Jacob rose early in the morning, took the stone upon which he had laid his head, and set it up as a pillar, anointing it with oil. Gen 28:18. The stone was symbolic of Christ. Instead of continuing to stumble in his pursuit of the blessing through the flesh, Jacob was now committing to walk in a different manner. He was beginning to be built on Christ, who had formerly been to him a stumbling stone, and to walk by faith. Eph 2:19-22. He, through the Spirit, would now eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness (meaning the blessing of sonship), by faith. Gal 5:5.

Jacob’s reorientation to faith through the Spirit was signified by the pouring of oil upon the rock. As Jacob proceeded to walk by faith, in the fear of the Lord, he and his descendants would be built on Christ, the foundation stone and capstone of the heavenly city. Zec 4:6‑10. They would, themselves, become pillars in the house of God. Jesus Christ promised this to the aggelos and the church in Philadelphia, who overcame the synagogue of Satan and who kept the command to persevere. He said, ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.’ Rev 3:12.

Jacob called the place Bethel, meaning ‘house of God’. Furthermore, he vowed to give to the Lord a tithe of all his possessions if the Lord would be with him; would keep him in the way that had been revealed to him; would feed and clothe him; and would restore him to his father’s house in peace. Gen 28:16‑22. Clearly, Jacob was committing himself to walk in fellowship with Jehovah Jireh – ‘Yahweh will provide’ – whom Abraham had introduced to Isaac. In doing so, he would maintain the same fear that his father, Isaac, had learned and demonstrated on Moriah. Gen 22:8,14.