Day 1 - Lord's Day - Sunday | Daily Devotions | The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2024-2025 |

 June 29

Lesson 5 (KJV)

Jacob Sets Up a Sacred Pillar

Devotional Reading: John 15:1–8

Background Scripture: Genesis 28:1–22; 33:17–20; 35:1–7

Genesis 28:10–22

10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

20 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,

21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:

22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Key Text

Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel.—Genesis 18–19a

Sacred Altars and Holy Offerings

Unit 1: The Genesis of Altars and Sacrifices

Lessons 1–5

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

1. Locate the geographical locations mentioned on a map.

2. Analyze Jacob’s if-then statement in Genesis 28:20-22.

3. Make a plan to commemorate a particular time when God’s presence and work were evident in his or her life.

Lesson Outline

Introduction

A. Common Experiences, Different Paths

B. Lesson Context

I.. Jacob’s Journey (Genesis 28:10–11)

A. Itinerary (v. 10)

B. Stopover (v. 11)

II. Jacob’s Dream (Genesis 28:12–15)

A. Seeing Angels (v. 12)

B. Hearing God (vv. 13–15)

Dusty?

III. Jacob’s Reaction (Genesis 28:16–19)

A. Interpreting the Dream (vv. 16–17)

B. Renaming a City (vv. 18–19)

Memorials, Then and Now

IV. Jacob’s Vow (Genesis 28:20–22)

A “If” Condition (vv. 20–21a)

B. “Then” Promise (vv. 21b–22)

Conclusion

A. God’s Surprises

B. Prayer

C. Thoughts to Remember

How to Say It

Beersheba	Beer-she-buh.
Canaan	Kay-nun.
Haran	Hair-un.
Jeroboam	Jair-uh-boe-um.
Josiah	Jo-sigh-uh.
obelisk	aw-buh-lisk.
Philistines	Fuh-liss-teenz or Fill-us-teenz.
ziggurat	zigg-oo-rat.

What Do You Think? How should prayers differ, if at all, when moving mainly away from an old situation rather than toward a new one? Digging Deeper What Scripture passages best help you answer that question?

 

What Do You Think? What is one way to make yourself more available to God to be a blessing to the world? Digging Deeper Considering 2 Corinthians 12:9, how might God use your weakness to bless the world?

What Do You Think? What should you do to ensure that the promise of Hebrews 13:5 overrides any feelings of being forsaken by God? Digging Deeper Which Bible personalities serve as the best examples of this to you? Why?

 

What Do You Think? What are some ways you can help your church memorialize its essential milestones? Digging Deeper What are some proper and improper ways to use such memorializations?

Conclusion

A. God’s Surprises

God surprised Jacob with a vision of the magnitude of mercy that would be showered upon him throughout his life. Although Jacob would face many future problems, often of his own making, his life went on to be marked by God’s merciful provisions. In the broader context, Jacob was to be a pivotal figure through whom the ancient promises to his ancestors would come to fruition.

But in addition to that big picture, there’s a more personal one: the story doesn’t feature Jacob’s search for God, but rather it features God’s search for him. After being found, Jacob had to begin viewing his life differently, searching for the meaning of what he had experienced. That search lasted the rest of his life (Genesis 46:1–47:11; 47:28–49:33).

The same will be true for us. Although we have much more of God’s revealed will than Jacob did, we still struggle to understand our place in the broader context of Matthew 28:19–20. On a personal level, we might hope only for survival, but we often find much more from the God of mercy and grace.

Regardless of life's situations, the primary question, as per Luke 17:10, is this: What is my duty in my current situation? When you ask that question in light of biblical precepts and principles, you won’t need to expect God to answer that in a dream.

B. Prayer

God of our ancestors in faith, we thank you for abiding with us from generation to generation. You seek us when we don’t seek You. Abide with us still, and help us to comply with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

C. Thought to Remember

Find your purpose, and do your duty.

Involvement Learning

Enhance your lesson with KJV Bible Student (from your curriculum supplier) and the reproducible activity page (at www.standardlesson.com or in the back of the KJV Standard Lesson Commentary Deluxe Edition).

 Mark W. Hamilton et al., “Jacob Sets up a Sacred Pillar,” in The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2024–2025, ed. Jason Hitchcock et al., vol. 72, The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary (Colorado Springs, CO: Standard Publishing, 2025), 379–380.