Setting Up a Pillar
Genesis 28
My Thoughts
I made a post not too long ago... actually about a month ago... about what it means to set up a pillar. Originally, this post was going to be mostly me asking what it means to set up a pillar and talking about what I think it means. Now that I have that other post, it's going to be different!
Genesis 28 tells us that Jacob set up a stone as a pillar and poured oil on it. Then he says that that stone will be God's house. This same stone Jacob used as a pillow for the night is now going to be God's house. It's hard for me to understand what that all means. I don't know exactly what Jacob meant by saying that it would be God's house.
If the pillar Jacob set up was meant as a spiritual act of saying, "This is a witness between me and God and God is in this stone." maybe, then I can kind of understand it. It still sounds strange, but I guess I find it similar to how a person might turn over a picture because they don't want the person looking at them or something, except it would be the other way around. I'm probably not making much sense here.
My other question, which I don't believe I addressed in the post about what a pillar means, is this: Why set up a pillar? Maybe that's a bit of a dumb question. It'd be like asking, "Why pray?" or, "Why be baptized?" Maybe that's exactly the reason of setting up a pillar. It's a bit of a foreign idea to us because we don't do that kind of thing. Baptism and prayer are asked of us in the Bible though, whereas setting up pillars is not. Maybe this was an act of prayer though. A symbolic thing. Because, unless everyone else knew about it and exactly why and even if they did, it would probably end up being moved or taken down or something at some point.
So if it's not a permanent thing that lasts forever and cannot be changed, I'd say it would be an act of prayer and a spiritual, symbolic act. When we've moved into a new place, we have done a cleansing thing. It's something not necessarily in the Bible (I don't believe) but it is something that we do as an act of prayer and a symbolic thing to say, "God, whatever happened here in the past, please remove it, make it anew and give us peace here. Protect this place and let it be your house. Come and fill this place with your Spirit." We'd burn sage as well. That was something my aunt did.
I encourage you to do the same thing as well. You don't need to burn sage or incense or do anything specific. Do what you feel God wants you to do. The important thing I'm saying that should be done is for you to pray. Ask God to fill your home with His Spirit. Even if you've already done it before or have been living there for a while. Just pray. Pray and ask God to make his presence known in your home. Simple as that.
Genesis 28 tells us that Jacob set up a stone as a pillar and poured oil on it. Then he says that that stone will be God's house. This same stone Jacob used as a pillow for the night is now going to be God's house. It's hard for me to understand what that all means. I don't know exactly what Jacob meant by saying that it would be God's house.
If the pillar Jacob set up was meant as a spiritual act of saying, "This is a witness between me and God and God is in this stone." maybe, then I can kind of understand it. It still sounds strange, but I guess I find it similar to how a person might turn over a picture because they don't want the person looking at them or something, except it would be the other way around. I'm probably not making much sense here.
My other question, which I don't believe I addressed in the post about what a pillar means, is this: Why set up a pillar? Maybe that's a bit of a dumb question. It'd be like asking, "Why pray?" or, "Why be baptized?" Maybe that's exactly the reason of setting up a pillar. It's a bit of a foreign idea to us because we don't do that kind of thing. Baptism and prayer are asked of us in the Bible though, whereas setting up pillars is not. Maybe this was an act of prayer though. A symbolic thing. Because, unless everyone else knew about it and exactly why and even if they did, it would probably end up being moved or taken down or something at some point.
So if it's not a permanent thing that lasts forever and cannot be changed, I'd say it would be an act of prayer and a spiritual, symbolic act. When we've moved into a new place, we have done a cleansing thing. It's something not necessarily in the Bible (I don't believe) but it is something that we do as an act of prayer and a symbolic thing to say, "God, whatever happened here in the past, please remove it, make it anew and give us peace here. Protect this place and let it be your house. Come and fill this place with your Spirit." We'd burn sage as well. That was something my aunt did.
I encourage you to do the same thing as well. You don't need to burn sage or incense or do anything specific. Do what you feel God wants you to do. The important thing I'm saying that should be done is for you to pray. Ask God to fill your home with His Spirit. Even if you've already done it before or have been living there for a while. Just pray. Pray and ask God to make his presence known in your home. Simple as that.
Prayer Time
Now you talk to God about what you read, and you can even read this chapter of the Bible for yourself before you do.
Let me know your thoughts on this reading as well.
Thank you for taking the time to read, I pray that what you have read blesses and inspires you! Godbless!
It is important, I feel, to pray over your house & add your property in that prayer too!
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