OT 17 Jacob’s Dream

Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

Story Summary: 
   Esau had vowed to hurt his brother, Jacob, because he had stolen his blessing. When Jacob’s parents heard of this, they told Jacob to run away to his Uncle Laban’s house, which was about 550 miles away.
   One night on the journey, Jacob stopped at sunset. He used a large rock as his pillow and soon fell asleep. It was then that God came to him in a dream.
   In his dream, Jacob saw a great ladder to heaven, which angels going up and down it. At the top, he saw the Lord God himself. God spoke to Jacob and made him many great promises. These were the same promises God had made to Jacob’s father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham.
   When he woke, Jacob realized God had come to him in that dream. He made a promise to God: “if you keep your promises to me, then you will be my God.” Jacob took the stone he had slept on. He set it up like a pillar and poured oil over it to remember what God had said to him there.

Big Idea and Motions: God kept his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God - point up
Kept - clasp your hands together
Promise - Touch your right index finger to your lips, press the palm of your right hand down onto the top of the fist of your left hand (See http://goo.gl/B9xpEJ for a demonstration).
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - hold up additional fingers as you say each name

Verse / Motions: Psalm 105:8, ESV - He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations...
He - point up
Remembers - tap your temple
Covenant - pretend to write on your palm with a pencil
Forever - draw a ∞ in the air with your finger
Word - open your palms like a book
Commanded - wag your finger, with your other hand on your hip
Thousand - gesture your arms in a wide circle

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Why was Jacob running away from home? // His brother, Esau, wanted to hurt him
What did Jacob sleep on? // A large stone
What did Jacob do when he slept? // He dreamed
How tall was the ladder in Jacob’s dream? // All the way to heaven
Who was going up and down the ladder in the dream? // Angels
Who was at the top of the ladder? // The Lord God
What did God talk about with Jacob in his dream? // He gave him the same promises he gave Abraham and Isaac.
What did Jacob do with the stone after the dream? Why? // He set it up to remember God spoke to him there
What promise did Jacob make? // “God, if you keep your promises, you’ll be my God.”
Who was Jacob’s great-great-great-great grandson? // Jesus

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/EoHA5G
Resources - http://goo.gl/J1w7Qq