Jacob’s Ladder is classified as a plant in northeastern US with loose clusters of purplish-bluish flowers and pointed leaves, which resemble a ladder. Jacob’s Ladder was also a #1 hit song in 1987 by Huey Lewis and the News. Jacob’s Ladder was a popular horror psychological thriller (movie) in 1990. Ladders have served other purposes in history: scaling walls to defeat an enemy, to climb trees and pick fruit, carpenters build a business selling ladders. There was another Jacob and ladder that we would like to talk about.
“And Jacob went out from Beer-Sheba, and went toward Haran.
And he came to a certain place, and tarried there all night,
because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place,
and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the
top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God
ascending and descending.”
Genesis 28:10-12 (KJV)
This is where people say that the Bible is hard to understand and give up. Maybe a little investigation is in order. Who is this Jacob character, where’s Haran, who uses a stone for a pillow, what was this dream, and who can see a ladder a Twazillion miles high? With angels going and coming no less! All fascinating questions.
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Isaac was the son of Abram. Abram’s name was later changed to Abraham, the progenitor of God’s chosen people. For the record Abraham was born about 2165 B.C. and lived a life so full, the Bible is pregnant with stories about his life, and great things yet to happen!
When Jacob awoke from his dream, he believed that God was present in that place. Jacob saw God at the top of the stairway. “There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.”” He took the stone he used as a pillow poured oil on it and consecrated it to God. He called that place Bethel. Jacob’s ladder and dream is a connection between heaven and earth, with God taking the initiative to reach out to all humanity.
God called Abraham from his home in Ur to come to Canaan and become part of something higher than any ladder real or imagined. God told him: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2)
When God speaks to someone person-to-person; a stone for a pillow, or a ladder that reaches to heaven, or angels coming and going is secondary. The reference was to the Jewish nation, i.e., the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob! That ladder could’ve been a red marble staircase. The “perfect” ladder is Jesus Christ, who was God that came to earth to save all humanity. Jesus even refers to himself as this ladder: "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man". John 1:51 Jesus is not saying that this would be a physical experience (that they would see the ladder with their eyes) like the transfiguration, but they would have spiritual insight into Jesus’ true nature and purpose for coming. What does the ladder mean? God is saying I am the way, the only way to me is Jesus. Jesus is your access. There is no other way. Jesus said clearly: “No one comes to the Father except through me”. John 14:6 Need more? “I am the gate”. John 10:16
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