SET UP THE STONE

Blessed be the name of the Source of Life — JESUS CHRIST, the Eternal Rock.

In the Bible, Jacob placed a stone under his head before sleeping. When he woke, he stood the stone upright and set it up as a pillar (Genesis 28:10-20, ESV).

This stone symbolizes the revelation of JESUS CHRIST, the living Rock on which faith must be founded.

Jesus as the Living Stone

Jacob’s stone points to Jesus Christ, who is described as the “living Stone” in 1 Peter 2:4:

“Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight.”

Jesus is not a mere historical figure or a religious symbol, but the very foundation of our faith and the source of spiritual revelation.

Jacob’s Experience — From Pillow to Pillar

Jacob was fleeing his brother Esau and stopped to rest at an ordinary place. He used a stone as a pillow, probably without realizing its significance. However, after receiving God’s vision in a dream, he realized this place was holy Genesis 28:16-17

“Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’”

He then set up the stone as a pillar, marking a spiritual turning point—no longer just a resting place, but a symbol of God’s presence and covenant.

Application: Is Jesus Your Pillar or Pillow?

Like Jacob’s stone, Jesus can either lie dormant beneath us as a pillow or be set up as a firm pillar in our lives. The danger is treating Jesus as a mere religious tradition, an inherited faith, or a source of dreams without grounding in God’s Word.

Mark 4:35-41 shows the disciples’ storm at sea. Jesus, the Stone, was asleep in the boat, but when awakened, He rebuked the storm and brought peace:

“He said to the wind, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)

This reveals Jesus’ authority over chaos and trials. When He is our firm foundation, we will not be shaken, even in life’s fiercest storms (Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer”).

Warning Against False Foundations

Jesus warned against building on anything other than Himself as the solid rock (Matthew 7:24-27):

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.”

If our faith is only based on emotions, visions, or tradition without obedience to God’s Word, it is like the stone lying flat—unstable and vulnerable to destruction.