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Jacob fled because of the wrath of Esau but prior to the death of Isaac, his father, Isaac had blessed him and given him instructions for his future life. In his charge to Jacob he passed on the fullness of the birthright blessing originally given to Abraham. Gen. 28:1-5.
While Jacob had purchased the birthright and had received the prayerful blessing of his father, the promises contained in the birthright had not yet been confirmed personally to him, by the Lord. Always, in the callings of the Lord there must be a personal confirmation given the individual concerning the will of the Lord for them. Jacob was about to have a very real and wonderful verification whereby the Lord was to place His seal of approval upon the purchase which he had made and the blessing which he had received. Sleeping at the very staircase of heaven he dreamed that he saw the Lord standing and heard His voice declaring unto Jacob that the promises given his grandfather and his father were now his. Gen. 28:13, 17.
Jacob had used a stone rejected by the builders of the city of Luz for his pillow that night. That stone he set up for a pillar, a sign, a prophetic act of great proportions. Gen. 28:18 That rock was a type of the Christ of God. Rejected of men, but gloriously received of God. Jesus referred to this stone as being a emblem of Himself. Luke 20:17 Jacob under the inspiration of the Spirit and in keeping with his dream called the place Bethel, the house of the Lord and rightfully so for there all that he had purchased in a physical sense became spiritual and a living promise verified by none other that the Lord Himself. Gen. 28:13 He also anointed the rock, a very important act for it adds further verification as to the identity, the personality of the rock. Paul makes a perfect identification by stating that the rock was Christ. 1 Cor. 10:4.
The foregoing speaks volumes to us, providing we have ears to hear. Salvation is an individual matter. Only when we have anointed the rock, that is, made Christ Jesus the offering, the blood atonement, the high priest, the King and Ruler of our lives can we be saved. None will be saved by natural birth, it is by spiritual birth alone that we enter into the kingdom of the Lord. Not only is the Lord Jesus the rock, but God took up His abode in Him. Jesus the Christ is the house of the Lord. God who is a Spirit (John 4:4), by the Spirit abode in the Lord Jesus. John 14:10-11 He is literally, the physical house of the Lord. Paul declared that in Christ Jesus dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead. Col. 2:9 He is Godís house. All who enter there enter through the shed blood of the only atonement, the Lord Jesus Christ.