Genesis 28:10-12
2008.Oct.17 13:40
The Ladder
Read Genesis 28:10-12 | Full Chapter
Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
(Genesis 28:10-12, NASB)
Hey, it’s Jacob’s ladder! Wow. I love this story. Do you know why? Because every bloody Sunday school teacher and kids’ church leader teaches this story. But I can’t think of anytime that someone told me what it was about. So what is about? Beats me. A bunch of angels climbing up and down stairs.
Backing up.
Jacob, who I won’t say is the model of obedience and high character, is now actively obeying his mother and father, by heading towards casa de Laban. Night comes, and Jacob lays down, using a stone (!!!) as a pillow. And he has a dream. The dream is the famous “Jacob’s Ladder” dream, and it’s really the second part of the telling that matters.
I really think that the ladder bit is mostly mood and setting. Yahweh’s promise would not have changed had this introductory bit been left out. Then, it may have been meant more as an attention getter: both Jacob’s and ours. Yahweh is about to reiterate a major promise, that of Israel’s possession of Canaan, and Yahweh’s dependability. It’s not something we should overlook.
Other things one can suggest the ladder does:
- Shows that God and his servants are active in the affairs of earth.
- Implies there is a method for joining Yahweh in his paradise, even after Adam and Eve blew the earthly paradise.
- Reveals that God is pretty creative is his presentation of dreams. Which will prove to be a relevant point as we continue.
