Page 11 - October 2025 - Truth & Tidings

hold, the LORD stood above it” (Gen the Lord Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will
28:13), the inspired writer tells us. This build my church” (Mat 16:15-18).
is another reminder of God’s unfailing The use of the word “stones” in verse
faithfulness in watching over and provid- 11 may picture you and me, as individual
ing for His own. The psalmist wrote, “The believers in that great spiritual edifice
eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, that the Lord is building. Peter wrote of
and his ears are open unto their cry” (Psa this tremendous truth, “Ye also, as lively
34:15). The Lord stood above it; the Lord is [living] stones, are built up a spiritual
the divine supplier of every need; we, like house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
Jacob, are the recipients of His divine pro- spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by
vision. The Lord is the object of worship; Jesus Christ” (1Pe 2:5).
we, like Jacob, are the objects of His grace. How wonderful to know that all who
Like Jacob, we too, as the children of are redeemed by precious blood are part
God, can claim His promise, “And, behold, of the Church, His bride. Paul reminds us
I am with thee, and will keep thee in all in the book of Ephesians that Christ loved
places whither thou goest, and will bring the Church and gave Himself for it (Eph
thee again into this land; for I will not 5:25). He charged the elders of Ephesus
leave thee, until I have done that which I with the responsibility to feed the church
have spoken to thee of” (Gen 28:15). of God, which He had purchased with
Jacob recognized that God was in that His own blood (Act 20:28). What a place
place and he called it Bethel, meaning of privilege, honour and distinction it is
“house of God.” He recognized the need to offer up praises to God, to worship the
for fear and reverence, and he took of the living God.
stone that he had put for his pillows and
set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon it. The mention of the pouring of oil on the
Paul wrote to Timothy, “That thou mayest pillar (Gen 28:18) would remind us of the
know how thou oughtest to behave thyself words of Peter concerning the Lord Jesus,
in the house of God, which is the church “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
of the living God, the pillar and ground Holy Ghost and with power” (Act 10:38).
of the truth” (1Ti 3:15). The Lord Jesus quoted from the proph-
It is interesting to note that just before ecy of Isaiah (61:1-3) concerning Himself,
Jacob’s vision, or dream, he took of the “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, be-
stones (plural) of that place and put them cause he hath anointed me to preach the
for his pillows (Gen 28:11). However, gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
in verse 18, we read that Jacob took the the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance
stone (singular) that he used for his pillow to the captives, and recovering of sight to
and set it up for a pillar. Perhaps what is the blind, to set at liberty them that are
seen in picture is the Church in its broad, bruised” (Luk 4:18).
or universal, aspect, as seen in the word Jacob’s pouring the oil on the pillar also
“stone.” When the Lord Jesus asked His speaks of the pouring out of the Holy
disciples who they said He was, Peter Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Act 2),
replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of of the operation of the Holy Spirit in the
the living God.” Based on Peter’s divinely Church (1Co 3:16; 12:4-13), and in the lives
given revelation, and referring to Himself, of believers today (Rom 8:2-14).

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