THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
What follows after this? “And Jacob traveled to Sockhof, and built himself a house, and made tents for his cattle. And from this he called the name of the place Sockhof.” Observe how he dwelled among the bushes. This can serve as a clear indication of the shift in the mindset of Israel toward the better; for having organized the bushes, he began to reside in them. Precious in the sight of God is the fruit of a mind that perceives and is graced with the vision of God, one that is nurtured toward the best while striving for perfection, so as to no longer place value on worldly things, but instead to treat life in the body as a form of abstinence. Such a mind is holy and serves as an accurate reflection of the existence of the chosen and exalted.
Read more (134 words)
Yet, listen to the blessed David, who has achieved such a level of excellence and proclaims: “Weaken me. For I am a stranger on earth and an alien like all my fathers” (Psalm 38:14, 13). Paul similarly addresses those who have reached “the perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13): “for we do not have a lasting city here, but we seek the city to come, ... of which God is the architect and builder” (Heb. 13:14; Heb. 11:10). The fact that the divine Jacob, or Israel, chose to dwell in the bushes, therefore, serves as a clear sign to all who seek goodness, that those who have opened their eyes to God and possess an enlightened mind may see the pursuits of this world as mere distractions.