Genesis 28:16-22 – The ladder to God’s presence

When Jacob woke up from that sleep he was at once both fearful and astonished. He was probably amazed because he was so engrossed in the problem of his own making that he had no time to think about God. Especially when the fault laid with him. Isn’t this what we would naturally do when we are so deeply entrenched in our troubles and drowned ceaselessly by needless thoughts? We’ll be surprised that God is ever present. He promises never to leave us nor forsake us. So amazed by God that Jacob became fearful and declared, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

The vision of the ladder to heaven must have inspired his declaration. Two things worth our reflection: the house of God and the gate of heaven. The house is the very presence of God and the gate is the entrance to that presence. Jacob only realized the access to God’s presence when he was all alone in the wilderness. As believers we should know that God’s presence is with us no matter where we are. He is always available to us when we turn to Him whether in lonely or crowded places.  

The next thing Jacob did was to worship. So early the next morning, he took the stone he had rested his head upon, set up an altar and poured oil on its top. Then he named the place Bethel, meaning the house of God. The place was previously known as Luz. What he had experienced must become examples for us to consider. The fear, the amazement, the declaration and the worship are experiences worthy of our emulation when we are confronted by a holy God. While all these are worthy of our emulation, the conditions he set for God are not. The two words “if” and “then” become a bargain with God. 

Jacob bargained with God. He said in verses  20-22, “If 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.  This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” The way Jacob put these conditions was not an expression of total faith in God. The “if” and the “then” are not the vocabularies of faith. When we have faith in God we don’t bargain with Him. But the unbridled grace made God accept Jacob as he was. At this point, Jacob was still a work in progress. Just like Jacob we are all also a work in progress. Though we may not articulate our condition as loudly as Jacob, in practice that’s what we often do. How often have we put conditions to our prayers as if to arm-twist God into answering our prayers? Bear in mind that the God we serve is no man’s debtor. In Jesus he has poured out on us grace upon grace.  

What amazed Jacob, our Lord Jesus provided the interpretation. In response to Nathanael’s faith, the Lord Jesus said in John 1:51, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” In Him, the angels ascended and descended on. We see it in the records of His life, death, resurrection and ascension. In Him the Bethel of old is now superseded. God now reveals Himself in Jesus. When He dwells in us, there is nowhere we can go where the presence of God will not be there. Like Jacob we may be running away because of our sin, we think that leaving church will make us less guilty. God with His unbridled grace still waits for us as He had appeared to Jacob. The ladder that Jacob saw is found in Christ. In Him, the fullness of God dwells bodily. And we are complete in Him!