Jacob’s Ladder
Genesis 28:10-22
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTNjStJH4GA
Read Genesis 28:10-22
There truly isn’t many solemn if not downright interesting passages in the Bible than what we’re looking at today, which is Jacob’s dream of a ladder extending from heaven to earth, with angels going up and down it, with the Lord at the top.
It appears to be specifically designed to instruct, support, and comfort, not only Jacob but also believers in Jesus Christ.
But its major component or take away is God’s desire to meet with us and to speak His word, will, and way into our lives and into our circumstances.
And what this opens for us to contemplate is God’s Way of Communication
There are two verses that speak to this very thing that are instructive to every believer.
The first is Hebrews 1:1-2 that talks about how Jesus is one of two major ways that God the Father uses to speak to us.
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things.” (Hebrews 1:1-2a NKJV)
As it says, God has communicated with us in a variety of ways, depending on the need and the situation. And we’ll look at these various ways in just a moment.
But the second major way that God the Father speaks is through the Holy Spirit, which is brought out in 2 Peter 1:20-21.
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 NKJV)
Now, there are two main ways that Jesus and the Holy Spirit speak into our lives. First is through the Word of God, or the Bible. This is the clearest and most effective way God communicates with His people today.
There’s a saying that if you want to know how something works, read the owner’s or user’s manual. Well, the Bible is God’s manual to help us navigate this world we live in. Unfortunately, we often ignore it, and try everything else to our detriment.
The second way which is highly used by God is that of prayer, which is our opening a line of communication with God, where there is a two-way conversation.
But there are more ways that God uses to communicate.
· Visions – Where God speaks to us by showing us visualizations of events that are either going on at the time, but also those that will take place. These you can see in the book of Daniel and the visions that God gave Him about the coming future empires.
· Dreams – God enters our minds and hearts when we’re asleep and reveals to us those things that will come, or a personal word from Him, like that of Jacob in which we are studying today.
· Directly (Audibly)– Here God speaks directly to someone, like when He spoke to Moses in the Burning Bush, or when He spoke to Moses face to face, as one person to another (this was and is extremely rare). Paul had such an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
· Angels – Like the angel who came to Daniel to tell him the meaning of His visions and dreams.
· Circumstances – This is another way, but we must be careful, because Satan can manipulate the situation to fit his purpose. And so, to correctly interpret our circumstances, they must line up with God’s word.
· God’s hand – like when God wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets of stone, or when He wrote upon the wall in Babylon. (But I really don’t ask for such revelation, because when He wrote on the wall, it was in judgment.)
o For years a middle-aged farmer desired to be a preacher. One day while planting his crop he looked up in the clouds and they formed the letters “P” and “C.”
o Immediately he took this as a sign from God telling him to Preach Christ. Soon afterwards he sold his farm and started a small church. The only problem was that he was horrible at it. After one particularly bad sermon his neighbor whispered in his ear, “Are you sure God wasn’t telling you to Plant Corn.”
Let me start our story by giving what brought Jacob to this place where he had this remarkable dream.
Literally, Jacob was escaping for his life because his brother, Esau, was seeking to kill him for taking his covenant blessings that God provides to the first born. And Jacob did so by deceiving his father, Isaac.
And so, with the help of his mom, Rebekah, he was hurriedly sent away to find a bride from house of her brother, Laban in Padan Aram.
Now, the trip was around 500 miles. He stopped on the way at a place or city called Luz, which is about is about 70 miles away, which probably took Jacob several days to reach.
Jacob was more than likely fatigued from the journey; how else could someone use a rock as a pillow. But I think it goes deeper, in that he probably had a great deal of anxiety, not only over what went down back home with his brother seeking his life, but also not knowing what lied ahead of him.
Now it’s important for us to see how God comes to Jacob in this instance. Jacob was not a spiritual man in any way. He’s never really sought God, or even showed a whole lot of interest in God. Up to this point there is no mention of God in his life. And there’s no mention of his prayer life, or that he was even seeking God.
And so, he’s on his way to find a wife, but more importantly; to escape his brother. It’s not like he’s taking a sabbatical, or a spiritual pilgrimage. And he’s not really looking for God to teach him anything, or even to move in his life. He’s just doing what he must do to get away from his brother. And we’re told that God comes to him while he’s asleep. Jacob is sleeping, but God is chasing and pursuing him.
And in the same way God is pursuing us.
It would be nice if life was always easy, but it is not. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to get away and leave it all behind. Is there a broken relationship, a failure of some sort, a painful loss, some bad choices, guilt, or regret? Humanity’s solution is run away and distance themselves from the stuff. But that’s not God’s solution.
Jacob’s life was now a life of struggle and conflict. Physically, because he was in a nowhere place. Socially, he was separated from his family and friends, and fleeing for his life. Materially, He had nothing but the shirt on his back, and whatever provisions his mom could pack. And spiritually he was distant from God and alone and without hope.
