Made For More

Stairway To Heaven

Genesis 28:10–22 ESV

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 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. 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! 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. 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. 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.” 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.” 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. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 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, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 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.”

All rising to great place is by a winding stair.

Francis Bacon

In this continuation of the story of Man’s redemption and God’s intervention we see the man Jacob lost in his solitude. what he discovers is that he was never really alone.

Jacob leaves home for fear of being pursued or waylaid by his vindictive brother, he did not take the common road, but went by lonely and unfrequented paths, which increased the length and dangers of the journey. In that Journey he finds God’s will for his life.

The Setting- verses 10-11

Genesis 28:10–11 ESV

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 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.

Here we have a wanderer. A vagabond. He was away from his vindictive brother, plotting mother, and elderly father. He had taken the road less travelled filled with toil and danger. His sin had led him to loneliness. His sin placed him in a place where he would listen. Solitude affords time for reflection; and it was now that God began to bring Jacob under a course of religious instruction and training.

The Experience- verses 12-15

Genesis 28:12–15 ESV

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! 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. 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. 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.”

The dream.

1. The ladder. Heaven not closed to man.

2. Angels of God ascending and descending. Ministry.

3. God at the summit of the ladder.

We see here a picture of redemption. A holy reckoning of redemption for a wanderer. A reminder of the promise and plan. A reminder that God is present.

The Repsonse- verses 16-22

Genesis 28:16–22 ESV

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.” 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. He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 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, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 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.”

The impression of his dream.

1. An overpowering sense of the presence of God. “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.”

2. His sin rose before him. Sin must be known for repentance to happen. The light of salvation had shown on him from above.

3. He raised a monument. Jacob set up a stone—The mere setting up of the stone might have been as a future memorial to mark the spot; and this practice is still common in the East, in memory of a religious vow or engagement. But the pouring oil upon it was a consecration. Accordingly he gave it a new name, Beth-el, “the house of God” (Ho 12:4); and it will not appear a thing forced or unnatural to call a stone a house, when one considers the common practice in warm countries of sitting in the open air by or on a stone, as are those of this place, “broad sheets of bare rock, some of them standing like the cromlechs of Druidical monuments”

Our Call

Man’s responsibilities are at least three-fold.

-First, he must receive God’s gift of righteousness, offered to all, through faith (Acts 16:31).

-Second, he must commit to a local church. Membership! This includes the responsibility to be baptized and the other, related responsibilities of church membership (e.g., attendance, worship, participation in the Lord’s Table, et al.; cf. Acts 2:41–42; Heb 10:25).

-Third, he is responsible to advance the gospel to the world (Matt 28:18–20). This responsibility includes the making of disciples, a term signaling conversion, baptism, and participation in the life of the church.

As believer’s, we must go to God in solitude in order to take his good news to the world.

Mission Statement.