We Aren't Climbing Jacob's Ladder


Genesis 28:12 (ESV) And he (Jacob) dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

 This immortal moment in Genesis 28 happens while Jacob is running for his life from the murderous threats of his brother, Esau. God shows up at the top of a ladder and speaks a word of incredible blessing on this young man. 

 Genesis 28:15–17 (ESV) 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 promised 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.”

So far Jacob has taken advantage of his starving brother's lust for his own prosperity and swindled his old man while conspiring with his snooping mother. He's not exactly climbing anything, let alone a ladder to heaven.

He's not looking for God.
He's not trying to find salvation.
He's not seeking to amend his ways (In fact, he will deal to his advantage in Laban's home as well).

Jacob is not the Biblical moral example we've believed him to be in any way. I mean, in the church, we used to sing a song about this moment. The lyrics were so completely out of touch with what happened:

We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, We are climbing Jacob’s ladder,
Soldiers of the cross.

 We sang a lot of stupid songs in the Church. This was one of them. The ladder Jacob saw was nothing he sought to climb, nor did the Lord tell him to do so. There is no word of warning or correction from the Lord to Jacob. There is no command that Jacob try harder. There is just blessing and promise. "I will be with you, I will keep watch over you, I will bring you back, I will not leave you..." In fact, the only ones going up and down the ladder were the angels. 

 Jacob is alone, impoverished and scared. He's not looking for God... God is looking for him.

 You know what's interesting? Jesus was the one who stood at the top of that staircase in Jacob's dream. And Jesus is the one who would come DOWN the staircase to be the younger brother who would NOT escape the vile hatred of his older brother (Pharisees/Sadducees/Religious Leaders). And in dying, Jesus becomes the ladder. He will tell Nathanael:

John 1:51 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus became the ladder by which those runaway vagrants from Earth have any chance at getting to heaven. That's really good news for those who feel unworthy and hopeless... like Jacob must have felt that night.

Amen.

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