What was Jacob’s dream? when he dreamt that dream? where? and why? what was the stone in the dream denotes to? what was his feeling about it? How the name of Jacob became Israel? who ‘s the Man he was wrestling? what happened during this? and why a new name?

(But the children struggled together within her, and she said, ‘ If all is well, why am I like this?’ so she went to inquire of the lord.) (Genesis25:22)

So, the struggle between Esau and Jacob began at this very moment, increasing after birth and getting more serious between Israel and Adom. 

Some of the fathers of the church saw that this struggle is much like the struggle between the good and the evil inside the church’s guts.

The father Caesarius of Arles says: good people are wishing to overcome the evil ones, but the evil is longing to destroy them. 

The wish of the righteousness is to fix the evil people, but the evil people are seeking their destruction.

Also, members of the universal church seeking for possessions and timely dignity is representing Esau. But the spiritual souls are to be understood in Jacob.

(And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, two people shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”) (Genesis25:23)

So, God uncovered to her the secret of this struggle, that she conceived two peoples. The younger will dominate the older spiritually, for that he was seeking the enjoyment of the godly divine blessings.

Origen Adamantiums says: (Each one of us is much like Rebekah, in that there are two entities struggling each other.)

(One is representing the entity that loves God and His commandment while the other is representing the bad one that loves the timely desires of the world.) 

(But Jacob said “Sell me your birthright as of this day.) (Genesis25:31)

(So, he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.) (Genesis25:33)

Blessing

(Then his father Isaac said to him, come near now and kiss me, my son.) (Genesis27:26)

(And he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his clothes, and blessed him and said:) (Genesis27:27) 

(May God give you of the dew of heaven of the fatness of the earth.) (Genesis 27:28) 

(Let peoples serve you, and nations bow to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you and blessed be those who bless you.) (Genesis27:29)

(So, she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you.) (Genesis27:42)

(So, Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram.) (Genesis28:5)

Dream

(Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.) (Genesis28:10)

(So, he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun has set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep.) (Genesis28:11)

Saint Jerome says: (The stone under his head was the Christ, since he became his Saviour at the time, he escaped from his persecutor).

(Perhaps, he did not feel this feeling in the cushion in his home between his parents. But finally, he found his rest in that stone which represented the great Saviour the Christ in our lives.)

(Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.) (Genesis28:12)

Father Caesarius of Arles says: (The ladder is the cross of Jesus Christ that we rise through to enjoy heavens.)

Also, Saint Jerome encourages us to rise in that ladder from a degree to the higher one.

Father Caesarius of Arles reasoning the timing of this vision in his way saying: (That happened in the way before meeting his wife as, Jesus was risen in the cross before forming the church sacrificing his blood for her as a Mahr for the kingdom of heavens.)

Rachel

(So, Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.) (Genesis29:1)

(And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban. Then Jacob kissed Rachel.) (Genesis29:10’11)

So, rolled the stone probably denoting to the stone put in Jesus’ tomb that was rolled by the angels so that we drink from the water of His resurrection’s well. 

(Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”) (Genesis29:15)

(Now Jacob loved Rachel so, he said “I will serve you seven years for Rachel.”) (Genesis29:18)

Struggle

(Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying “Jacob has taken away all of that was our father’s.”) (Genesis31:1)

(Then the Lord said to Jacob. “Return to the land of your fathers and your family and I will be with you.”) (Genesis 31:3)

(And Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Then he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.) (Genesis 31:22,23)

(But God had come to Laban in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good or bad.”) (Genesis31:24)

(Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar. this heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond the heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.) (Genesis31:51-52)

(Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his brethren to eat bread. and they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.) (Genesis31:54)

(So, they ate bread as a testimony for reconciliation since, they ate the same bread, and they are in one blood.) (Genesis 31:54)

(Then Laban departed and returned his place.) (Genesis 31:55)

At the end each one came back to the place he wishes, Laban returned to the land he put his desires on, but he was looking for the heavens that he put his hope on which is represented in the land of promise.

Israel

(Then he was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him) (Genesis32:24-25)

Saint Aurelius Ambrosius says, (His hip that has been jointed out refers to the fellowship of Jesus’s sufferings who came incarnated in flesh from his descendant.)

(And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks” But he said, “I will not let You Go unless You bless me!”. So, He said to him, “What’s your name?” He said Jacob.” (Genesis32:26-27)

Thus, he did not surrender at all in his struggle that resulted in, the Man wrestling him, finally needed to touch him slightly, on his hip. And he insisted on getting a blessing from him, since he felt surely that he is a heavenly-being.

(And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel. For you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”) (Genesis32:28)

Saint Clement of Alexandria says, (He was nominated a new name for the new people. As, it is a present presented not only for him alone but for all God’s people; a sign for their spiritual struggle.)

(So, he called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”) (Genesis32:30)

Thus, he called the name of the place Peniel meaning, the face of God, since he was joyful to see the face of God and still being preserved.

Tawfik, S. (2022). Jacob’s wonderful dream. www.orthodox-beliefs.com

Source is THE HOLY BIBLE NKJV. Arabic New van Dyck text C. The Bible Society of Egypt. Fifth Edition Third print2019.ISBN 978-1-84364-188-9. Printed in China.

Reference: Genesis Book for Egyptian priest Father Tadros Jakob Malti.

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