Jacob's Ladder
God's love and presence are available to us despite our flaws, and He promises to guide, protect, and provide for us.
David Wilkerson explores the life of Jacob, a flawed yet beloved figure in the Old Testament, who deceived his brother Esau to obtain his birthright and blessing. Despite Jacob's manipulative actions, God revealed His unwavering love and purpose for him through a vision of a ladder connecting heaven and earth, symbolizing divine activity and angelic ministry. This vision reassured Jacob of God's presence and promise, emphasizing that God's guidance and protection are still active in our lives today. Wilkerson highlights that the same angels who served Jacob continue to minister to us, reminding us of God's faithfulness and commitment to His people.
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One of the most interesting people in the Old Testament is Jacob, a cheating, deceiving, manipulative man. Yet God loved this man dearly.
Jacob had tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright. When a famished Esau came in from hunting, Jacob offered him a pot of stew in exchange for his birthright. In their culture, the birthright was the right of the firstborn male to be the head of the clan. This included a "double blessing" -- that is, receiving a double portion of all their father's possessions. More importantly, whoever had the birthright was to be the progenitor of the patriarchal seed through which Christ would come: "And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 28:14).
Jacob had also stolen the patriarchal blessing from his father, Isaac -- a blessing that belonged to Esau -- by pretending to be Esau. When Esau learned that Jacob had stolen his blessing from their father, he was determined to kill him.
Their mother, Rebekah, persuaded Isaac to send Jacob away to where her brother Laban lived. She wanted Jacob to find a wife there and live peacefully. While Jacob was on his way, God gave him an incredible vision. He saw a ladder descending from heaven down to earth, with angels going to and from the throne of God, doing His bidding (see Genesis 28:12).
God was drawing back the curtain and showing Jacob divine activity that was going on all the time. All those angels were on assignment -- going back and forth to the earth to guide and lead God's people, minister to them, camp around them, warn them, protect them, guard them, provide for their needs.
Beloved, that ladder is still there! And those same angels have not aged a single hour since Jacob saw them. In fact, they are still working and ministering on our behalf today.
To Jacob, and through him to us, God then said, "I am with thee, and will keep thee in all the 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" (Genesis 28:15).
Sermon Outline
- Introduction to Jacob
- Jacob's actions: tricking Esau, stealing blessing
- God's vision to Jacob: the ladder and angels
- Application of God's promise to us
- God's presence and protection in our lives
- God's promise to guide and provide for us
Key Quotes
“Beloved, that ladder is still there! And those same angels have not aged a single hour since Jacob saw them.” — David Wilkerson
“God was drawing back the curtain and showing Jacob divine activity that was going on all the time.” — David Wilkerson
“I am with thee, and will keep thee in all the 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” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We can trust in God's presence and protection in our lives, even when we feel overwhelmed or uncertain.
- God's promise to guide and provide for us is still applicable today, and we can seek His leadership and provision in all areas of our lives.
- We can apply God's promise by seeking His guidance and leadership, and by trusting in His presence and protection.