“And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,” (Genesis 28:20)

“So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:” (Genesis 28:21)

Faith, True Faith, is not dependent on “if” as maybe. But Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance (or the reality) of things hoped for, the evidence (the proof) of things not seen.”

Faith is a Gift. The word Gift is capitalized, because Faith is actually Christ, who is “The Faith,” the Gift of God to His People. (See Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:20.)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9)

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Faith is not acquired by the merits of the sinner; but it is a Gift, given by God, in the work of Regeneration. Faith is the ability to see and hear spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:9-16):

“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11)

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13)

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

“…But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16c)

Faith is what every sinner must possess, by the Work of God (John 1:29), to come to “believe” (or trust) the Words of Christ

There must be Revelation by God to perceive (or understand) who Christ is, and to understand His Word, and to perform His Word.

“He (Jesus) saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15)

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

“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.” (Matthew 16:17)

Paul, in Philippians 4:13, attributes his ability to perform “all things” to Christ, which “strengtheneth” him. Therefore, Faith, or Christ, must indwell a person for him to see, hear, and perform God’s Word.

So it is with our example, Jacob, in Genesis 28:20. Genesis 28 reveals that Jacob dreamed a dream (many call this scene “Jacob’s Ladder”), where Jacob saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels descending and ascending, with the Lord standing above the ladder (Genesis 28:12-15.)

All active faith, true faith, is based on the Word of God being revealed to the sinner. There is no other foundation for true faith.

The writer of Hebrews says:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe (or trust, or rest on Him) that he is…” (Hebrews 11:6)

The same was true with Abraham, Isaac, and now even Jacob. (See Genesis 12 – 27; Hebrews 11:8-17.)

Note Genesis 28:13a, “And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said”:

1) “I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father,” (Genesis 28:13)

2) “And the God of Isaac:” (Genesis 28:13)

3) “The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;” (Genesis 28:13)

4) “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth… and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14) (Also see Galatians 3:14-16.)

5) “And, behold, I am with thee,” (Genesis 28:15)

a) “And will keep thee in all places whither thou goest,” (Genesis 28:15)

b) “And will bring thee again into this land;” (Genesis 28:15)

c) “For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Genesis 28:15)

These Words of God are the foundation of Jacob’s Active Faith later. To prove that Jacob had been given Revelation, see his statement in Genesis 28:16, “And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not (not until now).” And also his statement in Genesis 28:17c, “this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

These statements prove that Jacob had been given Faith, or the ability to perceive spiritual things.

To prove Jacob’s understanding of these things note:

1) “And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone (which represented Christ)… and set it up for a pillar (or a witness), and poured oil (which represented the Spirit without measure on Christ) upon the top of it.” (Genesis 28:18)

2) “And he called the name of that place Bethel (Bethel = Beth, house; and El, of God)” (Genesis 28:19a)

3) “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying” (Genesis 28:20)

a) “If God will be with me,” (Genesis 28:20)

“If” (or since) – Jacob was not saying, God if you will do this or that. No, God had already spoken to Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15 and confirmed the Everlasting Covenant with him; as God had done to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, now God had spoken to Jacob and confirmed the same Covenant to him. Proof that Jacob believed God is in Genesis 28:16-19.

Therefore, in Genesis 28:20-22, Jacob is not saying “if” God – if You actually do for me what You said You would – “then shall the Lord be my God.” No, Jacob was making a Confession of Faith; of what he did believe.

Continue with Genesis 28:20-22:

a) “If (or since) God will be with me,” (Genesis 28:20)

b) “And will keep me in this way that I go,” (Genesis 28:20)

c) “And will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,” (Genesis 28:20)

d) “So that I come again to my father’s house in peace;” (Genesis 28:21)

e) “Then shall the LORD be my God:” (Genesis 28:21)

f) “And this stone, which I have set for a pillar (or a witness),” (Genesis 28:22)

i) “Shall be God’s house:” (Genesis 28:22)

ii) “And of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” (Genesis 28:22)

True Faith speaks on this wise, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe (or trust) that he (God) is…” (Hebrews 11:6a)

Believe God is what?

1) That He alone is God;

2) That He alone is Truth, and not a liar;

3) That He is your God;

4) That He is “a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6b).

Therefore, True Faith is a Gift of God (even Christ Himself living in you); who bears witness that He is God; and that you are His Child and an heir of God (Romans 8:17a). Then True Faith believes (or trusts, or walks depending upon God’s Word as Truth).

Jacob was not saying – God, if (as a condition of my belief). No, no, Jacob was saying, as he did in Genesis 28:16-19 – God is in this place; this is the House of God; and this is the Gate to Heaven (see John 14:6).

Therefore, the Word of Faith is not “if” (as to condition), but “since” (as to reality and proof of).

Series Navigation

The Cost of the Choice Based on Outward Appearance >>