Sermon: JACOB'S LADDER
First preached: August 11, 1991
Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, gets a lot of attention in the Book of Genesis. In fact more time is committed to his life story than any other character in Genesis … chapters 25-48. I encourage you to read through all of his story. If you don’t remember you will discover that a major characteristic of Jacob and a major element in his life’s story is “deception.” Jacob is a “wheeler-dealer” whether dealing with his brother, his uncle or even God. (That is a major focus in this sermon.) And yet he is incredibly important in the biblical story.
In this sermon I leave out an important story concerning a wrestling experience Jacob has with a man/angel/God (it’s hard to tell) the night before he is to meet Esau. In the course of that event Jacob’s wrestling opponent asks him in Genesis 32:27-28 (NRSVue) … “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.” Jacob is renamed “Israel.” There is nuance in the Hebrew definition of the word or name “Israel.” You see in this scene as translated in the NRSVue a definition given as “striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.” In general, if one would look at the roots of this word “Israel” it could be simply defined as “struggles with God.”
Several months ago I attended a Bible Study led by a woman who was studying with a rabbi. We looked at this scripture story and in particular the meaning of “Israel.” It is interesting that God would choose to name this nation of people through whom he would act in history as “struggles with God” and yet it is so descriptive of the rest of the whole Old Testament into the New Testament. It is for sure a story of struggle between God and the people he had chosen to work with. However, in that study we also focused on the idea that in that name God was inviting His people (and us as God’s people) to a relationship of struggling with Him and that would be a positive thing. It was good to have that reinforced again in my life. Sometimes I do struggle with God, question God, doubt God, etc. I was taught to never do that … any such moments or thoughts concerning God were a sign of a lack of faith. This became an impediment in my relationship with God. When I realized the fallacy of what I had been taught (or at least picked up) my relationship with God grew.
Last week I talked about how we gain wisdom by pondering the inconsistencies and apparent contradictions in God’s word. I believe the same is true with struggling with God. Not only gaining wisdom we also get to know better the height, width and depth of God and God’s love for the world.
I write this from our back deck on the Fourth of July. This picture of the flag comes from a picture I took from the front of our house in the fall. I share it with a wish for a great Independence Day. Celebrate our freedom and more than that seek the freedom God wants to share with more than just me but with all citizens of our nation and world.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 28:10-22 (NRSVue)
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the 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. And he dreamed that there was a stairway set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him 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, and 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 all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that 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 woke 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 Jacob rose early in the morning, and he 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 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 surely give one-tenth to you.”
[sing together] "We are climbing Jacob's ladder ... soldiers of the cross ... every rung goes higher, higher ... soldiers of the cross."
Most of us are probably more acquainted with that song than we are with the actual story about Jacob and his ladder. For many of us, it has been a long time since we ever heard about the story of Jacob. Let's refresh our memories.
Jacob was a twin. His brother's name was Esau. When they were born Esau entered the world first but Jacob was close behind. In fact, Jacob was holding on to the heel of his brother. That is where he got his name. Jacob means "he grasps the heel" or more figuratively, "he deceives." That name would be very significant as the boys grew up.
Jacob and Esau were not identical twins because they grew up to be two totally different people. Esau was a hairy, strong outdoorsman while Jacob was smooth skinned and quiet. Isaac, the father, like Esau best while Rebekah, the mother like Jacob best. Esau had the advantage. Since he was the oldest son he was entitled to his father's complete inheritance and his father's blessing -- both of them very important matters.
Jacob was a highly motivated child. He set as his goal, at a very early age, to trick his brother out of the inheritance and blessing. He did it. The stories are much too complicated to explain fully but essentially he traded a bowl of soup for his brother's inheritance and took advantage of his father's blindness in order to receive the blessing. Jacob fit his name very well. He was truly a deceiver.
To make a long story short, Jacob got into trouble. Esau was mad. He swore that as soon as his father died he would kill Jacob. When Jacob caught wind of the scheme he took off, but not before his father told him to go to his Uncle Laban's to find a wife.
