‘He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed. Genesis 28:12-15
Spend time in nature
This should be fun to do near any body of water or just using a bucket filled with water. You will need a plastic bottle, cut the bottom off and remove the cap. Once you are at the body of water of your choice take turns using the bottle as a hearing aid. Put the bottom of the bottle in the water. Where the cap was place your ear. Listen to the sounds under the water. Try to see if you can identify any specific sounds. While one person is listening a family member can stand behind the listener and make noise under the water with different objects. See if the listener can identify the object. This is not as easy as it sounds so listening to each sound before making the noise in the water can help the listener narrow down the options they are listening for. You can take two knives and rub them together, or play a toy drum under the water, or move a cooking utensil along something with texture. Bring a straw and see what blowing a bubble sounds like under the water. When Jacob was asleep he was able to hear God’s promise loud and clear. The thought of sounds traveling through water clearly has not crossed my mind. Just as we are able to distinguish noises through the dense water, if we listen carefully we can hear and understand God speaking to us. As always have fun and explore the world around you.
Tip
The way water is made up sound is able to travel through water at a faster rate than through air. A dolphins whistles in less than ideal conditions can travel up to 2km. The frequency of their call can go much further in open water.
Do something creative
For todays craft, imagine what Jacob must have seen in his dream. If you dream you know the image is not always crystal clear, sometimes it is dim or blurry around the edges. Try to create the stairway to heaven scene with chalk and a few items that are flat and have different textures. Take your paper and lay it over a crumpled piece of tin foil, or a textured wall, or the kennel, or barred shelves. Rub the flat laying chalk along the paper to create your image, as you do you will see the high points of your textured item will come through clearer. Create the image by using several textured surfaces.
What you will need:
- Paper
- Various colored chalk
- Various textured surfaces
Family worship idea
For worship read through Genesis 28. Before worship pin a string of lights from the ceiling to the floor. While you read have everyone decorate a paper doll of themselves, if they have time have them decorate a paper doll of their family and friends that are not worshiping with you. Once you are done reading use paper clips or clothes pins to fasten the paper dolls to the string of lights. Talk about Jacob’s dream. Talk about the promises God gave Jacob. He said He would be with Jacob, that Jacob’s decedents would move across the world, that all the families of the world will be blessed. In Mark 16 Jesus reminds the disciples to go to all the world with the good news death has lost it’s sting because Jesus is risen. Through the Great Commission families across the world are blessed, all nations might believe. I love the last promise the most, God promised Jacob would return to the land of his father, just as He promises we will one day be gathered together in heaven. Jacob spent time in Paddan Aram, but God was good to his word. Jacob returned to the promise land with children, livestock, servants, and wives. He left and went to Egypt, but his final resting place was in the promise land waiting to hear the voice of Jesus say rise.
Personal thoughts
Jacob was on his way to Paddan Aram to find a bride, this would be the third bride brought from a land surrounded by idol worshipers to the land promised to God’s people. Sarah started her marriage and commitment to Abraham in Paddan Aram, they journeyed together to Cannan. Rebekah was brought to Cannan by the masters servant. Rachel (and Leah) would personally journey to the land with Jacob, the one who not only walked with a covenant, he also had the blessing first received by Abraham. Adam and Eve started on Earth with God they painted Earth’s first memories in direct fellowship with God. They will journey to Heaven with God. Others found themselves risen from their graves the day Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:52). The one who once came to Earth to serve God made a way for saints that had fallen asleep. One day all heaven will come to Earth to bring all who believe back to heaven. We will make the journey together as a single family, people from all nations and tongues, angels and creatures, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All will be united in a way that can not be captured in a song, or displayed in a painting, or imagined with a mortal mind. This moment will be the start of an eternal life for so many. Hearts will be made whole, tears will be wiped away, dreams will be realized, and promises will be fulfilled. What Jacob saw in his dream was a glimpse of a journey we will all take one day. In verse 17 Jacob was afraid, and delcared how awesome is this place. Both emotions are described the same way in Hebrew, to fear, to revere, to frighten. We don’t know what emotion we will experience when the door to heaven is plainly opened before us, but we do know it starts with a reverence for, and belief in, God the creator of heaven and earth.
Hiding His word in you ❤
‘For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” ‘
Romans 9:11-12
Sabbath Catalyst 