Year in the Bible Daily Reading:
Genesis 28-29; Mark 11 Listen to Today's Reading
Genesis 28:10-17
Jacob’s Vow at Bethel (Jacob’s Ladder Vision)
Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 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 spoken to 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!” Genesis 28:10-17 (NKJV)
You are likely very familiar with this story. Jacob has a dream of a ladder connecting earth with heaven with angels traveling up and down and God standing at the top confirming His covenant given to Abraham to proclaim to Jacob the same promised land and becoming the father of a great nation. By itself, this story suggests that Jacob was living a blessed life. Jacob erected a “pillar” to honor God at the spot of the dream. A direct link to God we can only dream to experience, to be like Jacob, having God’s blessings, promises, and feel God’s real presence. Could our life be as good? Does Jacob’s experience even remotely represent my life? I don’t have anything in common with Jacob? Want to be like Jacob?
Rest of the story. Jacob was in a wilderness (Bethel), alone, with only a rock as a pillow. He had escaped his home in Beersheba due to a death threat from his younger brother Esau, who had stolen Jacob’s birthright by tricking their father, Isaac. His mother Rebekah told him about the threat and to escape to his uncle’s home in Haran. His father Isaac also sent Jacob away to escape from Esau and to prevent him from marrying a Canaanite woman (forbidden by Prime Mosaic Law 56), hoping to ask Uncle Laban for the hand of his daughter. Peyton place anyone? Do you still want to be like Jacob?
Jacob, following his dream, continues traveling to Haran where he meets Laban and falls in love with his daughter Rachel. Things started looking up. He asks for Rachel’s hand, but Laban approves only if Jacob will provide 7 years of labor. By Jewish Law, the longest one could sell themselves into slavery was limited to 7 years. Jacob fulfills the 7 years, but on the wedding night Laban substitutes his daughter Leah and tricks Jacob into marrying her. Jacob complains, so Laban offers an additional 7 years of servanthood for Rachel’s hand. The story continues, but for now we realize that Jacob was not having a very blessed life.
We could probably not blame Jacob if he decided to throw up his hands and walk away from his dysfunctional family, from restrictive religious rules, from circumstances beyond his control. Have you ever felt that life dealt you a bad hand sometimes?
Jacob had plenty of opportunities to question his trust in God’s presence, existence, and love. Yet, Jacob recognized God’s presence during his dream in the desert, remembered God’s promises, and erected the “pillar” to honor His promises. Jacob trusted in the promise of Rachel’s hand even when it required 14 years of servitude. So how can we find God in our darkest moments like Jacob?
- Prayer, reflection, and spiritual practice
- Experience kindness in others, recognize the small personal miracles
- Make time to find the “awe” in God’s creations – people, places, nature, night skies
- Separate ourselves from the daily clutter through missions, serving, volunteering
- Remember, God is always there, even in the darkest moments, one set of footprints
Questions for Reflection:
- Could our life be as good? Does Jacob’s experience even remotely represent my life? I don’t have anything in common with Jacob? Want to be like Jacob?
- Peyton place anyone? Do you still want to be like Jacob?
- Have you ever felt that life dealt you a bad hand sometimes?
- So how can we find God in our darkest moments like Jacob?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I don’t always realize Your presence in my busy life. I sometimes focus on life’s challenges and darkness, forgetting that Your light will always overcome any darkness. Help me to remember to take moments for prayer and reflection. To find time to step out of life’s race to experience the awe of Your creation around me. To experience the warmth of the morning sun, the rhythm of a rain shower, the laughter of a child, the beauty of a wild flower, or the silhouette of a moonlit landscape. Thank you for these gifts in my life. In Christ, Amen.
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