There above it stood the Lord …. (Genesis 28:13a NIV).
Jacob’s dream of a ladder or stairway is famous.
To kids, the ascending and descending angels on the ladder holds great fascination. Even when they grow old, the childhood memories are not forgotten. That is the reason why so many people remember the angels when they think about Jacob’s dream.
But the most important person in this dream is the Lord. He stood above the ladder. And He talked with Jacob and restated the original promises made to his father, Abraham and Isaac.
Many are fascinated with the great promises given here and easily forget the Lord who gave them.
The tendency today is to glorify visions and dreams. In that excitement, the Lord who gives them is forgotten.
But Jacob, even though he was a deceiver by nature, was not tempted to be excited too much by the angels or the ladder or even the promises. His initial reaction when he woke up from his sleep was one of terror.
He said that surely God was in that place and he did not know it. He termed the place Bethel, meaning house of God, and also said that it was the gate of heaven.
What a privilege it is to recognize God and His presence in the midst of excitement about dreams and visions! Every Christian should seek to recognize the Lord who stands above all angels.
It is to Him and from Him that angels go and come. The ladder reaches up to Him. Those who would love to climb it must look up to Him. And those who need to climb down should do so after meeting the Lord who stands above.
Otherwise such visions are in vain. They lose their meaning. But blessed is the man whose eyes behold the Lord who stands above!
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