Jacob's Ladder

“I am with you and I will watch over you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised” (Gen 28:15). Jacob was on the way to Haran, for him a completely new and strange country. All that he had loved and known was now a thing of the past. He had left his beloved mother, a deceived father, a brother ready to kill him. Truly, Jacob has reasons to feel lonely and insecure.

As night approached, he found no shelter, so he selected a stone to serve as a pillow, and went to sleep under the open heaven. During the night he had a very vivid dream: he saw a ladder reaching into heaven and angels of God ascending and descending on it. The Lord himself appeared above it talking to him, promising to lead and protect him.

Although Jacob had acted very deceitfully before his father, and so before God, the Lord did not leave him or denounce him. The foundation for the covenant God had established with Abraham, the grandfather of Jacob, was not resting on human abilities or perfection. It was a covenant of grace. And so Jacob’s transgression could not make void this covenant, even though his deceit brought him grief and suffering on earth.

The ladder Jacob saw in his dream was like a bridge between heaven and earth and it was used by the angels ascending to and descending from heaven. This ladder is an illustration of Jesus who, through his life, his suffering, and his resurrection is the connection between heaven and earth. Through him, we have access to God’s mercy and possibilities to communicate with our Heavenly Father. Through Jesus, God’s wonderful promises are fulfilled. As Jesus pleased his Father in everything, all those believing in Jesus are acceptable before God as His beloved children to whose service God sends His holy angels to protect and care for them.

The ‘ladder’—Jesus—reached into heaven, and he is the means by which all who believe the true gospel and are baptized can attain to heavenly glory on earth.

Jacob sinned in cheating his father by saying that he was Esau to obtain the blessing. We also, as true Christians fail and can receive the same forgiveness of sins and blessing. It is high time to repent and be baptized as we wait for our Lord to establish his kingdom here on earth. Amen

Bro Benjamine Mwatu and Bro Samuel Msawa

Bro Benjamine Mwatu (Suna, Kenya)