Jacob and the ladder

Bible Passage: Genesis 28:10-22

I. The Family of Isaac and Rebecca

1. Isaac and Rebecca gave birth to twins twenty years after their marriage
2. They named them “Esau” and “Isaac”(25:25)
3. Even before they were born, Esau and Jacob struggled with each other inside Rebecca’s womb (25:22)
4. When Rebecca prayed about the unbearable struggle she felt in her womb, God told her that two nations are going to be born and there would be struggles between them (25:23)
5. The family of Isaac and Rebecca was a dysfunctional family

a. Isaac loved Esau and Rebecca loved Jacob—family is divided over favoritism (verse 28)
b. Esau married two Hittite women—this points to Esau’s rebellious attitude

i. When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, as well as Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite—they caused Isaac and Rebekah great anxiety (Gen 26:34-35)
ii. Esau realized that the Canaanite women were displeasing to his father Isaac. So, Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath … along with the wives he already had (Gen 28:8-9)

c. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, who worked against his brother’s interest (25:29-34)

6. Parents contributed towards the rivalry between two brothers

a. Rebecca abets Jacob’s deception against his dad and brother (27:6-10, 15-16)
b. Jacob steals Esau’s blessings that belong only to Esau (27:26-29)

7. Esau hated Jacob and wanted to kill him—“The time of mourning my father is near; then I will kill my brother Jacob!”
8. Fearing for life Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran (28:10)

a. A member of a dysfunctional family
b. Deceiver of his brother and dad
c. A fugitive
d. Readers of this story will naturally develop a hatred for Jacob and would want severe punishment!

9. Contrary to this justifiable reaction towards Jacob “[Jacob] had a dream”

a. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens
b. The angels of God were going up and coming down it and the LORD stood at its top (28:12-13)

10. God appearing in a person’s dream points to God forgiving the person of his sins and accepting him to continue as the “seed of the woman”
11. God met with Jacob at “Bethel” (28:19)

a. In Jacob’s family, we do not see any godliness
b. In fact, they took the name of the LORD, but there is no godliness in their behavior
c. Jacob was a liar, deceiver, schemer, etc.
d. We judge Jacob to be a sinner who deserved God’s punishment in hell
e. But God visited with him in Bethel (it’s his conversion)

i. Verse 16ff: Jacob woke up and thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, but I did not realize it!”
ii. He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!”

f. The LORD reveals Himself to Jacob

i. God’s offer of forgiveness to Jacob is not based on Jacob’s merit but it’s purely God’s decision (cf. Rom 9:12-13 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated)
ii. God absolves Jacob and appoints him to be the covenant carrier (28:13-15)
iii. The Lord stood at its top. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the ground you are lying on.
iv. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using your name and that of your descendants.
v. I am with you! I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!”

12. The ladder/stairway that connected the heaven and earth is prophetic that points for a greater “ladder”
13. Jesus mentions this incident by connecting Him with an important change (John 1:51 “Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”
14. Jesus substitutes “Son of Man” for the ladder
15. In other words, Jesus is the “Ladder” that connects heaven and earth

II. Principles

1. God forgives sinners and connects with them through Jesus

a. John 1:49 Nathaniel confesses, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel”
b. Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
c. Acts 16:30-31 The Jailor asked, “what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household”

2. God’s forgiveness of sinners is purely God’s gracious sovereign decision
3. God’s offer of forgiveness and relationship to man can only be accepted with gratitude and worship
4. By means of Jesus the Ladder, the blessings of heaven are brought to man and man’s prayer is taken to Heaven—“Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”

Takeaway:

Receive God’s offer of forgiveness through Jesus the Ladder who connects man with God the Father