Genesis 28:6-22 NKJV
6 Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take himself a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan Aram. 8 Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. 9 So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.
10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “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, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
While traveling northward, Jacob sleeps and dreams. He sees a ladder set upon the earth that reaches heaven, with angels ascending and descending it. The Lord, standing above the ladder, promises to give the land on which he now sleeps to his numerous descendants. His Seed will bless all families of the earth. The Lord also promises to be with Jacob and keep him wherever he goes and bring him back to this land. The dream comforts Jacob. The ladder showed him how close the Lord was to him at any moment, His holy angels attending him.
Upon waking, Jacob converts his stone pillow into a pillar, anoints it with oil, and makes a vow. While his vow can be read as if he were making a bargain with God—“If You do this, then I will do that”—but it is better to read it as a thanksgiving. It’s as if Jacob were saying, “If God does what He has promised to do—be with me wherever I go—then I will most certainly come back here as He has promised, and when I do, I will offer Him sacrifices here.” Jacob goes forward, confident of God’s promises and presence.
Dear Christian, you have even clearer promises than the patriarchs. The ladder Jacob saw in a vision was seen by the apostles in the person of Jesus Christ. He told Nathanael in John 1:51, “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.” Jesus has opened heaven for us with His blood. He is the ladder, or way to heaven, for all who place their trust in Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life.
He also promises to be with all who believe in Him. He says in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” God Himself dwells in believers, so that they are houses of God. He dwells within us by faith so that wherever we go or whatever happens to us, we go forward confident of God’s promises and presence. Let us pray: Keep us ever mindful of Your presence, O Lord, that wherever we go and whatever befalls us, we may we shun sinning and confidently rejoice all in Your promises. Amen.