The words "rose up early" are also used when Abraham was taking Isaac to sacrifice and also when sending Hagar away. The early hours are precious before worldly happenings intrude.
Likewise Jesus used the night time and early hours for prayer and meditation.
I was blown away when I first read this verse. My brother was reading a book by C.S. Lewis and stumbled across it so he decided to share it with me. The reason it blew me away was because I experienced something similar to what Jacob described in that verse almost to a tee. On quite a few occasions before I read that, I had these intense experiences while in a dream-like state, between being asleep and awake. I would go to sleep meditating after saying prayers and then at some point my mind would be guided toward an extremely deep thought about God and then the experience would happen. This experience was scarier than I thought was possible. To make it short, the experience felt out of body. I was fully aware that I was dead but was also fully aware that I was alive! Afterwards I was in awe and would think, "Dam! Why does God have to be so powerful?!" I felt that way because the experience was way too much for me to handle and the strange thing is that afterwards I would go to sleep wanting Him to reveal Himself like that again. Also, I was given messages during these experiences through a telepathic means and in audible on two occasions. On some occasions I was telepathically told things and I knew what God or an angel told me in the experience but it was so profound that I couldnt put it in words when I awoke. Another time I was told that I was going with God, and on another occasion I was told that without God I am nothing. In audible I heard, "Take Him to heaven God," and another time I heard "Take it away." When I heard "Take it away," I saw a light and I knew the light was Jesus. After those words were said, Jesus' light pulsated extremely bright and it scared the you know what out of me and I popped up in bed realizing that it was an experience and that I wasnt really dead.
Andreatta AbebreseTetteh on Genesis 28 - 13 years ago
Jacob took the PILLOW of stone and set it up as a PILLAR of worship to the Lord God almighty. May we likewise turn every stony situation in our lives into worship for the Bible says that all things work together for good to them that love God are the called according to His purpose.
Likewise Jesus used the night time and early hours for prayer and meditation.