Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”

“But do I have three eyes?”  

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These are words I found myself asking my kindergartener who woke me in response to a bad dream. A quick look at my face brought her peace, and she quickly settled back to sleep. Thankfully for her, the dream that had startled her awake was not reality, and her little heart could rest. But what about when your dreams are real? Dreams can be strange. Sometimes they seem so random and weird you’re left wondering how those thoughts formed together in your subconscious. Sometimes, they are so vivid and realistic you wake wondering what is real?  

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The Bible has many stories of God using dreams to communicate. One such instance is where we find today’s Scripture. In this dream, Jacob saw the Lord standing at the top of a ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven. The Lord speaks to Jacob saying, “...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. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad …, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 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 promised you” (Gen. 28:13-15). Jacob awoke and immediately stated that the Lord was in this place. He set up a pillar and called the place Bethel, which means “house of God.” Something about this dream lingered and caused Jacob to be very aware that this wasn’t some random and weird thought in his subconscious. This was a message from the Lord.  

So how did Jacob know this was God speaking? Why wouldn’t he dismiss this as some crazy dream that meant nothing? It could be that it was so strange that Jacob knew this visual was not something his mind could have imagined. I also think it is likely that he had heard this promise before. Jacob was the third generation to which God had personally made this covenant. God first promises to Abram (later Abraham) in Genesis 12 and 15 that he would make him a great nation, he would be blessed, and that the promise would come through Abraham’s son born through Sarah. The promise is repeated next to Isaac in Genesis 26. God’s work that Isaac had witnessed was made personal to him. Today’s Scripture is God confirming to Jacob that his promise would come through him.  

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There are three things to note from this encounter:

1. God desires to make his promises personal. Generational faith is not a thing. God desired a personal relationship with each patriarch he chose from the bloodline of Abraham. It is likely Jacob knew of God and had heard and even witnessed stories of God’s faithfulness, but he had not encountered God directly until this dream. God showed up and was real to Jacob in this moment and it had a lasting impact long after the dream.  

2. God speaks when he knows we will listen. For Jacob, it was in a dream so vivid he KNEW the Lord was speaking directly to him. God’s timing was such that Jacob was displaced. He was not peaceful and content in his circumstances. God met him in the turmoil of wondering what was next and spoke to Jacob, giving direction to his wandering.  

3. An encounter with God demands a response. Later in verse 20, we see Jacob vowing that the Lord will be his God. He commits to believe and follow God’s direction. The response is immediate.  

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Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “This is all well and good for Bible characters. I wish God would speak to me.” Maybe you are wondering why God hasn’t made his promises known to that loved one you so desperately want to come to Christ. God is always working on our hearts to hear Truth. As Romans 10:14 reminds us, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?...” Are you speaking of your Savior? Are you living a life that would make the non-believer take notice of your faith? We cannot manufacture an encounter like the one to which Jacob is responding, but we can pray that God would open the eyes of that loved one so that when God speaks, they recognize him and respond. Just as my daughter recognized my face and had peace as her dream faded from her mind, I pray those we love will recognize Jesus and find peace because of our witness.

Lord, I am so grateful for your Word. I see your heart to know us personally. I pray you will move in the hearts of those we love who do not yet know you. Help us to speak boldly of all you have done for us so that when you speak, others will recognize you. Help us to be patient as you move in your timing. We love you, God, and we want the world to know.