Living Room Study

Genesis 28

“And he dreamed: a stairway to heaven was set on the ground with its top reaching to Heaven, and God’s angels were ascending and descending upon it.  The Lord was standing there beside him, saying, ‘I Am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac.  I will give you and your offspring the land that you are now sleeping on.’”  Genesis 28:12-13

Anyone who has been in a music store over the past 30 years is familiar with the opening melody of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. They’ve no doubt been privy to countless bad renditions of it, as well!! If they lived in the days of Jacob, perhaps the band would have written “Ladder To Heaven”. (My attempt at humor!)

Interesting, the rabbis teach the “certain place” Jacob stopped to rest would have possibly been Mount Moriah. If so, it would most likely have been the location where Abraham intended to offer Isaac…and where Solomon’s Temple stood.

The description of Jacob’s dream is one of the most vivid Biblical images of the Lord and His angels, working on the face of the earth. It’s like being privy to the whereabouts of the door where Disney characters enter & exit the theme park. It should be noted that the angels are first mentioned “ascending” the ladder. It is as though they had been accompanying Jacob on his journey the whole time…and only now were returning to the Lord. Ah, providence!

It may have been that Jacob was without any human friends; but unseen, there had been angels by his side to protect and encourage him. Isn’t it comforting to know that the Lord has commanded His angels to watch over His children?

Abraham is mentioned as Jacob’s father, because both Isaac’s blessing and Esau’s birthright now rested with Jacob. Jacob was the direct recipient of God’s promise to Abraham.

There is a great lesson concerning God’s faithfulness here. God’s guarantee of fulfilled promises was dependant upon God’s character, not the patriarchs’. Jacob was a deceiver, and God would soon test his mettle, but the Lord knew what kind of man Jacob would be…once His work was completed.

I hope you are encouraged by this truth: God’s love for His children is great enough to lead them through hardships, just to mold them into children who would live up to the character of His name. If you are suffering through a time of molding and stretching, be encouraged. Asleep or awake, God Himself, (as well as His angels) is ever-present, and personally “there” for His children.

“…for God has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5b

Blessings.

Steve Wiggins