Jacob's Ladder

If you have your Bible, turn with me to Genesis chapter 28. Genesis chapter 28, as we continue our study, in the book of Genesis, today, Jacob's Ladder. Tremendous passage. Today, we're going to see where Jacob has an encounter with the living God. God himself is going to reveal himself to Jacob. And as God reveals himself to Jacob, Jacob now is going to respond to that revelation. And my prayer for you and me is that we would understand how to respond to the revelation of God in our lives. What happens in Genesis chapter 28 to Jacob's life is parallel to what happened to Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 6 when he saw God.

Or Paul on the Damascus road, who was then called Saul, when he met the living God. It is parallel to those accounts. As Moses at the burning bush understood the revelation of God and who God was. When we read this text, we come to understand more about our God. And about how we should respond to God once we see Him. Because true worship is the human response to divine revelation. There is no true worship without divine revelation. And God has given us His word. He has revealed to us who He is. Therefore, upon revealing Himself to us in the scriptures, our job is now to respond properly to what He has just said.

Genesis chapter 28. Let's look at it together. Verse number 10. Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. And 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 and he had a dream. And behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to the heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And 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. Your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south. And in you and in your descendants or seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And 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. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place.

And I did not know it. And he 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. So Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. And he called the name of that place Bethel. However, previously the name of the city had been Luz. Then Jacob made a vow saying, If or literally since God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take and will give me food to eat and garments to wear and I return to my father's house in safety, then the Lord will be my God.

And this stone which I have set up as a pillar will be God's house. And of all that thou dost give me, I will surely give a tenth to thee. Two things I want you to notice with me this morning.

First of all, the revelation of Jehovah. And number two, the response of Jacob. The revelation of Jehovah. Jacob makes his way from Beersheba to Haran. This happens somewhere around the third or fourth day of his journey.

But I want you to understand something at the very outset of this. That his parents told him, Isaac and Rebecca, said this is what you need to do, Jacob. This is where you need to go. And Jacob obeyed. Did you know that obedience to your parents opens the door for God to reveal himself to you? Did you know that? I bet you didn't know that, did you? It sure does. As long as you're disobedient to your parents, God's not going to reveal himself to you. But if you're obedient to your parents, God's going to show up.

He's going to enlighten you more to who you are in light of who he is and what you need to be doing. And that's exactly what happens in Jacob's life. He's 70 years of age, but he's still obedient to his parents. In that culture, the parents would arrange the marriage, find the wife for the young man, and he was being obedient to his mom and dad. But you know what? That is so important for us to grasp. Young people, you need to get a hold of that. I talk to parents all the time who have young kids who don't have the foggiest idea of what they're going to do.

They're in college. They don't know what they're going to do after college. They don't know anything. They don't even know what they're getting their education in. They have no plans for their lives. They have no direction for their lives. I talk to them about their relationship with their children and their obedience or their disobedience and try to figure out where they're at because a lot of what God's going to do is God's going to call them as they listen to what mom and dad have to say. And as a young person today, you need to listen to what God says to you through His Word because God is going to reveal Himself.

Hear Jacob, 70 years of age, being obedient to mom and dad because this one incident changes the man's life. God reveals Himself to Jacob in a way that alters his life forever. When I was 18 years of age, 25 years ago, God revealed Himself to me through His Word and called me to preach the Gospel. And I said, this is what I need to do. I knew it. I can remember the night. I can remember the day. I can remember the speaker. I don't remember the text. It doesn't make a difference. God was speaking and I knew it.

And I responded. The question is, when God speaks to you, do you respond? The revelation of God. There are four things I want you to see about this revelation. First of all, the place of the revelation.

Number two, the particulars of the revelation. Number three, the promise from the revelation. And number four, the praise for the revelation. Number one, the place of the revelation.

The text says in verse 11, and it came to a certain place or literally the Hebrew text says, He came to the place. This is not just any place. This is a specific place. This is the place Bethel. This is the place where Abraham himself had called upon the name of the Lord. Jacob went to a very specific place. He went to the certain place. He went to a place and God would speak to him. Let me ask you a question.

