A bible study on Genesis 28:10-17

"The Dreamers"

Context

Jacob has recently deceived his father Isaac and obtained the blessing of prosperity that should have been his brother’s, Esau. He is fearful of Esau’s anger and is fleeing to Haran.

Genesis 28:10-17
Read Genesis 28:10-17 together

What a remarkable dream Jacob had - a dream of an open heaven where the angels of God ascended and descended from heaven to earth. Here we discover freedom of movement, where there is no perceivable difference between what may be termed heaven and what may be called earth! This is God’s wonderful dream.
Jacobs dream foreshadows God’s dream for us - the dream of an open heaven, the dream of heaven touching earth and earth touching heaven. It is in Jesus where heaven meets earth and earth touches heaven. This is where the infinite, all powerful, all present God becomes human. It is only through God’s son Jesus that God’s dream for our human race can become a reality. Jesus understood this when he said ‘I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ (John 1v51). Here Jesus is unveiling the Kingdom to come - the Kingdom that is here now and is yet to be, of which we are a part of now and eternally will be with Jesus.
We see this dream turn into reality as he is raised from death and seated at the right hand of the Father. This is the reality to which we as followers of Christ now belong. It literally consumed Jesus life. He lived it, breathed it, died for it and wonderfully rose from the dead to pave the way for us to participate in the fulfilment of the Father’s dream.
So what does this mean for us who now believe?

"...but the dreamers of the day are dangerous Men (and women), for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible."
T. E. Lawrence (Italics added)

Jesus was a dangerous man because he acted with ‘eyes wide open’ and saw His Fathers’ dream become a reality. Are we going to be dangerous man and women, who act on our dreams with ‘eyes wide open’, and see our dreams become possible?

Response - Dreambooks

Dreaming is essential for our emotional, spiritual and mental health. We dream at night to digest the day. Daydreaming is about hopes and aspirations – about projecting ourselves forwards. This is equally as important as “past” dreaming.
The following exercise is about dreaming in the day, and sharing these dreams with those you are walking with. Unlocking your innermost dreams and thoughts can release hope and inspiration. It can provide the motivation to move on. (“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18)

Resources for the activity:-

• Buy enough notebooks for each member of the group. If it’s possible, try to buy books which are different in design and colour etc.
• Pens
• CD player or laptop
• “The Dreamers” track from prayerscapes

It is important that the leader of the group is able to be open and vulnerable. This will set the “tone” for the rest of the group. As you share your dreams remember you are sharing your whole self – everything about you. Ask yourself what is important to you. Try not to be afraid of sharing “earthly” things such as wanting to find a partner or conceiving a child, as well as more “spiritual” things.
You will need more than one session to allow everyone time to talk about their dreams.
1. Begin by taking 10 minutes to listen to the “The Dreamers” track. Sometimes we have used a space big enough to allow everyone room to lie on the floor. You might want to pray when the track has finished and welcome the Holy Spirit into the meeting.
2. Next, encourage people to choose a book that they feel reflects them in some way.
3. The first person in the “Hot seat” is the leader. It is important that somebody else writes down what is being said - this helps the person in the hot seat to know that they are being listened to.
4. Repeat this process for one or two other members of the group, as time permits.
5. Allow enough time at the end to pray for those who have shared their dreams. Ask people to write in the dream books anything they feel may be important that they have prayed.
This is the beginning! Review your dreambooks together on a regular basis.

Stories from our group

Sometimes sharing what your real dreams and aspirations are can be a very painful experience, because they can involve past hurt and disappointment. One couple from our group shared their hopes for conceiving a child, after miscarrying several times. During the following year we were able to stand with them as they conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby girl. There were also others in the group who felt they had no hope left. However, during the process of talking and sharing, the group helped them rediscover aspirations that were deeply buried or given up on.

“Our concern is not so much about our dreams coming true, more about being true to our dreams”


Neil Haydock
www.prayerscapes.com