ETB Genesis 28:10-22

Session #4 - p.37 - A Stairway

In her book The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom wrote of a strange vision she experienced as the Germans invaded her homeland. She saw a farm wagon pulled by horses lumbering across the city square of her hometown. Corrie recognized her whole family sitting in that wagon, along with some strangers, moving toward a place they didn’t want to go. As she and her sister, Betsie, discussed the dream, Betsie reminded Corrie that God sometimes gives His people a glimpse of the future to reassure them that He is in control. [LifeWay Adults (2024). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Spring 2024]

I have also had dreams that seemed to reveal things that later came to fruition. Our pastor has told us that God does not continue to speak to people in dreams like He did with those we read about in Scripture. This however does not prevent God from using the Enemy’s tools for His purposes.

God however does continue to interact with us through His word, His people, and the situations in which He places us.

Hebrews 1:1–2 “1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

But there is coming a day -

Acts 2:17 “17 “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;”

Maybe I’m not old enough yet to qualify as a Old Man yet, but I have God’s Word through which I try to filter any thing that comes through my thoughts - whether waking or asleep.

Now let’s look at a younger man’s dream in Scripture.

Understand the Context

The quarterly summarizes all of Genesis up to this chapter. You can read that at your leisure.

Last week we studied the trickery and deceit that Jacob and his family participated in which lead to Esau wanting to kill his brother. Rebekah convinces Isaac to send “her son” to get married to another family member to prevent him marrying a native like Esau did. This is contrary to the pattern that she and her husband when through again showing the contrast to God’s patterns and the scheming nature of the family.

Although Esau’s threat was to be carried out “after his father died”, Rebekah and Isaac had Jacob leave in a hurry and with little to no provisions for the trip are mentioned in the text.

Genesis 28 begins the account of Jacob’s departure for Paddan-aram (modern-day Syria), the home country of Rebekah’s relatives. One of its main cities was Haran. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

If you remember our study in Chapter 24, the servant that encountered Rebekah was in the city of Nahor. If you have a bible map for that area you will find that Nahor and Haran are very close to one another.

Jacob traveled north and east across the Euphrates River to Paddan-aram. He left Beersheba, mentioned repeatedly in Scripture as the southern extreme of the promised land, and headed toward Haran, an important city of northern Mesopotamia. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Because we know the end of the story and where Bethel was/is, we know that early in this journey Jacob stopped for the night and encountered God in way he was not expecting.

Explore the Text

Genesis 28:10–12 ESV

10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

v.10-11

Abraham’s father, Terah, moved to Haran with his family (Gen. 11:31-32). The place remained a home for Abraham’s relatives, including Bethuel, the father of Rebekah and Laban. Haran also served as a major center for the worship of the moon god. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

The town named from Abraham’s brother, Nahor, was only a couple of miles south but not on the major trade roads like Haran. Going “toward Haran” includes all the neighboring town and suggest that Jacob was following the normal roads for traveling north.

certain place

We know the place is name later and Jacob did have enough sense not to travel through unfamiliar territory at night.

a stone.. under his head

How tired would you have to be to consider a rock to be comfortable for sleeping on?

Admittedly some peoples still use “neck lifts” which are not directly under the head, but these are usually custom fit for the individual to be comfortable. Using this stone also points to the limited supplies that Jacob had for the journey.

v.12

The stone did help him sleep, or at least helped him remember sleeping, and while asleep he dreamed but it was not an ordinary one.

Bible scholars have identified three types of dreams. A simple message dream did not need to be interpreted. A simple symbolic dream used symbols, but the symbolism was clear enough that no interpreter was needed. A complex symbolic dream required an interpreter.

Both Jeremiah (23:25-32) and Zechariah (10:1-2) warned against automatically accepting a dream as a message from God. Although dreams sometimes served as a channel of the Lord’s revelation, they were neither foolproof nor infallible. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

Jacob’s dream was the second time which which did not need an interpreter.

there was a ladder

Not sure what this was, but Jacob (and Moses) recognized it. I do it know was not like our modern ladders and as it was a spiritual item being used by celestial beings. I serious doubt it would have been unstable like a period wooden ladder.

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible Ladder

A graded series of stages or levels. It may be a structure made of wood, metal, or rope with two side pieces and a series of rungs. The ladder symbolically represents upward movement or improvement and was considered a place where humanity and divinity interact, a means of linking heaven and earth (Gen. 28:12). Heb. sullām, often translated “ladder,” is better rendered “stairway” because the imagery comes from the Babylonian ziggurat, a temple tower that had brick steps leading to a small temple on top.

