Read Genesis 28:10-22
What stuck out to you in reading these verses today?
Did the verses raise any questions as you read?
What is God leading you to know or do from these verses?
God not only makes promises to his people, he confirms those promises. The story of Jacob’s ladder is one of those confirmations. God had made promises to Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather, and to Isaac, Jacob’s father. If I put myself in Jacob’s shoes, though, promises made to me would be more encouraging than promises made to my ancestors – so God did just that.
The dream of the ladder is a picture of heaven being opened so that we can have access to God. In that dream, God is on earth with Jacob, beside him, speaking to him (Genesis 28:13). God wants his dwelling place to be with man, as he says throughout the Bible. God is granting access to himself for Jacob.
God is also pointing forward, in this dream, to the one who will give complete access to God, Jesus. Jesus himself said, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51). It’s not just a dream; it’s a promise for us that God will dwell with us. We can have confident access to God and his holy place through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19–20). Rejoice in that promise today.
I Commend Joy! 