June 25, 2025 - Genesis 28:12-15- "Christ The Ladder"

Genesis 28:12-15

"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

Jacob, fleeing from Esau, lies down in the wilderness with a stone for his pillow. As he journeys toward Haran, God intercepts him with a dream (v. 12). Though Jacob fled under fear, not faith, God graciously reveals Himself, not because Jacob sought Him, but because God had purposed it. In his sleep, he receives a vision from God—a ladder reaching from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending, and the LORD Himself standing above it.

The ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending is a glorious type of Christ, the only Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5). God speaks, “I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac” (v. 13)—not because Jacob had proven himself, but because of God’s covenant mercy. This vision finds its ultimate fulfillment in the coming of Christ. In John 1:51, our LORD declares, “Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” Christ is the true and living Ladder—the Mediator between God and elect sinners that He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3,4). The earthly ladder Jacob saw was but a type and shadow, pointing forward to the real and abiding entrance to heaven found only in the Person and finished work of Jesus Christ.

Here, amid isolation and uncertainty, God confirms His covenant of sovereign grace, which was given to Abraham and Isaac, and is now bestowed upon Jacob. The LORD affirms that Jacob is heir to the promise, not by works, but by grace (Romans 4:16). He assures him of His Presence: “I am with thee, and will keep thee...for I will not leave thee” (v. 15). This unconditional language reflects the eternal security of all who are in Christ—kept by the Power of God through faith (1 Peter 1:5). It is not Jacob’s strength or faithfulness, but God that assures the promise.

This covenant promise is not merely of earthly land or national increase but the promise of a Seed—Christ Himself—through Whom “all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Galatians 3:16). This is the Gospel of God's sovereign grace: that in Christ, not just one nation but elect sinners out of every nation are gathered, justified, and made heirs of eternal glory by that righteousness imputed that the LORD Jesus earned and established in coming in the flesh, and laying down His life on the cross (Revelation 5:9).

The LORD’s assurance to Jacob—“I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of”—echoes the steadfast faithfulness of God to perform all that He has purposed in Christ (Isaiah 14:27). The work of redemption was never dependent on the worthiness of the sinner, but entirely upon the grace, promise, and power of God in, by, and through the LORD Jesus Christ. The vision of the ladder declares that Salvation is from heaven, not from earth, and that Christ alone bridges that infinite gap.

We who trust in the Christ of Scripture, by God's grace, have this same assurance. God's covenant of grace has been fulfilled. Christ has come. The blessing to all nations is not future—it is present in the preaching of the gospel and the salvation of His elect. The LORD has not left His people. He has finished the work in Christ and will bring us, through Him, safely into glory. In Christ, heaven is opened. In Christ, God is with us, and in Him all the promises of God are Yea and Amen.

Though we are like Jacob—wandering, weak, and unworthy—God's grace in Christ remains sure and steadfast. He will not leave us until He has done all that He has spoken. Blessed be God, Who has joined heaven and earth in His Son and given us this vision of sovereign, saving grace in Christ Jesus our LORD.