旧约人物：雅各与神相遇
创世记二十八章10至22节
10雅各出了别是巴，向哈兰走去；
11到了一个地方，因为太阳落了，就在那里住宿，便拾起那地方的一块石头枕在头下，在那里躺卧睡了，
12梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，有神的使者在梯子上，上去下来。
13耶和华站在梯子以上(或作站在他旁边)，说：我是耶和华─你祖亚伯拉罕的神，也是以撒的神；我要将你现在所躺卧之地赐给你和你的后裔。
14你的后裔必像地上的尘沙那样多，必向东西南北开展；地上万族必因你和你的后裔得福。
15我也与你同在。你无论往那里去，我必保佑你，领你归回这地，总不离弃你，直到我成全了向你所应许的。
16雅各睡醒了，说：耶和华真在这里，我竟不知道！
17就惧怕，说：这地方何等可畏！这不是别的，乃是神的殿，也是天的门。
18雅各清早起来，把所枕的石头立作柱子，浇油在上面。
19他就给那地方起名叫伯特利(就是神殿的意思)；但那地方起先名叫路斯。
20雅各许愿说：神若与我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又给我食物吃，衣服穿，
21使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家，我就必以耶和华为我的神。
22我所立为柱子的石头也必作神的殿，凡你所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给你。
信息分享
当夜雅各以石为枕，躺卧在冷硬的土地上的时候，他在想些甚么呢？谎言和计谋，为他带来了甚么样的好处？
那一刻的雅各，有否意识到自己的罪，在心里有痛悔的灵呢？
他有否呼求神的帮助？经文没有告诉我们。但是，神在那夜的确向他显现，并从此改变了他的一生。
总是在罪人最需要帮助的时候，神便出现，满带着慈爱和怜悯。雅各此刻所感受的，正是许多罪人的共同体验：神离我们原来是那么近，满有慈悯，满有赦罪之恩，要把祝福赐给我们。
雅各在梦中看见甚么？一副梯子。它没有靠墙，并且非常长，由雅各躺着的地方直伸到天上。而天使们在梯子上轻盈地上去下来。
梯子顶端站着的是神。噢，真奇妙！神在梦中向雅各说话。祂说：「我一直在这里。我没有忘记我的应许。我必要祝福你，我必与你同在。」
雅各如何回应呢？他先是明白了神的同在（16-17节）。也明白到神就是神，他用未尝试过的方式将他的生命和他的一切交出，交给了神。
雅各的生命因此而揭开了新的一页，一切都是因着神的同在，生命才得以变得丰盛。
我们对神的信心和依靠同样会令我们走上丰盛之路。虽然神用了多年的时间除去雅各身上的诡诈和心计，但神在他身上的工作已经开始，祂必保守。
反思经文：
「你们要休息，要知道我是神！」（诗四十六10）
OLD TESTAMENT HEROES: THE NIGHT GOD MET JACOB
Genesis 28:10-22
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.
12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
15 Behold, 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 spoken to you.”
16 Then Jacob awoke 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 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on,
21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.
22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
Message
Can you imagine Jacob's thoughts as he lay down on the hard ground, using only a stone as his pillow? What good had all the scheming and lying really done for him?
It could well be that there came a spirit of repentance to Jacob as he lay there. Did he realise something of his sin?
Did he cry to God for help? We are not told but certainly God came to him that night and gave him a new start.
That is how God always comes to a sinner in need. He comes in love and mercy. Jacob discovered what so many sinners have discovered - that God is so near, God is so merciful, and God is so forgiving. God wants to bless us.
What did Jacob see in his dream? It was a ladder, but it was not leaning against a wall. It was very long and extended all the way from where Jacob was lying right up to heaven. Then there were angels moving effortlessly up and down that great stairway.
Above it stood God. What a sight! And God spoke to Jacob in his dream. What did He say? 'I am still here. I haven't forgotten anything. I have promised. I am going to bless you and I will always be with you.'
What was Jacob's response? First, a recognition of the presence of God. (v.16-17) Then he recognised God as God and gave his life and his possessions over to the Lord in a new way.
It was a new beginning for Jacob but it was the beginning of a life made rich in every way by the presence of God.
It will be the same for us as we put our faith and trust in Him. There was still a lot of the schemer and deceiver left in Jacob and it would be many years before God was able to really change him.
But God had begun and would be faithful to His Word.
VERSE FOR TODAY: 'Be still and know that I am God.'