It Was By Guile that Jacob obtained the birthright and then the blessing that promised inheritance of the Abrahamic covenant. His very birth name implied that he would become a man of guile.
One big step toward his eventual transformation from man of guile to prince with God was the vision he had at the holy sanctuary of Bethel, the ‘house of God.’
And he lighted upon a certain [holy] place, and tarried there all night… and he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it (Gen. 28:11-12).
This dream was a confirmation that, despite his faults and failings, his weaknesses and wanderings, God would be with him wherever he went. Said God:
Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest…for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of (Gen. 28:15).
What better testimony could we have that salvation will be ours, not by human achievement or legal righteousness, but by God’s protection, care and loving assurance?
Jesus and Jacob’s ladder
Jacob’s ladder was a two-way communication between God and man, and between man and God. At the base was a stone. At the top was a heavenly gate. Beyond the gate was the Majesty on High. In between, linking earth and heaven, God’s mighty angels shuttled to and fro, bringing hope and comfort to fearful humans doomed to die.
In John 1 we read about Nathanael. Jesus, knowing all hearts, said of him that he was no Jacob: “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, `Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile”‘ (v. 47).
He was a true prince with God, not a man of guile. Jesus’ knowledge of him convinced Nathanael that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the promises to Israel. At his very first meeting with the one who would become his Master, he gave this mighty confession of faith: “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (v. 49).
Jesus’ reply is instructive:
Hereafter ye 1 shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man (v. 51).
Jesus was claiming to be like Jacob’s ladder, linking earth and heaven, bringing the love of God to humanity spiritually asleep and stricken by sin and death. With faith in the Son of man, Nathanael would be blessed like Israel and inherit God’s promises.
Jacob’s ladder on boats
Some of you know that for a time I was a seaman. Every big ship has a ladder called `Jacob’s Ladder.’ It extends down the side of the ship from the deck to the sea. It swings and sways alarmingly, and it is perilous to ascend and descend. It is used by marine pilots and customs officers, and anyone who has to climb from a small boat or lifeboat up on board the big ship when it is away from the wharf or dock.
Although it looks perilous, in all my time at sea I never saw or heard of anybody falling into the sea while going up or down `Jacob’s Ladder.’ One reason is that there is always a safety net at the bottom of the ladder.
Our Jacob’s ladder
Like Jacob and Nathanael, in our dreams we have a ladder. The Lord Jesus is that ladder. He links earth and heaven — Jesus is our connection with our Heavenly Father.
The Table of the Lord reminds us that the angels of God are going up and down ministering to those who partake in faith, providing our safety net so that we will not fall and be drowned in perdition. The Lord Jesus “is able to keep us from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of his Father’s glory with exceeding joy.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One