Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob leaves Beersheba, stops for the night, and sleeps with a stone under his head. In a dream he sees a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels going up and down on it.

M¹⁰eanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. ¹¹On reaching a certain place, he spent the night there because the sun had set. And taking one of the stones from that place, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. ¹²And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.

The LORD stands above the ladder and identifies Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac. He promises Jacob land, countless descendants, blessing for all families through his offspring, and His own presence and safekeeping until the promise is fulfilled.

¹³And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “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 now lie. ¹⁴Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. ¹⁵Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob wakes and realizes the LORD is present in the place he had not recognized. Afraid, he names it as the house of God and the gate of heaven.

¹⁶When Jacob woke up, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.” ¹⁷And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”