Tag: ladder to heaven
A Stairway to Heaven
Scripture reading for January 12th: Genesis 27-31
“Jacob left Beersheba and sat out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28:10-12)
Jacob was the younger twin son of Isaac who had obtained the birthright from his brother Esau by shrewd trading and then connived with his mother to get his father’s blessing. Faith sees what is valuable in God’s economy and takes hold of it. Jacob was sent away from his home for two reasons: Esau was mad enough to kill him after the blessing incident, and Isaac and Rebbecca were distraught at Esau’s Hittite wives. They knew that for God’s blessing to come to pass, Jacob must marry someone of faith from their own family. It is not good to be unequally yoked! (2nd Corinthians 6:14-15) (Genesis 28:2-4)
As Jacob left to find his future wife, he stopped the first night to sleep. He had nothing but a stone for a pillow. God visited him in a dream and showed him a stairway to heaven. God spoke to Jacob from the top of the stairs, ” I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. . . .All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. . . .I will watch over you wherever you go. . . I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.” (Genesis 28:13-15) God was in that place! What words of assurance the Lord gave during a time of transition!
Bethel (House of God) was the name Jacob gave that place. Jacob made a vow to follow God, and set up a stone pillar as a memorial of his encounter. He vowed to tithe off of all that God gave him. When a man promises money, you know that his heart is in it! God is indeed with each of us. We have an open heaven and promised blessing through the descendant of Jacob, Jesus Christ who is our stairway to heaven! (John 14:6) Follow Him today up the stairway!