Inhabiting a New Land -- a Lenten Reflection

Thursday, March 12, 2009
Genesis 28:10-22

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. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you."

Inhabiting a New Land

Jacob took up a journey into a strange land, in search of a wife. His parents sent him on the journey – perhaps pushing him out of the nest. Whether he went willingly or not, it was while on this journey that Jacob had a life changing experience. One night, along the way, he set out to sleep with a stone for a pillow. That pillow should be a reminder that often our journeys of faith will involve a bit of discomfort and inconvenience.

While he was sleeping – how soundly we cannot know – he had a vision, and in this vision he aw a ladder extending into the heavens, with angels ascending and descending. It was in the midst of this vision that he encountered the God of his fathers, who promised him the land that lay beneath him. Indeed, God made a covenant with Jacob, promising him offspring who would be a blessing to all peoples. It is a reaffirmation of a covenant that God
had earlier made with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3).

When Jacob heard this promise, he awoke, and he declared: “Surely the LORD is in this place – and I did not know it” (vs. 16). As we allow God to unbind our hearts, like Jacob we can go out into the world on a journey of faith. In the course of this journey, we will discover that God is in this place. Yes, God is already at work, creating a new community of grace and freedom.

When we make this discovery, that God is not just residing inside our church buildings, but is residing out in the neighborhood, then we will understand our calling. Then we will receive
God’s covenant, that we too might be a blessing. To be a blessing requires that we leave the nest, and inhabit the new land.

Pastor Bob Cornwall

An excerpt from the Central Woodward Christian Church Lenten Devotional (p. 21)