Good Morning.
Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel (Genesis 28:18-19)
The stone that had served as Jacob’s headboard the night before was ordained as a marker for where God’s House would later stand. To acknowledge this, he “poured oil on top of it” and declared that “this stone will be God’s house” or, in Hebrew, Bethel (Genesis 28:22). The Hebrew word translated as “poured” is יצק yatzak which actually means to pour into something such as a tube or glass, insinuating that the stone had an impression or hole in it. We could look at it this way — it might have been a pierced stone, which is very interesting to say the least.
By distinguishing it from the others and symbolically anointing this particular stone as God’s house, Jacob essentially designated this stone as a foundation stone of the future Temple. Judaism emphatically believes this to be so. Because Yeshua is the “chief cornerstone,” I believe this stone alludes to the Messiah who likened Himself to the Temple of God saying, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). Of course, He was speaking of His own body which would be bruised and pierced and put to death only to be raised to life on the third day. His death, burial and resurrection is the foundation of our faith and is why we have been given access to the Father and to His House. He is the foundation stone of God’s House.
In fact, responding to Peter’s confession that He was the Messiah and Son of the Living God, Yeshua said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). In truth God’s House is being built right now. We, as living stones, are be joined together to form a spiritual house wherein the Presence of God may dwell. The foundation stone of this house is the resurrected Messiah who has promised that, as long as we build on this rock, Hell will not prevail against us. To the contrary, if we are standing upon the truth that He is the Son of God, we will prevail over the Adversary.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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