What we might say is that Jacob reached the bottom and that is when God broke through, that is, God broke through when Jacob was broken and needy. His life of selfish grabbing left him empty. But then Jacob met the Lord, and his life was changed.
But, let me make this one observation and Biblical truth.
Nothing Happens By Chance
“So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set.” (Genesis 28:11 NKJV)
It says he reached a “certain place.” Nothing happens by chance when God is leading and guiding. God led Jacob to this place, whether Jacob was aware of it or not.
“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23 NKJV)
What I found interesting is that where God led Jacob was near where Abraham built an altar to the Lord, and called upon His holy name, Yahweh or Jehovah. It was Abraham’s experience here at Bethel and how God made a covenant promise to him that plays an important part in Jacob’s encounter of God here at the very same place.
“And he (Abraham) moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.” (Genesis 12:8 NKJV)
In the end, even though Jacob was away from his home and in a strange land, fleeing from His brother’s wrath, Jacob, like Jonah, couldn’t get away from God. This is something every one of us must come to grips with. That just as God was with Jonah in the belly of the great fish, so God was with Jacob in this out of the way place, even though Jacob didn’t know it.
And what we need to know is that whatever is happening in our life is not by chance but has been arranged or allowed by God for a specific purpose. For Jacob, his losing everything was so that he could find God.
Jacob’s Ladder
What Jacob’s dream reveals that heaven and earth are connected.
Jacob now knew that God was closer than even he imagined, and there was real access and interaction between heaven and earth. It was a visual as to how the Messiah, that is, Jesus bridges the gap brought upon mankind through sin. (We’ll see this in a moment)
The ladder was no ordinary ladder, not like we envision today, or even what they knew a ladder to look like. This was of divine construction, and what it represented was the inter-relationship between heaven and earth as multitudes of angels were being sent to carry out God’s kingdom agenda.
Jacob’s ladder stands in direct contrast to the Tower of Babel, which was man’s attempt to reach God. It represents all of man’s efforts and attempts to ascend to the heavens. But here we see a ladder, and God’s way of bridging the distance between heaven and earth.
Angels
God’s angels are His divine servants doing service for those who shall inherit salvation.
“Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14 NKJV)
“For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11 NKJV)
Now, these are not wimpy beings like those cute little cherubs we see in pictures, these guys are mighty, and a single angel can wipe out an entire human army, and so they aren’t to be messed with.
“His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” (Psalm 103:20 NKJV)
Further, they are not mindless gofers, but rather sentient beings who show intense interest in what goes on here upon the earth.
“There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10 NKJV)
And the Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 1:12 says that the gospel preached by us through the Holy Spirit is the very thing that the angels desire to investigate.
But now we come to the prophetic nature and meaning of Jacob’s Ladder.
Jesus is Jacob’s Ladder
In fact, Jesus Himself makes this connection.
In John 1:43-51, Philip, one of Jesus disciples went and found Nathaniel, and told him that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, and that Nathaniel should come and see for himself.
When he met Jesus, Jesus said how He had seen him sitting under the fig tree before Philip told him to come and see. And Nathaniel said, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” And then Jesus makes this wonderful proclamation, which means everything to us.
“Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these … Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” (John 1:50-51 NKJV)
Being that this was a dream, there was tremendous symbolism, and the ladder was prophetic of the coming Messiah who would bridge this great divide that existed between heaven and earth.
We are saved by grace through faith, the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8. And Jesus is the only bridge, or ladder where a sinful selfish man can be brought into fellowship with the holy and righteous God.
It is what the writer of Hebrews brings out saying, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NKJV)
Jesus is the Mediator between God and man, and He became that Mediator by dying upon the cross paying for our sins.
And this opened a new door of communication between God and His creation, that is, you and me. That is, those who believe in Jesus Christ
Today, Bethel (The House of God) is located within each believer in Jesus Christ, but also, we need to remember that it is when we are gathered that Jesus is in our midst. So, Bethel not only references the Lord living within us, but He is among us in the church.
Here we have Jesus as our Mediator, who ultimately suffered and died on a cross to serve as the sacrifice for all of mankind, and bridging imperfect human beings, that is, you and me with the perfect and holy God. Therefore, Jesus, Gods Son, came to restore our relationship with God.
Jesus is Jacob’s Ladder, and thus the way to heaven. He does not show us a way, He is the way.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
It is not Mary, the saints, angels, priests, or even the church that mediates to the Father on our behalf, it is Jesus and Him alone.
Now, before I can move on, there is one other aspect of this dream that must be looked at.
The Father and His Promise
Jacob marveled as He saw the Lord standing above the ladder and heard Him speak words of blessings along with the promise made to his grandfather, Abraham, and father, Isaac.
