“雅各睡醒了，说：‘耶和华真在这里，我竟不知道。’” – 创 28:16
在上古时代，大多数人睡觉时用的枕头都不会像我们今天的那么软棉棉的。他们往往都是以木头、青铜、或石头作为枕头的。在今天的经文中，我们看到雅各步行至哈兰地时，他也是用一块石头作为枕头。
那个坚硬的石枕似乎不会影响雅各的睡眠，他已感到筋疲力尽了。他正在逃离凶神恶杀的哥哥，因为雅各骗取了父亲给他的祝福。在这个晚上，雅各大概倒头便大睡了，但不久他做了一个关于天堂的梦。他梦见一把上达天堂的梯子、神自己就在那里，又有神的使者在梯子上、上去下来。在表明衪自己是他的祖宗的神后，神应许赐给雅各众多的后裔，又把他当时所躺卧之地赐给他。雅各醒来后，大感惧怕和惊叹，他承诺要委身于这位他的祖宗的神。
今天，神藉着衪的话语和圣灵对我们的心灵说话 – 衪有时或许也会在我们的梦境中对我们说话。假如我们从一个特别真实的梦中醒来时，我们应当记着，神有时也会用不寻常的途径来向我们启示衪自己的。像雅各那样，我们也可以再次委身给神，在每天的生活中跟从和服事衪。
祷告
神啊，我们为你的话语和圣灵感谢你，又感谢你也可以透过我们的梦境向我们说话，而这些梦境能够提醒我们你的慈爱和信实。阿们。
创世记 28:10-22
10雅各出了别是巴，向哈兰走去。
11到了一个地方，因为太阳落了，就在那里住宿，便拾起那地方的一块石头枕在头下，在那里躺卧睡了。
12梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，有神的使者在梯子上上去下来。
13耶和华站在梯子以上，说：“我是耶和华你祖亚伯拉罕的神，也是以撒的神，我要将你现在所躺卧之地赐给你和你的后裔。
14你的后裔必像地上的尘沙那样多，必向东西南北开展。地上万族必因你和你的后裔得福。
15我也与你同在，你无论往哪里去，我必保佑你，领你归回这地，总不离弃你，直到我成全了向你所应许的。”
16雅各睡醒了，说：“耶和华真在这里，我竟不知道！”
17就惧怕，说：“这地方何等可畏！这不是别的，乃是神的殿，也是天的门。”
18雅各清早起来，把所枕的石头立做柱子，浇油在上面。
19他就给那地方起名叫伯特利，但那地方起先名叫路斯。
20雅各许愿说：“神若与我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又给我食物吃、衣服穿，
21使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家，我就必以耶和华为我的神，
22我所立为柱子的石头也必做神的殿。凡你所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给你。”
A Dream Of Heaven
“When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’” – Genesis 28:16
In ancient times, most people didn’t sleep with fluffy pillows as many of us do today. Instead they often slept with their heads propped on wood, bronze, or stone. In our reading today, we find Jacob traveling on foot to the land of Harran, and he uses a stone for a pillow.
The hardness of that pillow didn’t seem to affect Jacob’s sleep. He was exhausted, fleeing from his murderously angry brother after stealing their father’s blessing. Jacob probably fell asleep quickly on this particular night, but then he drifted into a dream about heaven. In his dream, he saw angels ascending and descending a stairway that reached to the heavens, and God himself was there. After identifying himself as the God of his fathers, God promised to give Jacob countless descendants as well as the land he was sleeping on. When Jacob awoke, he was frightened and amazed, and he promised to commit himself to the God of his fathers.
Today God speaks to our hearts through his Word and Spirit—and perhaps sometimes in our dreams. When we awake from a particularly vivid dream, we should remind ourselves that God sometimes reveals himself to us in peculiar ways. And, like Jacob, we can recommit ourselves to following and serving God in our everyday lives.
Prayer
Thank you, God, for your Word and Spirit, and for your ability to speak to us through our dreams, which can remind us of your love and faithfulness. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
