The Book of GENESIS
Chapter 28
“The Ladder of Success!”
- Observe 4 steps to success with God:
Step #1 – FOLLOW THE CHARGE!
(v1-6) Isaac Blesses and Charges Jacob!
(v1-2) Isaac “charges,” that is, commands his son Jacob to go to Padan Aram (the region of Syria), to the household of BETHUEL("dweller in God"); a son of Nahor and Milcah, Abraham's nephew, father of Laban and Rebekah (Isaac’s wife) (Gen 22:23; 24; 15; 24; 47; 50; 25:20; 28:2,5). In the last-named passage, he is surnamed "the Syrian."
(v3-5) Observe the BLESSING (Four points of PRAYER):
#1–Trust inGod Almighty - The earliest Old Testament appearance of the appellation as a title of deity ("God Almighty") is in Gen 17:1, where "God" identifies Himself in this way to Abraham. This title means most powerful; Shaddai, the Almighty (referring to the true God). (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
#2 - Make you fruitful and multiply– This blessing follows Gods command to Adam in Genesis 1:28; to Noah (9:1); to Abraham (17:6); Isaac (26:24); now to Jacob (28:3).
#3 - That you may be an assembly of peoples – Through Jacob’s (later to be named Israel, Gen. 32) lineage comes the twelve tribes of Israel, or also known through an ethnic title the Hebrews, which is a derivative of their ancestor Eber. There is considerable evidence in the Old Testament that the Hebrews regarded themselves as a composite race (Deut 26:5). No culture has equaled their contribution to mankind. In a pagan world with many gods, the Hebrews worshiped one supreme, holy God who demanded righteousness in His people. From the Hebrews comes the Messiah, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, who gave His life to set us free from the curse of sin and death, granting all who believe in HIM forgiveness and eternal life.
The Bible declares there’s a new assembly of people that follow God through Jesus Christ this is the church made up of Jewish and Gentile believers (Eph. 2:6-22; Rom. 11), Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:9-10 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
#4 - For “The blessing of Abraham” – See Genesis Ch. 12.
Step #2 – HONOR YOUR PARENTS!
(v6-7) Jacob HONORS the desires of his mother and father.
- In the Exodus 20:12 we have the fifth commandment to “honor thy parents,” this passage is also in the gospels and in Ephesians 6:1-3 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."
(v8-9) Side-bar: Esau continues to DISHONOR his parents by marrying Mahalath, a daughter of Ishmael. This is in addition to his former wives, the daughters of Heth, which Rebekah disliked (Gen. 27:46), Esau chose a wife from the family or tribe of Ishmael, as Ishmael himself was now thirteen years dead.
Step #3 – CLIMB THE LADDER OF SUCCESS!
(v10-22) Here we have Jacob’s Ladder of Success:
- Success in life and eternal life in heaven begins when God connects with you and you receive and follow Him! In John 3:16-21 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
(v10-17) In this passage that God reveals Himself to Jacob and reaffirms the covenant He made with Abraham, promising Jacob that his offspring will be many and that the promise land will one day belong to his descendants. It is also interesting that the Jewish people have been dispersed throughout the world.
- In this vision Jacob sees a ladder that goes from earth to heaven, (Heb. – cullam - a stair-case); and angels are ascending and descending on it; turn to John 1:45-51 as Jesus gives reference to Himself; truly He is our stairway to heaven.
What involvement did “angels” have in the life of Jesus Christ:
- An angel announced the miraculous conception of the Son of God to the virgin Mary in Luke 1:26-33;
- An angel put Joseph’s mind at ease about this matter in Matthew 1:20-21;
- Angels proclaimed the Savior’s birth to the shepherds in the fields in Luke 2:8-14;
- Angels ministered to Jesus after His temptation in the wilderness according Matthew 4:11;
- Angels were at the tomb of Christ in Matthew chapter 28 and John 20:12;
- Angels were at the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven in Acts 1:10-11.
- Jesus will announce peoples salvation to the angels according to Luke 12:9 - "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.”
- The angels rejoice when sinner is saved - Luke 15:10 - Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
- Angels deliver people to their eternal abode when they dieperLuke 16:19-31.
- Angels will be involved in the last days scenario perMatthew 24:29-31.
- Angels will be involved in the judgment of the nations,Matthew 25:31-46.
> Step #4 – LIVE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD!
(v18-22) Jacob called this place Bethel, which means “house of God.”
- Truly it was like a house of God because of his experience, but Jesus sets it straight when He conversed with the woman at the well, He said, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:21-24)
- Jesus said inJohn 14:23-24 -"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.”
- Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
Conclusion:
CHARGE!
HONOR!
CLIMB!
LIVE!
AND GOD WILL BLESS YOU!