Another thing is that since this was a dream, the word (which apparently is difficult to translate accurately) may have been the only one available to describe what was seen. How do you describe the indescribable and eternal with finite words? One day when we are glorified we may see it and immediately recognize it and think of another word. I imagine the same thing happening when we get to see the images John describes in the Revelation. We will know what it is because of our glorified state and then think “Oh, that’s what John meant by...”

Whatever it looked like it was something to ascend and descend on that would require men to use both hands and feet to traverse. I have been on a few of these kinds of “stairs” and they were quite the workout to climb. That’s kind of what I picture as it would take “supernatural” strength and stamina to use regularly and quickly.

the angels of God were ascending and descending

They seem to “appear” in other stories in Scripture but here they are “traveling” up and down. I wonder if Jacob would describe an escalator as a “ladder”? That’s a fun image. Angels, holding onto the railing of a an escalator to stay in place.

We know of course because of John’s gospel that this stairway/ladder/escalator is merely a symbol of Christ and His authority through which all things come and go upon the earth. Satan may be the prince of the powers of the air, but Christ is the ruler of Heaven and nothing comes from heaven to earth but on His authority and will.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive 2. The Resources of the Ladder

You see, Jesus is not only your way to God; Jesus is God’s way to you. Every blessing that you receive today comes down that ladder; it comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. All of the blessings of God are in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you get Jesus, friend, you get a ladder that brings you to God and brings God to you. He is Jacob’s ladder. That’s what Jesus told Nathanael there in John (John 1:51), and that’s what I’m telling you today.

Genesis 28:13–15 ESV

13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 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.”

v.13

the Lord stood above it

Half the English translations have it this way in the ESV, the other half are like the CSB of the quarterly “standing there beside him.’ I am guessing that the preposition there in the Hebrew are not a definitive as ours in the English and are more contextual.

Being “above” would imply authority over and guardianship. Being “beside” Jacob would imply companionship and assistance on the earth.

Which of these rendering would do you think would be more impactful for you in this situation?

I am the Lord

God declares and defines who is speaking and revealing things to Jacob. He is the same God that spoke to his grandfather Abraham. Although there will be more family leaders in Genesis, Jacob is considered the last of the patriarchs as he is the last in the succession of men that God interacts with directly. Joseph hears from God in dreams and is the most Christ-like of all the men, but it does not appear have the same time of “conversation” that his father or grandfathers did.

I will give to you

First “I will” promise given directly to Jacob. A reiteration of the promise given to Abraham and Isaac.

Part of the promise to his forefathers was the possession of the land.

This land has been variously called Canaan and Israel. It became known as Judah (the southern tribes) and Israel/Samaria (the northern tribes) after the nation divided following Solomon’s reign. During the Babylonian exile, separation from the land was a key part of Judah’s punishment, while a return to the land indicated a return to God’s favor. In New Testament times the territory primarily consisted of the areas known as Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

v.14

Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad

Moses records nearly identical words when he begins writing in Exodus referring to the start of the nation to come out of Jacob as they begin to grow in the land of Egypt and as the oppression increases.

Exodus 1:12 “12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.”

That seems to be a pattern in Scripture, grows comes when resistance increases. Maybe that is was our churches and country need more of to get back to its godly spiritual roots. Maybe if the person the God needs to put in office for 4 more years is the one that will drive more of the country back to their knees and into His presence.

v.15

I am with you

This is the start of the first promise to Jacob specifically that was not given to his ancestors.

God’s most immediate promise for Jacob involved His presence. Jacob could go forward knowing that God would protect and provide for him. God’s presence is still vital for believers. His presence provides comfort during difficult times and correction as we acknowledge that nothing escapes His notice. Jesus highlighted His divine presence in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). The psalmist affirmed that we could never escape God’s presence (Ps. 139:12-17), and the writer of Hebrews assured believers that God would never forsake them (Heb. 13:5). [ETB:ALG Spr'24]

I will not leave you

Because of this statement, which all the translations agree on, I think the contextual translation for the preposition in verse 13 is “beside him” and not “above it”. Having the Lord never “leave” your side is much more comforting to me than never leaving the top of a “stairway” I cannot climb.

There is a bit of foreshadowing here also with the conditional “until”. God knows that Jacob will “fall away” when he get back to Canaan, but chooses to be with, protect, and bless him even when he sins in the interim.

The Psalmist tells us that even after this God “kept” by him. Writing both to and about the person and the nation.

Psalm 121:4–8 “4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

In Christ, we are grafted into the spiritual nation of Israel and these promises continue for all His people.

Genesis 28:16–17 ESV

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 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.”

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.

This statement shows how little about God Jacob really understood at this time. Later he would come to understand that God is not limited to this place, but as an epiphany moment for the new believer he attributes the proximity to God with the geographic place.