Is there a place you go where God speaks to you? Say, well, God's not going to speak to me. Sure He is. Sure He's going to speak to you. Is there a place you go that you can be assured that God is going to speak to you? There is. You're sitting in it. You're at the place. Church. Every week God speaks. Every time we gather together and open God's word, God speaks to you. The question is, are you listening? We are the temple of the living God. And when we come together to worship corporately, God's presence is revealed.

That's why when you come to worship God, we are saying we want you to have an encounter with the living God. We don't want you just to go to church. We want you to have an encounter with God. And the only way that's going to happen is through divine revelation. So we open the word of God, speak the word of God to you, that you might know what it says. Jacob would go to a place, a certain place. He would go to sleep. And God himself would come and speak to him. Over the last six weeks, there's been a lady in our church that has spoken to me five out of those six weeks about how God has spoken to her every Sunday morning about her relationship with her unsaved husband.

Every week, well, five of the six weeks, she came to me and said, you know, I wanted to call you this week, but you answered my questions today in church. I wanted to call you this week, but what you said today through the word of God, God said, this is what I need to be doing. I know my marching orders. I know what my response is to my unbelieving husband because I was in church worshiping God today. I encountered God. I tell you, if that doesn't make a pastor's heart jump, nothing else will. And you know what?

That's the truth. And this woman is going leaps and bounds in her walk with God because she's listening and responding to the revelation of God Almighty. Point number two, the particulars of the revelation.

There are three things you're going to need to see. But before we do that, I want you to notice the phrase, behold.

Behold, a ladder. Behold, the angels of God. Behold, the Lord stood. And then down to verse number 15, and behold, I am with you. If you have a new King James Version or you have an old King James Version, the word behold is only there three times. If you have the O-I-V, the only inspired version, the N-A-S-B, it's there four times because in the Hebrew text, it's there four times. Behold. Stand amazed. Listen up. Be alert. Be awake. Can you believe this? That's what that word means. Stand in awe.

This is fabulous. Behold. An amazing scenario. And this is the first of seven divine revelations that Jacob will receive in his lifetime.

Seven of them. So important for us to understand. He has a dream, the text says. You see, poor Jacob. He had God speak to him seven times. That's it. That's it. Seven times. He had God speak to him every moment of the day. Just open his word, let him speak. Open his word and read. Let him speak. This is how he speaks. The Spirit of God will teach you about who God is. These are the very words of Almighty God. The inspired word of God. The God-breathed words. And it's God's word that's powerful. It's God's word that transforms people's lives.

I want you to have a burden for the word of God. I want you to scream out for the word of God as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. This is not like the latest Agatha Christie novel. This is not like any book you can pull off the shelf. This is not like a commentary. This is the word of God. And we of all people need to be excited about what we're reading and what's in there because God has a specific word for you. Can you imagine? The creator of the universe says, I have a word for you.

I have something I want to tell you. All you have to do is open the Bible and read it and I will speak to you and give you your marching orders for the day. Tell you your responsibility. Explain to you your relationship with me and all the promises I've given to you. I want to do that for you, God says.

So you put it down so we never forget it. The revelation of God. The particulars. What are the particulars? Number one, you need to see the staircase.

We call it a ladder, but really it's a staircase. It's not like a ladder like we know it where you climb up one rung at a time. It's like a staircase. It's very important that the Hebrew syntax is pointed out here because it's pointed out in such a way that the staircase comes down out of heaven to earth, not from earth to heaven. That's very important. Okay? The Hebrew syntax is very clear that what is happening is that this staircase is coming down out of heaven to the earth. Now this gets really exciting because now the question comes, what does the staircase represent?

And you've got all these angels descending and ascending, descending and ascending. And above on that staircase, there is the Lord, God Jehovah. So what is all this? What is happening to Jacob in this dream? What is this staircase? What does it represent? Now if you were to study the Jewish rabbis, they would tell you one of several things. None of them are true. What does the staircase represent? The greatest thing about the Bible is that the Bible interprets the Bible. Isn't that good? So whenever you've got a question, go to the Bible, about the Bible.

And God will tell you what the Bible says. Isn't that good? Turn with me to John chapter 1 for a moment.

Verse number 45. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said to him, Behold, an Israelite, indeed in whom is no Gaia. Nathanael said to him, How do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.

Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, you are the son of God. You are the king of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these. And he said to him, Truly, truly I say to you, you shall see the heavens open and the angels of God ascending and descending on who? The Son of Man. The staircase represents the Son of Man. Jesus Christ our Lord. Look what it says over in John chapter 3, verse number 13. And no one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, even who?

