"Praise God for his “un-satisfaction!” He always has something more to reveal to us, to speak to us, and to give to us...."
In the chapters leading up to 35, we can see that Jacob had experienced a lot of dealings with the Lord in his life. From birth he was a heel-holder (ch.25); as a a youth he gained the birthright and the blessing through deceit (ch.27); he was forced to flee his home because of Esau’s anger (ch.28); he dreamed of the house of God (ch.28); he labored 20 years for his uncle Laban in uncomfortable and unfair conditions (ch.29-31); he wrestled with God Himself (ch.32); he experienced the tragedy at Shechem and he eventually got back to Bethel, the house of God (ch.34-35). Here God appeared to him again and reconfirmed the covenant that He made with Abraham and Isaac. Jacob responded at this point by pouring not only oil but also wine upon the pillar he had originally set up for God’s house (35:14).
In the bible, oil is used to typify the Holy Spirit. However, there is also something called the “drink offering” in the Bible. Jacob’s pouring out of the wine is the first time we see the drink offering in the Bible. The drink offering ultimately signifies that which we have enjoyed and experienced of Christ, ready to be poured out for God. For example, in Philippians 2:7, Paul said “even if I am being poured out poured out as a drink offering up on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice. Yes, and I rejoice together with you all.” Paul was in an extremely difficult situation in prison and knew that he was likely going to lose his life for the testimony of the Gospel. But through this difficult situation, he was sustained, because he had an experience and enjoyment of God. This enjoyment was in him like a kind of wine that kept him full of God’s presence and full of joy. Yet he didn’t consider this to be something for himself to be held on to, but realized that it was all for the building up of God’s house. He viewed all of his experience and enjoyment, everything he had been through, his “wine,” as something only for God to enjoy and to use and was willing to pour it all out on the saints in Philippi, who were the real pillars in God’s house. This is just like Jacob, who, governed by a vision of Beth-el, realized that all of the suffering and experience he had gone through, coupled with all of the times the Lord had sustained and refreshed him, was only for one thing: to be poured out on a pillar to produce Bethel – a habitation for God. This means that Jacob was a person who interpreted everything he went through according to a vision of God’s heart’s desire. God wants a house. What is my experience, my suffering, my enjoyment? Just wine to be poured out on the pillar. “It’s not for myself, Lord, it’s for you, and for Your desire.” Before Jacob came to Laban, he had a vision of God’s house, and set up a pillar to memorialize it. Yet he was alone. But in Laban’s household, over a period of 20 years, he suffered greatly, but was also greatly enlarged. He experienced God, but also experienced the fulfillment of God’s promise. He came back to "Bethel" enlarged and even multiplied. Where there was one Jacob, now there was an Israel and many sons who would become the reality of God’s habitation on Earth.
Jacob realized that everything he had experienced was in God’s economy and this produced an enjoyment in him. This is very good! In a sense, Jacob was “up to the standard.” He had not only seen a vision of God’s heart’s desire (28:10-17), but had gone through many experiences with the Lord in order to substantiate his vision, (signified by the wine poured out with the oil). Jacob knew God’s heart and realized his experiences were for God’s satisfaction. To our concept, or our standard, Jacob had come to the “high peak” of his relationship with God. Jacob should be perfect and be able to rest now.
However, the scripture does not stop here: it continues on. God has more to reveal to Jacob, and there is more dealing, or perfecting in store for Jacob. As we read along, we find out in the following chapters that shortly after coming back to Bethel, his mother’s servant who had raised him died (35:8), his most beloved wife Rachel died (35:19), his father Isaac also died (35:28) and then he lost his favorite son Joseph (37:33). These dealings were much more intimate and much more painful than what he had experienced previously. It was these things that really emptied Jacob and prepared him to be the kind of person before God who could be God’s representative on earth. At the end of all of these dealings, Jacob could stretch forth his hand and bless even the ruler of the known world – Pharoah (47:7). Also, Jacob became God’s oracle on the earth, prophesying the entire destiny of the 12 tribes (49:3-27). With Jacob, God was after something very high, and to get there God had to take him on a long and painful journey. Our concept is that when we have a victory, or reach a high point, it is time to rest and rejoice, maybe even to relax. But actually God has just now brought us to the place where He can do His real work. Just when we think it is time to rest, He has further personal dealing and fellowship with us.
In our pursuing of Christ, we should not expect that we would soon come to the place where we have “arrived” and finished with God’s dealings. God is immense. As long as we are still living in this flesh, there is always something God will be dealing with in order to bring us further. We may feel satisfied with our growth or vision, but God is not satisfied. Praise God for his “un-satisfaction!” He always has something more to reveal to us, to speak to us, and to give to us. Perhaps without our even having realized it, the Lord has already begun His next work. He will faithfully do it until we arrive at His goal, for His satisfaction.
Jude 1:24-25 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”