Jacob’s Ladder: A Gateway to Divine Promise and New Testament Fulfillment
Genesis 28:10–17 (NASB95)
10Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11He 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. 12He 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. 13And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14“Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Jacob left home in fear and uncertainty. He stopped for the night, using a stone for a pillow. As he slept, he saw a stairway reaching from earth to heaven. Angels moved up and down. The Lord stood beside him and spoke. The Lord repeated the promises given to Abraham and Isaac: land, descendants, and blessing for all nations. The Lord said, I am with you. I will protect you. I will bring you back. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised.
At this point, Jacob has officially become the next patriarch as God has transferred the covenant promises to Jacob.
Jacob woke up in awe. He realized the place was holy. He said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. He called the place Bethel, the house of God. He set up the stone as a pillar and poured oil on it. He made a vow to serve the Lord and to give a tenth of all he received.
Jacob’s dream points us to Christ. In John 1, Jesus tells Nathanael that he would see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Jesus is the true ladder. He is the bridge between heaven and earth. He is the one who brings God’s presence to us and brings us to God. Early Christian teachers saw the stone as a sign of Christ, the cornerstone. The stairway is Christ’s cross, the way to the Father. The Lord’s promise to Jacob finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who brings blessing to all nations.
This will be our focus on Sunday. We will see how God’s promise to Jacob becomes our hope in Christ. God meets us in ordinary places and turns them into holy ground. He keeps His promises, even when we are afraid or alone. Christ is with us, and He is the way to the Father. He is the assurance that heaven is open to all who trust Him.
For the church today, Bethel reminds us that God’s presence is not limited to special places or perfect people. He meets us where we are. He calls us to trust Him, to worship Him, and to walk in faith. Christ is our ladder, our connection to Heaven. He is our access to God. Let us seek Him, serve Him, and share His blessing with the world.