Jacobs Dream of a Stairway to Heaven

1
Jacobs Dream of a Stairway to Heaven

• Genesis 2810-22

Presented by Bob DeWaay July 17, 2005
2
Jacob is Fleeing from Esau

• Genesis 2810, 11
• Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went
  toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and
  spent the night there, because the sun had set
  and he took one of the stones of the place and
  put it under his head, and lay down in that
  place.

3
Structure of the Jacob Narrative

• Jacob/Esau Conflict
• Jacob Leaves Canaan God Meets Jacob (House of
  God)
• Jacob/Laban Conflict (20 years)
• Jacob Leaves Haran God Meets Jacob (Camp of God
  Wrestling Incident)
• Back to the Esau Conflict on the way to Canaan

4
Jacobs Ladder (Stairway)

• Genesis 2812
• And he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set
  on the earth with its top reaching to heaven and
  behold, the angels of God were ascending and
  descending on it.

5
Mans Stairway to Heaven

• Genesis 114
• And they said, Come, let us build for ourselves
  a city, and a tower whose top will reach into
  heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name
  lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the
  whole earth.

6
Gods Stairway to Heaven

• John 151
• And He said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you,
  you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels
  of God ascending and descending on the Son of
  Man.

7
God Reiterates Covenant Promises to Jacob

• Genesis 2813
• And behold, the Lord stood above it and said,
  I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham
  and the God of Isaac the land on which you lie,
  I will give it to you and to your descendants.

8
God Reiterates Covenant Promises to Jacob

• Genesis 2814
• Your descendants shall also be like the dust
  of the earth, and you shall spread out to the
  west and to the east and to the north and to the
  south and in you and in your descendants shall
  all the families of the earth be blessed.

9
The Promise of Gods Presence and Protection

• Genesis 2815
• And 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.

10
Reverential Fear of God

• Genesis 2816, 17
• 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.

11
Reverential Fear of God

• Exodus 1511 (NKJV)
• Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is
  like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in
  praises, doing wonders?

12
Reverential Fear of God

• Exodus 35, 6
• Then He said, Do not come near here remove
  your sandals from your feet, for the place on
  which you are standing is holy ground. He said
  also, I am the God of your father, the God of
  Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
  Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to
  look at God.

13
Marking a Sacred Place

• Genesis 2818
• So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the
  stone that he had put under his head and set it
  up as a pillar, and poured oil on its top.

14
The House of God

• Genesis 2819
• And he called the name of that place Bethel
  however, previously the name of the city had been
  Luz.

15
Jacob Believes God will do What He Promised

• Genesis 2820, 21
• Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 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.

16
Jacob Pledges to Tithe Like Abraham Did

• Genesis 2822
• 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.

17
Application Enter the True Gateway to Heaven

• John 109
• I am the door if anyone enters through Me, he
  will be saved, and will go in and out and find
  pasture.

18
Application God Will be With His Covenant People

• Isaiah 5715
• For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives
  forever, whose name is Holy, I dwell on a high
  and holy place, And also with the contrite and
  lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of
  the lowly And to revive the heart of the
  contrite.

19
Application God Will be With His Covenant People

• Isaiah 431, 2
• But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O
  Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, Do not
  fear, for I have redeemed you I have called you
  by name you are Mine! When you pass through the
  waters, I will be with you And through the
  rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk
  through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor
  will the flame burn you.

20
Application God Will be With His Covenant People

• Matthew 2820b
• . . . lo, I am with you always, even to the end
  of the age.
• Hebrews 135
• Make sure that your character is free from the
  love of money, being content with what you have
  for He Himself has said, I will never desert
  you, nor will I ever forsake you,

21
Application God Will Keep Us

• John 1027, 28
• My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and
  they follow Me and I give eternal life to them,
  and they shall never perish and no one shall
  snatch them out of My hand.

22
Benediction

• The Lord bless you, and keep you
• The Lord make His face shine on you, And be
  gracious to you
• The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give
  you peace. (Numbers 624-26)

23
(No Transcript)