Testament times the territory primarily consisted of the areas known as
Galilee, Samaria, and Judea.
God’s presence
God’s most immediate promise for Jacob involved His presence.
Jacob could go forward knowing that God would
protect and provide for him.
God’s presence is still vital for believers.
His presence provides comfort during difficult times
and correction as we acknowledge that nothing escapes His notice.
Jesus highlighted His divine presence in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
The psalmist affirmed that we could never escape God’s presence (Ps. 139:12-17),
and the writer of Hebrews assured believers that God would never forsake them (Heb. 13:5).
When Jacob woke up, he remembered and responded to his dream.