“Where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”
~Matthew 18:20 GW
One story of Jacob in the Bible reminds me how important this verse is and how much believers take it for granted. The event occurs in Genesis 28. Isaac, son of Abraham and father of Jacob and Esau, has grown old and blind. Both his sons have become men. The eldest, Esau, marries two Canaanite women. The Bible tells us, “These women brought Isaac and Rebekah a lot of grief” (26:35). Experiencing this, Isaac sends Jacob, whom deceitfully acquired his father’s blessing from Esau, away to find a wife related to Jacob’s mother Rebekah.
On the way to his destination, night falls. Fatiqued, Jacob lies down upon the ground, places a rock under his head, and sleeps. Radically, God appears to Jacob in a dream and promises to give him and his descendants the land on which he lies. The Lord would also make his offspring as “the dust on the earth” (28:14) and would bless all people through one of his descendants, who would be God’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ. At the end of his dream, God speaks, “Remember, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will also bring you back to this land because I will not leave you until I do what I’ve promised you” (28:15).
For further application, see this blog post HERE.
