February 8

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. - Genesis 28:12-13.

OBSERVE what he saw and what he heard in his dream. As to what he saw: “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.” We think this was doubtless intended to be a representation of the Divine presence, observing everything and keeping up a constant communication between heaven and earth. Our Saviour said to Nathaniel, “Hereafter ye shall see the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” Here then we have found the mystery of Jacob’s ladder. It is a representation of the Son of God. The extent of the ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, shows his Deity and humanity. The angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man show that these glorious beings are peculiarly connected with his mediatorial work.

He was seen of angels-at his birth; he was relieved by them in the wilderness; they strengthened him in the garden, proclaimed his resurrection, and attended him back to heaven. He is the medium of all intercourse between heaven and earth. Every blessing comes to us through his mediation: so, as we here see, does this blessing of the ministration of angels. In consequence of what he has done and suffered, and from the relation in which we stand to him, they are “all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation.” The poorest Christian upon earth is more superbly attended than the mightiest monarch that ever swayed a sceptre.

He also saw the Lord standing above. Standing was in this case the posture of attention, and all the scheme of providence and of redemption is under his review.

This is what he saw. What did he hear? Why, the Lord repeated unto him the covenant made with his father, and ratified it with him. He then accommodates himself more immediately to Jacob’s present situation and circumstances. Jacob was alone; God promises to be with him: he was exposed; he promises to keep him: he was an exile; he promises to bring him home again. All this was true. All this was to be relied on. God assured him that he would not leave him until he had brought to pass all that of which he had spoken to him.

And his word is firmer than the earth or the heavens; for “heaven and earth may pass away, but his word shall not pass away.” What could Jacob desire more? What could God engage to do more?