Jacob sees the Lord standing above, who says, “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 your offspring.” (Genesis 28:13 NKJV)
And the promise is, “Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.” (Genesis 28:14 NKJV)
The dream’s significance was to remind Jacob he had received God’s grace and encourage him to fulfill the destiny of his people. And God does so by reassuring Jacob of His love and protection, the same love and protection He confirmed to Abraham.
This covenant promise is unconditional. In other words, God doesn’t put any conditions on Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. It’s purely by God’s grace.
This story is a lesson on God’s grace. Grace is never about what we’ve done, or what we’re doing, or will do. It’s all about God showing us undeserved, unearned, unmerited favor and kindness. God initiated this whole encounter. We never saw Jacob in prayer, begging God to come and confirm the covenant. It’s all God.
ONE FINAL NOTE: God never said a single word of rebuke to Jacob, only a blessing and promise. And if God didn’t rebuke Jacob, we who are teachers of God’s word better be careful that we don’t either. Was he a deceiver and not only took advantage of his brother, but deceive his father? But Jacob’s life and judgment is in the hands of God, not in our hand?
Now, I’d like to examine what Jacob said, and the significance for us. After he woke from the dream, Jacob made this observation.
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:16-17 NKJV)
Jacob was now in full worship mode, but still showing the same tendencies that got him in trouble in the first place, which is why this really describes all of us.
Let’s start by looking at what Jacob said in response to the dream.
This was a place where heaven and earth meet, which is why he called it Bethel, or “The House of God.” Is this not the church today?
I love this, because when looking at the ladder that was extended from heaven and earth, that is what the church should be, a place where heaven and earth meet, which is exactly what it is, because Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20 NKJV)
When we gather, Jesus is in our midst, and thus heaven has come down to earth, now we can realize why coming to church is so important that the writer of Hebrews tells us not to forsake this time (Hebrews 10:25).
It then goes on to say that he was afraid saying, “How awesome is this place.” It wasn’t a knee trembling fear, but a sacred and solemn fear. We see this same solemness in Moses when He stood before the Lord at the burning bush. God said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
What we witness in these two examples is God’s presence being manifested to His people.
Jacob, realizing the reality of God’s presence said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:17)
And with this he named the place Bethel. Formally it was called Luz, which in its noun form means deviation or crookedness, but now, it was a place where God dwells, and thus Jacob changing its name to “House of God.”
To further this worship, Jacob took the stone for his pillow and made it into an altar. Maybe he saw Abraham’s altar and added his stone, and thus recognized that just as God was there for Abraham, when Abraham first called upon the Lord, that God was there for him.
Remember when I said, “Jacob was now in full worship mode, but still showing the same tendencies that got him in trouble in the first place.”
This is seen in Jacob’s vow to the Lord, which His was a mixture of faith, but also doubt. Jacob’s a deceiver and a cheat, and so he’s got this tendency to distrust everyone, and in this case, God.
And we see this in Jacob’s vow as he’s still trying to make a deal. It’s let’s make a deal with God.
After God appears to him in this dream, Jacob wakes up and he responds by worshiping. So, he’s doing pretty good up until that point, but then he makes a vow, and it’s a conditional vow.
God has given him a promise, yet he is still making deals with God. The way Jacob prayed reveals that to Jacob God’s word wasn’t enough.
“If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.” (Genesis 28:20-21 NKJV)
He had to see God do it before he would believe. Are we the same way? Paul says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). And the prophet Nahum said, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” (Nahum 1:7). Do we believe before we see?
Now, I could stop at this, but there is one more element to Jacob’s vow, and that is his vow to give back to God a tithe, that is, a tenth of all that he had been given.
What is interesting to note, is that the Law hadn’t been given, but giving a tithe to God was understood. Therefore, it was a purely voluntary act on the part of God’s people as an expression of thanksgiving.
Jacob’s grandfather Abraham brought a tithe to Melchizedek hundreds of years before the law. Now we see the principle of tithing in his grandson, Jacob, another patriarch. What I find fascinating is that Jacob went from grabber to giver because he met the Lord.
And the Bible also speaks about our need to give the tithe as Jesus said and that while weightier matters of the law need to be kept, “justice and mercy and faith,” the tithe shouldn’t be undone (Matthew 23:23), and that when we give the tithe it should be from the heart, and an attitude of love, devotion, and obedience to God. And we’re further told that as Christians it should be done cheerfully and not grudgingly (2 Corinthians 9:7).
And when we give the tithe, this is the Lord’s promise.
“Will I not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field.” (Malachi 3:10-11 NKJV)
Conclusion
And so, Jacob’s Ladder is more than just a cute children’s story fit only for Sunday School. But it is a prophetic dream, not only of God’s connection to this earth, but of the coming Messiah, Jesus.
It speaks of that place where heaven and earth meet, which Jacob called Bethel, that is, “The House of God.” And so, when we gather, Jesus is within our midst, and a line of communication is open where God speaks His word, will, and way into our lives.
And here is the neat part, not only do we have open access to God, but God has open access to us.
