Family life in the age of the patriarchs strikes a familiar chord. It is attuned to family life in the Truth. In Genesis 27 we are presented with the aged Isaac who was the recipient of the blessing, and God’s chosen true seed ; along with Rebekah, his cherished wife, who was the mother of the two boys that were twins, Esau anal Jacob.
Into the scene is projected the elements of every-day existence under the Adamic curse; the love of Isaac for Esau’s venison ; the fondness of Rebekah for Jacob, a home-loving son ; the deception of Isaac by Rebekah and Jacob ; murder in the heart of Esau ; the necessity of flight by Jacob to Rebekah’s people ; the seemingly endless plague of marrying outside the camp, and overshadowing it all, the providential working out of the purpose. Life in the patriarchal age was, as it is today, that of strangers and pilgrims in the midst of the surrounding nations. As yet there was not the protecting environment of the camp of Israel as the nation of God, with the sanctuary in their midst.
The patriarchs, like us, rubbed shoulders with those who had little regard for the true God of Israel. We, like Rebekah, are inclined to solve our problems in what, to the natural man, would seem to be the most direct approach.
As we become better acquainted with the true viewpoint, we contemplate difficult matters with prayer and scriptural guidance; if not, we stumble through the same deceptions, trials and misgivings as did the chosen, whose lives were written for our learning.
In the lives of the patriarchs we are enabled to see very clearly the hand of God at work ; but it was not so clear to them as they lived it. Jacob prized the birthright which he had purchased in accordance with the law of primogeniture. This law allowed Esau, as the first-born, to sell or dispose of his birthright under certain conditions. Jacob’s desire for the blessing, while obtained by deception, was in accord with his right as the purchaser of the birthright.
The birthright cannot be beneficial if it is lightly esteemed by anyone. It belongs only to those who search for it, work for it, conform to its requirements and prize it above all else in life.
It is our duty and also very natural on our part, to endeavor to bring it to those we love, and especially to our family and close friends ; but it is to no avail if they in turn do not realize its eternal value. The birthright into Christ is closely guarded by the Elohim of the great Eternal Creator, as we shall see from a consideration of the next chapter.
Jacob finds it necessary to leave home and is instructed by his father to go to the house of Bethuel in Padanaram ; the reason . . . to let time and distance heal the murderous intent of Esau and to find a suitable wife. Both Isaac and Rebekah realized the unhappiness of marriage to the wrong party, and of the constant drag towards the earth it would bring about.
We, too, find it difficult to transfer our experiences to younger people, as they in turn walk the probationary road The incident of the blessing coming to a conclusion, it must have been quite apparent to Isaac, and also to Esau, that God has His own ways of allowing evil to counterbalance evil in their probationary careers.
Jacob left home and started on his way, and, I don’t suppose there is a mother or father who cannot feel the strain that Isaac and Rebekah must have felt as he departed. He was a mature man by this time, and not a child in any sense, but it matters little to loving parents, especially if the young man is of Jacob’s stature.
“And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there, all night, because the sun was set ; and he took of the stones (Revised Version, “one of the stones”) of that place, and put it under his head (Revised Version) and lay down in that place, to sleep.” Gen. 28:11
Here in Bethel (which means the House of God), we are given a beautiful picture of the ladder of the ages. The meaning of the ladder stands out much more clearly to us who live near its top. We note that it was anchored in Bethel and stretched up to heaven, and the Elohim ascended and descended upon it. With Jacob’s head resting upon the stone, (significant of Christ) the ladder of the ages stretched out before him, from Bethel through the Millennium, to that time when the purpose shall be accomplished in a heavenly kingdom on earth.
We are going to align a few verses where the “stone” or the “rock” appears in the scriptures, and show the purpose developed as rungs (or stones) on the ladder, as it stretched down through the ages, under the supervision of the Elohim.
“And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.” Exodus 20:25
The altar stone was the type of Christ, who is the anti-typical high priest of the Melchisedec order. He was both son of God and son of man, and the lamb provided to take away the sin of the world. For God dwelt in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself. He was not hewn from the mountain of brass by human tools, but divinely shaped of God in preparation for his work of atonement.
“The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner.” Psalm 118 :22
Truly he is the cornerstone of the new house and a sanctuary to all those who believe in him, while at the same time, pitiful blindness has happened to both the houses of Israel.
“Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation, he that believeth shall not make haste.” Isa 28:16
The rungs of the ladder are all marked if we but take the time to use them. Stretching from Bethel to the eternal glory, is the sure foundation, even our Lord Jesus Christ, as the manifestation of God’s purpose in flesh.
The great image of Daniel 2, enmeshed in all the tragic accumulation of centuries, stands tottering before us.
“Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.” Dan. 2:34
The stone that the builders of Israel rejected, in that he was cruelly scourged and hung upon a tree, is soon to return to this earth strike the image at its base and inaugurate a glorious millennial era to which we stand invited.
All along the ladder the purpose is being developed as the meaning of the stone or rock becomes apparent. Jesus is talking of his disciples in Matt. 16, and asks them. vs. 15:
“But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
He did not say that he would build his church on Peter, but upon this rock, even the fact that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God.
“This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other : for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12
Peter tells us that we, who are members of the Ecclesia of Christ, are lively (or living) stones, built into a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Thus, rung by rung, step by step, we have traversed the ladder of the ages, based on the living cornerstone of the new creation.
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.”
The cornerstone of the great city is laid in Christ ; entrance to the city is through the gates, upon which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, for it is an Israelitish city, the foundation of which was still in the loins of Jacob when he rested his head on the rock at Bethel. Upon the foundations are the names of the twelve apostles. In the vision of the city to be, that John beheld, were those who had passed the barrier of mortal flesh, into the crystal clearness reflected as a jasper stone. All that defiles and leads to death had passed away for those who had entered.
Let us find sanctuary in the anti-typical rock, the type of which poured forth life-giving water to the parched throats of the children of Israel, let Meribah (or bitterness) be put aside as we behold the glory to which we stand related, and let us drink deeply from that rock, even our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One