The very first night out Jacob had a dream. He saw a ladder reaching up to heaven and from the top of the ladder God spoke to him: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Can you imagine? Jacob had deceived his father and his brother. Yet, God promised to Jacob His love and blessing. How could God do that? How could He make those kinds of promises to a person like Jacob? Why would He want to have a special plan for such a sheister? It doesn't make sense; and yet God has done the same thing for you and me. We have failed, we have messed up, we have hated, we have deceived, we have lied. Yet God still loves us and blesses us. God still has a special plan for reach one of us. His love and forgiveness are incomprehensible.
When we think about the miracles of God we think about the parting of the Red Sea, or we think about Jesus feeding the 5000, or raising Lazarus from the dead. But the greatest miracle is the miracle of forgiveness. God loves us. He wants to use us and bless us in spite of what we have done; in spite of who we are.
Unfortunately, Jacob's response is less than admirable -- "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." Jacob was still looking for a good deal. In other words, "Listen, God, if you treat me good, I'll follow you."
I'm afraid you and I have prayed the same kind of prayers. "God, if you do this for me, I'll do anything you want me to do." There have been a lot of stories about foxhole experiences. A person is lying in a foxhole, under fire and they make all kinds of promises to God if God will get him out alive. "God, I'll go to church every Sunday. I'll quit swearing, I'll give up drinking, I'll give more money to the church, I'll become a preacher! Just get me out of this mess alive!" We do it all the time when we are in trouble. The commitments are quickly make and they usually are quickly forgotten. I can still remember when I had turned 16 and it was time to take my drivers test. I was scared. I worried about it constantly. I don't think I slept for two weeks. I don't know how many times I prayed, "God, if you get me through this I'll never bother you with anything again." I made it through the drivers test but I haven't stopped bothering God.
There is something wrong with prayers like that. Those kinds of prayers say that God is responsible for everything that happens to us and somehow we have to always be talking Him out of letting the bad things happen by making deals. If I would have flunked my drivers test it would have been my fault, or the fault of the cranky highway patrolman, but it would not have been God's fault. Because of the world in which we live, because of our own mistakes, bad things happen. But God desires to bring good, always, out of all things that happens to us.
Jacob made it to his uncle Laban's home and almost immediately he fell in love with Laban's younger daughter, Rachel. Jacob made another deal -- "Uncle Laban, if you'll give me Rachel as my wife I will work for you 7 years." Laban said he would do it if Jacob would work the 7 years first.
I've always enjoyed this segment of Jacob's story. Jacob, the deceitful deceiver, was given a dose of his own medicine. Jacob, himself, became the victim of a scheme. That wasn't the last time Laban tried to trick him. By the time Jacob left he had learned his lesson. No more deceiving for Jacob.
Jacob left his uncle for home knowing that on the way home he would have to run into his brother Esau, which could mean trouble. Jacob was frightened. The night before their meeting once again he went to prayer but this time his attitude was different.
Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'" (Genesis 32:9-12)
Jacob was no longer trying to make deals with God. His was a prayer of sincerity, a prayer of thanksgiving. He now knew that God was taking care of him and loved him. No matter what would happen the next day he was thankful for the life God had given him.
The next day Jacob met Esau. Instead of Esau coming out to meet Jacob in hate and anger, Esau ran to Jacob, threw his arms around him and kissed him, welcoming him home.
Esau, too, had learned some lessons during those 20 years. Now their reunion wasn't a reunion of hate, but rather a reunion of love. The two brothers, despite all that had happened, become reconciled.
So much for this part of Jacob's life -- a very important part. It was a very important part or his spiritual journey. He had much to learn.
Let us remember the lessons of Jacob. Let us remember that we don't have to talk God into loving us but rather, because of Christ, God loves us freely and simply in spite of who we are and in spite of what we do. Let us remember that our prayers do not need to be prayers of making deals with God and talking God out of making bad things happen to us, but rather our prayers should be prayers of confidence and thanksgiving, knowing that He always loves us, will always be with us, and always take care of us, no matter what tomorrow might bring.