The Son of Man. Listen. Jacob is receiving something here that is of utmost importance that as we go through this text you're going to see it more and more clearly. Why? Because every Jewish rabbi agrees to one thing about the staircase. The staircase is the link between man and God. We all believe that. Every one of them. Read them all. We all believe that the staircase represents man's link to God. And I'm going to ask you today, who is man's link to God? None other than Jesus Christ our Lord. There is one mediator between God and man, and that is the man Christ Jesus.

There is no other name given unto heaven whereby we must be saved. It's the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes into the Father but by me. And who's at the top of that staircase? The Lord God Jehovah. And how does man get to Lord God Jehovah? He gets to him through Jesus Christ his Son. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. If the Jewish rabbis would just read the New Testament, they'd know the link between man and God is through Jesus Christ the Messiah.

It's right there. Aren't you glad you came today? Sure you are. What are the angels ascending and descending upon this staircase? Very simply this. They represent the care and protection of the Lord himself in executing God's providential plan in the care of his people as he ushers them back into heaven. That's all they represent. Angels were with Christ. They announced the birth of Christ to Mary. Gabriel did. They announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds. They were with Christ in his temptation.

In Matthew chapter 4, they were with Christ at his resurrection. They were with Christ at his ascension. Two angels would come and tell the disciples about the ascension of Christ and how he was going to return again. And the angels in Hebrews 1 are called ministering spirits. They're designed to carry out the plan of God. And somehow that's what they represent. But that's the particulars of the Revelation. There was the staircase which represents Jesus Christ our Lord. There are these angels descending and descending upon that staircase.

And above that staircase is the Lord God Jehovah who speaks to Jacob. And that tells us, number three, the promises of the Revelation.

Listen to what he says. 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. The very first thing he tells them is that you have a right to the land.

It's your land, Jacob. And that land is to your descendants. Oh my. The world needs to read this. The battle's been going on for years. Whose land is it? There it is, right there. It is Jacob's land. And Jacob's descendants' land. It is the Jewish people's land. Discussion over. War over. Clean up your act. Follow the word of God. Very simple. He says, your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth. And you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south.

And in you and in your descendants, your seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed. He tells about the reproduction of his descendants. He's not even married yet. And then he talks about the redemption of all the nations. Why? Galatians 3, 6 tells us that the gospel given to Abraham was in the seed of Abraham. This is that same seed that all the nations of the world will be blessed through that seed. This is the gospel. Galatians 3, 6, 7, and 8 tell us about what was given to Abraham way back in Genesis chapter 12 is now given to Jacob right here.

The redemption of the world will come through your loins. And then he says, And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. Oh, that's the promise the nation of Israel has held on to for 2,000 years. Through their 400 years in Egyptian bondage, to their 70 years in Babylonian captivity, to the 2,000 years in which they were dispersed all over the world by the Roman Empire. They have held on to the promise that this is their land. They have a right to the land, because God promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The world needs to understand it. And then the reliability of that message is given as he says these words, And for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Oh, God is reliable. The fourth thing I want you to see is the praise for the revelation. It says, Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. And he 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.

Let me tell you something. Did you see a gate in a dream? Where's the gate? How did Jacob know that this was the gate to heaven? How did Jacob know that this was the entrance into heaven? How did Jacob know that this was the way to heaven? God revealed it to him. And he would praise God for what he did. You see, because when God reveals Himself to you, and reveals that the only way to Him is through His Son Jesus Christ, there is nothing but praise on the lips of those who understand that. And he wanted to praise God for His wonderful plan, and His wonderful presence.

Surely the Lord is in this place. Which leads me to point number two, the response of Jacob. Once you have the revelation of Jehovah, now you have a response of Jacob. Once you come to church, and God reveals Himself to you in His Word, now you have a responsibility. Now you've got a duty. Now you've got to fulfill what God has spoken to you. Here comes the response. The first one is celebration.

Listen, when God speaks, you need to say, Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. God has spoken. Don't you find yourself that way? You know, I'm a big sports fanatic, man. I love college football. I'm a big college football fan. And I love watching college football. And I go bonkers over college football. Especially when my team wins, you know what I'm saying? When they don't win, I'm throwing bricks at the TV and everything else. But when God speaks, man, that is so great. We've got to be excited about it.