Spiritually, we can do the same things today even though we know God is ominipresent, we can get so far away or forgetful of His presence that we suddenly become aware of it again when we turn back to him.

Anyone care to share such a “oh wow, God was working all along” moment?

When Jacob awoke from his dream Scripture does not say he was drowsy, refreshed, or excited.

afraid

This afraid can include dread but is more about reverence. This was Jacob’s spiritual turning point. Up until now he knew about God, but now he know of God personally and it causes respect, fear, and worship.

This is the same word for fear that God attributed to Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice Jacob’s father. The same word again is used in the first chapter of Proverbs and it coincides with Jacob’s change as well.

Proverbs 1:7 “7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Genesis 28:18–22 ESV

18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

v.18-19

set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

A way of making a marker for remembering the event and the place. This is not the same as the pillars that God would later call to be torn down in the land because those were set up as objects of worship. This was more of a memorial marker or a memory stone.

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) Memorials

Physical memorials are set up to commemorate theophanies (Gen. 28:18–22; cf. Exod. 24:4), miracles (Josh. 4:4–24), and times of judgment (Num. 16:40). In another sense, the celebration of the Passover is a memorial to recall God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery (Exod. 12:14). Graves also serve as memorials to human lives (Gen. 35:20), and the significance of such memorials seems to be augmented when a person dies childless (2 Sam. 18:18; Isa. 56:5). Written words may also serve as memorials, e.g., through their use in phylacteries (Exod. 13:9; cf. also Exod. 17:14).

Jacob’s stone in this passage would have been uncarved, but it is comparable to the modern practice of placing a head stone at a grave.

Most famous pillar to me is the Washington Monument.

Pouring the oil on it was his first act of sacrificial worship because he did not get to take much with him when he left so this may have been all that he had.

He set up a pillar but Jacob also gave the place a new name (or at least the one he was going to use.)

Bethel

I can’t remember if it was the quarterly or another book, maybe both that pointed out these names also signified Jacob’s change of heart. Luz means “guile” or “perversion” which separates us from God, but Beth-El is “God’s house” and brings us into His presence.

Some places are wicked not only because of the people present but because of all the other “things” to draw us away from God. In Jacob’s case most of those things were with his family which he left behind and now it is just him and God on the road to Haran. Some times we discover God’s presence not because of what is around us, but because of what is not. And any times God reveals Himself to us, that makes the place & time special.

v.20-21

Because of this encounter with God.

Jacob made a vow

There is nothing inherently wrong with making a vow, but why could it be troublesome to make one to God?

If God will ... will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear

Did not expect great wealth or feasts, but enough to sustain. Paul admonished Timothy to also only expect enough to live by.

1 Timothy 6:8 “8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

Maybe my discontent with more than I need is preventing me from growing closer to the Lord and needing less? Maybe all the “stuff” is my “Luz” and I need to get rid of some it to make is more like “Beth El”.

If God does… then the Lord shall be my God

With his new faith as best he can, Jacob’s promise matches the Lord’s. God said that He was going to be with him until he has “done what He promised.” Jacob now extends the promise from that moment forward by saying he will “be with” God once God’s promise is completed. God chose Jacob, now Jacob chooses God. Being human he keeps his promise about as well as we do, but his heart and ours is see by God so He accepts our commitments from that perspective.

Jacob then extends the promise with promises of future offerings - building a “house” and a full tithe of all the provisions he brings back.

The Lord also honors this commitment by taking unto Himself as a part of His name when He reveals Himself later to Jacobs descendants coming out of Egypt.

Exodus 3:15 “15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

v.22

shall be God’s house

God is everywhere and Jacob probably knows that He cannot be confined to a building. Like the building we have here it is a place for man to set apart to meet with God. A place to get away from the normalcy and focus for a time on spiritual things.

The college students at the OU BCM just came back from their spring break trip to a Colorado retreat center called Glen Erie. Every year it is a time of deepening and strengthening in the Lord. Could God have met them at the beach, of course! But by doing the less ordinary they could encounter the extraordinary.

Every Sunday can be a Glen Erie or Jacob experience if we make the same kind of preparations to “get away” from the routine. The OU students did it voluntarily and with expectation and excitement. Jacob’s encounter was more involuntary and quite unexpected. Yet whenever and wherever God reveals Himself to people it is life changing.

If you have not had that kind of encounter in a while, make an effort in the near future - maybe even for Easter - to have an “Extended Time with God.” Ask Him to reveal Himself a new to you and you may discover a new place to call “Bethe El” of your own.

Apply the Text

Pray: Close in prayer thanking God for special places and times that encourage us to grow in Christ, and to help us be aware of His presence and how He is working around us.