When banished, Jacob, coming in weariness and darkness to Luz, does not find even a hut to welcome him. But he finds a stone, rejected of men, waiting for him on the ground. This stone he makes a pillow in the darkness, and when the light comes he sets it up with a holy anointing as a pillar of testimony and adoration.
We know Christ is the “stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1 Peter 2:44To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (1 Peter 2:4)). We know that though to the natural mind it seems a hard and comfortless pillow, the spiritual mind arriving at Luz (“separation”) finds a sweet repose and a soft pillow in the bosom of Jesus a pillow of rest first, and then this same Jesus is a pillar of witness and worship, anointed with oil the Holy Spirit. And so Luz becomes Bethel (“the house of God”)! This is the wanderer’s sanctuary: It is not the home bird (“the sparrow hath found an house”; Psa. 84:33Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. (Psalm 84:3)); it is the bird of passage (“the swallow [has] a nest for herself where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, O Lord of Hosts”; Psa. 84:33Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. (Psalm 84:3))!
Adversity
Adversity often awakens and discloses sympathy. We frequently hear sympathy, when unaccompanied with help, spoken slightingly of but indeed it is a priceless quality under any circumstances.
The little boy ran into his father’s study and, holding up his hand, with trembling lip and troubled brow, said, “I’se hurted my finger.”
His father, with no evidence of sympathy in his voice said, “Well, my little man, how can I help you?”
The little fellow burst into a flood of tears and ran from the room. His mother met him, gently embraced him, nestling his head on her bosom while kissing the tears away. Then, determining the cause of the tears, said, “Well, my darling, but what could your father do?”
Sympathy
The little boy sobbed out, “I thought that he’d say, ‘Oh!’ ” Sympathetically uttered, what a mysterious charm and comfort that little word would have contained for that little boy’s heart.
Thus with dear Jacob, in many places, but specially here at Luz, in the time of his adversity: God comforts him with gracious words and assuring promises. “Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.... I will not leave thee”! When the weary wanderer lays his head on the neglected stone of Luz, what celestial visions shall he not see? What holy words of gracious comfort shall he not hear?
“Scriptural Imagery,” Bible Treasury, Vol. 16