You need to be excited about it. If your heart's right, and I trust that it is, and you've come here with an open mind and an open heart, and put the welcome mat out for the Word of God, you leave wanting to celebrate God for what He said. How He's revealed Himself to you. Second of all, outside of the celebration, there is a consecration.

Text says, Jacob rose early in the morning, took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on its top. They called the name of that place Bethel, or House of God. However, previously, the name of the city had been Luz. He poured oil over it. In ancient times, when they would pour oil over something, it was the mark of consecration. He was set aside this place, not because of its location, but because of its significance. And as a result of its significance, its effect on his life.

That now he was making this commitment, this was a consecration of his life, to worship God, to honor God. This would be his place of worship. This would be the House of God. This place now was consecrated to God, and thus, consecrating that place, he was consecrating his life as well, to worship and honor God, for as long as he lived. That's what he wanted to do. First of all, celebration.

Second of all, a consecration. And thirdly, a conviction. Text says in verse number 22, then Jacob made a vow. This is his vow. You know, Ecclesiastes says, you know, it's better not to make a vow, than to say, to make a vow and break it. Jacob's making a vow to God. He says, if, in Hebrew, literally reads since, since God will be with me, and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat, and garments to wear, and I return to my father's house in safety, then the Lord will be my God.

Then God is my God. See, his conviction was based on the fact that God is God. He's my God. You see, he's no longer just the God of Abraham and Isaac. Now he's the God of Jacob, too. Oh, you know, there was nothing more refreshing than to realize that, as I grew older, that God was my God. My parents loved the Lord, man. Boy, I tell you, when I got out on my own and realized that God was going to speak to me, and God was going to do great things in my life, I, this is my God, too. It's a personal God.

And Jacob says, this is my God. He's mine. And I am convicted of that. Listen, when you're convicted that God is your God, you will always respond to the revelation in a great and mighty way. Because he's spoken to you. A personal word. And Jacob had that. And listen to what he says. Of all that thou hast given me, I will surely give a tenth to thee. Now, a lot of you now are glad that the offering's already been taken and it's almost time to go. It's past time to go. But the life that celebrates God, a life that's consecrated to God, and a life that's convicted about who God is, sacrificially gives to God.

It just does. And that's what Jacob did. He says, a tenth of all that I receive, not just a tenth of my money, but a tenth of all that I receive, I give to the Lord. A tenth, not just of my money, but of my energy, my time, my food, my garments, everything. See, God owns it all anyway. And he recognized that, didn't he? He said, what? Of all that thou dost give me. See, Jacob knew that everything he had came from God. Did you know that? Everything you have comes from God. Your house, your kids, your car, your cats.

Everything you have, your money, your job, your education, all comes from God. All of it. Every bit of it. See, it doesn't make that tenth any different than any other tenth or any other fiftieth percentile. What it does is represent that my life is given to God. That's why the Bible says, when you pray, enter your closet and pray.

Well, why do I have to enter my closet and pray when the Bible says pray without ceasing? I'm supposed to pray all the time. No, it's just that when you enter your closet to pray, you are demonstrating the fact that that is the habitual pattern of your life, to pray. See, the Mosaic Law hadn't been given yet, so he didn't know he was supposed to give a tenth. How did he know he was supposed to give a tenth? Remember Father Abraham? He gave a tenth to Melchizedek back in Genesis 14. How did Abraham know to do that?

Isn't it ironic that when you give to God, even though your grandchildren might not know how much you give, they follow that pattern? Isn't that interesting? The question comes, where do you stand when it comes to responding to the revelation of God Almighty? When God speaks, what do you do? That's the crux of the message this morning. Is there a celebration on your lips? Is there a consecration of the life? God, my life is your life. My life is yours. And I give you all that I have because you are my God.

And that consecration evolves into a great conviction. A conviction that says, you are my God. And because you are my God, I am your child. Is that where you are today? Do you know God personally? Does God speak to you personally? If you don't know God as Lord and Savior, you need to give your life to Christ today. Because he is the only way to heaven. There is no other way to heaven but through Jesus Christ. How do you respond to the revelation of God? Do you respond like Jacob? Time will tell. Let's pray.