Depiction of Jacob's dream at Bethel, by Jusepe de Ribera.

 “And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” – Genesis 28:17 

We have grown rather flippant in our understanding of the house of God.

That was not true of Jacob. When he met God, it was an awesome event. Where he met God was a place of fearful wonder and dreadful power. He was overwhelmed by and drawn toward God at the same time.

The scripture says that he was in the house of God and knew it not.

We call our church houses, houses of God. That may or may not be true at any specific time and place.

The house of God is wherever we meet Him, wherever His people gather in Jesus’ Name, and wherever the gates of Heaven are opened for souls who are lost in sin.

It is possible, as it was for Jacob, to be in the house of God and know it not.

When Jesus met the woman at the well, she wanted to engage Him in the controversy over where people ought to worship. John records it in John 4:20.

“Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

Jesus responded that true worshippers meet and worship God in Spirit and in truth. He said that the Father seeks such worshippers.

Those who meet God where God meets them find themselves in the house of God, overwhelmed by His presence and drawn toward Him at the same time. It is both dreadful and compelling.

May you find yourself in the house of god today and may you know it.

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 

And the Lord stood beside him and said, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

 Then Jacob woke 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."