Finding Jesus in the Old Testament: Understanding Jacob’s Ladder
Reading: Genesis 28:10-22, 31:3, 35:3, John 1: 47-51 In every book of the Old Testament, we find Jesus. We discover Him in creation, we call Him the last Adam, we see Him in the first sacrifice, and as the ark of salvation. He comes alive in the story of Abraham and Isaac, and we can also discover Him in the story of Jacob’s Ladder. Who is Jacob? Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the twin brother of Esau. When Rebekah became pregnant, God revealed to her that she would bear twins and that the younger twin would rule over the older one (Genesis 25:23), setting up a power struggle that would continue with their descendants. This wrangling between the twins began in Rebecca’s womb, where they “jostled each other within her.” The younger son, Jacob, was born with his hand grasping the older son’s Esau’s heel (Genesis 25:22, 26). Names in the Bible have meaning; they are full of symbolism. Jacob’s name was no exception; it means supplanter or deceived. He lived up to his name when he took his brother Esau’s birthright as the firstborn son. Later, by tricking his father, he stole Esau’s blessing. Because of this act of deceit, Esau threatened to murder Jacob. Rebecca, to protect her son, convinced Isaac to send Jacob away to Harran to find a wife (Genesis 28:1-2). Beersheba to Haran Jacob’s journey from Beersheba to Haran was not an easy one. Unlike Esau, Jacob was not a man of the field; he was “content to stay at home among the tents” (Genesis 25:27). Jacob, not used to being away from home, must have been lonely and afraid. One night on this journey, he took a stone, laid his head on it, and fell asleep. He dreamed of a ladder that reached from the earth up to heaven, and on it, angels were going up and down. God stood above the ladder, and he said, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.” Genesis 28:13-15 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he was encouraged and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Genesis 28:16). Jacob knew about God’s promise of land, seed, and blessing, yet, at the request of his parents, he was walking away from this very promise. God reassured Jacob by reaffirming the covenant with him that He had made with Abraham and then Isaac. God told Jacob that He would bring him back, that he would not leave him until He had done what He promised (Genesis 28:15). Jacob’s dream was more than just a dream; it was a glimpse into a more profound truth, a truth that would culminate in the promised Messiah. Although Jacob may not have wholly understood what he was seeing, his vision would become clearer to future generations as God continued to unfold His divine plan of salvation. Reaching to Heaven The ladder in Jacob’s dream represented a divine connection between heaven and earth. Earlier in Genesis, we are told about a people who tried to make their own divine connection by building a tower reaching to heaven, a tower built through their own works. Their tower, called the Tower of Babel, never reached heaven because God scattered the people forcing them to stop constructing it. The exact phrase, “reaching to heaven,” used earlier in Genesis describing the Tower of Babel, is also used to portray the ladder Jacob saw in his dream. Joshua Bokel quoting Ed Clowney, says that the “stairway-tower of Jacob’s dream was God’s answer to the Tower of Babel. The top of it did reach to heaven, for God was the builder, not man. God alone establishes communication between heaven and earth.” Jacob’s Ladder Expanded Jesus certainly knew the story of Jacob’s ladder and, through his interaction with his disciples Philip and Nathaniel, further expands our understanding of Jacob’s dream. Philip and Jesus had just met. In his excitement, Philip found Nathanael and told him that Jesus was the one whom the prophets had written about and invited him to meet Jesus. “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit” (John 1:47). Nathanael immediately asked Jesus how he knew him. Jesus said that he saw him under the fig tree. Upon this revelation, Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus goes on to tell Nathanael, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Jesus is the Ladder Jesus, from the moment he met Nathanael, was alluding to Jacob and the story of Jacob and the ladder. Was it possible that Nathanael was reading the story of Jacob’s ladder when Jesus saw him under the fig tree? We don’t know. But Nathanael was moved by what Jesus said so much that he immediately knew that Jesus was the Son of God. When Jesus described Nathanael as an “Israelite in whom there is no deceit,” he was distinguishing Jacob and Nathanael. Remember, Jacob’s name means supplanter or deceived. Then Jesus continues referring
10 Ways Isaac is a Picture of Jesus
Most of us are familiar with the account of Abraham and Isaac and how God put Abraham’s faith to the test. Abraham’s obedience is a lesson for all of us. Yet, did you know that this story also represents beautifully the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus? In this often misunderstood story, Jesus was both pictured and promised.
Finding Jesus in the Story of Melchizedek
We often overlook or ignore the story of Melchizadek. In fact, many have never heard of him. But as it turns out, this ostensibly insignificant story in Genesis is actually very important. Understanding Melchizadek helps us to more tightly grasp the reality that no fact in the Bible can be simply glossed over; all details are included for a reason. Through Melchizadek, we also get a better sense of how the Old Testament cannot be fully understood without Jesus.
Abraham and Lot: The Better Promise
Last time in “Who Was Abraham?”, we saw how God appeared to Abraham and promised that He would bless the entire world through him. This time in “The Better Promise,” we continue to see how God is working in Abraham to strengthen and stretch Him, increasing his faith through every trial and every blessing. Reading: Genesis 12:10-20, 13 Separate Ways When Abraham was 75, he began the long trek to Canaan, the “promised land.” Not too long after arriving, famine plagued the land. To escape, Abraham journeyed southward to Egypt, where he became “very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold” (Genesis 13:2). When he returned to Canaan with his nephew Lot, they discovered that their “possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.” Quarreling arose between Abraham and Lot’s men (Genesis 13:6-7). There simply wasn’t enough room. To keep the peace, they decided to split up. As the elder of the family, Abraham had every right to choose the prime land, but instead, he elected to trust God and believe He would fulfill His earlier promise. Abraham said to Lot, “The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left” (Genesis 13:9). Lot decided on the plain of Jordan, which was well-watered, like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10). Lot’s decision put him near the land of Sodom, an evil city that would eventually endanger Lot and his family and draw them into its wickedness. Better Promise After dividing the land, Lot and Abraham went their separate ways. Abraham lived in Canaan and Lot in Sodom. Lot may have chosen the more prime land, but Abraham received God’s better promise. Shortly after Lot left, God reaffirmed His covenant to Abraham, saying, “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted” (Genesis 13:15-16). Abraham’s step of faith in giving Lot the first choice of land was in deep contrast to his earlier distrust of God’s provision during the time of famine. Instead of waiting on God, he decided to take matters into his own hands by fleeing the promised land of Canaan for Egypt. Throughout Genesis, we see Abraham engaged in a spiritual tug of war between waiting on God’s promises and taking things into his own hands. Despite his struggles and his mistakes, we know Abraham as a hero of faith. Everyday life presents us with choices, just as it did Abraham. Every day we must ask ourselves, do we choose what looks good to our flesh, or do we choose instead to trust God even if that means waiting on His promises? When we decide to look at our situation through God’s eyes and trust Him in the waiting, like Abraham we will receive the better promise.
Who Is Abraham In the Bible?
Through one man Abraham, we see God’s divine plan of salvation begin to unfold. This plan started with a man named Abraham.