Day 7: The Ladder
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
Genesis 22:16
Witnessing the divine majesty of God can be seen in numerous places. Personally, not more so than staring into the sky at night. I particularly recall being in Brazil in 2007. Living in a Terena Indian village a million miles from anywhere. Minimal light pollution. Sitting quietly at night gazing into the blackness above. Hundreds of thousands of twinkling stars. The more you gaze, more become visible. Lightening up the sky like Christmas lights.
Lost in the wonder of it all “as the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Ps19:1).” My soul bursting with worship under this magnificent spectacle as the LORD’s fingerprints saturated the blanket of glory above me.
Jacob also sat quietly under the night sky. Not gazing at the LORD’s glory... for now. He was worried, troubled and lost. A homeless fugitive, fearing for his life as his sibling wanted to end his existence. Sin that so easily entangles causing mayhem within the family unit of Jacob and his kin. Lying, cheating, deceiving and manipulating were the norm. Something had to give. Now lonely, hopeless and isolated. Estranged from his nearest and dearest, he drifts off to sleep under the stars.
While dreaming, “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!”(v12)
King Jesus who identifies Himself as the ladder linking earth and heaven (John 1:51) was becoming real to Jacob. Grace upon grace is poured out as the promised Saviour makes Himself known to a wretched sinner. Bridging the gap between the glory of God and the depravity of man.
Covenantal promises, the complete 4-parts of it, once given to His grandad Abraham, his dad Isaac, now promised to Jacob. Thinking he had blown it. So, undeserving of it. A million miles off the mark. Yet Christ appears and blessed this fallen man with astronomical, eternal blessings.
His soul bursting with worship at this magnificent spectacle. He awakes and consecrates a stone declaring...
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
Genesis 22:16
God revealed His glory again when the promised Saviour was born into this world. Lived perfectly as a man. Mingled with the broken, the lost, the lonely, the estranged, the worried, the troubled, the outcasts, the hurting, the grieving, the downtrodden, the wretched sinners. People like you and me.
History was torn in two when this divine child, later nailed to a cross. Beaten, broken and bruised for us. Ripping the curtain apart so all who believe may enter into astronomical eternal blessings. Grace upon undeserved grace poured into every millisecond of our existence.
Surely our souls should be bursting with worship at this magnificent spectacle as the LORD enters humanity and bridges the gap between the glory of God and the depravity of our hearts.
Written by Paul McLoughlan
A Thought to Remember: Christ came to bridge the gap between us and God.
A Bit More to Read: Genesis 28, John 1:51
A Question to Ask: In what ways are our hearts bursting with worship at what Christ has done for us?
A Song to Sing: Sing we the Song of Emmanuel
A Picture for the kids: Ladder