July 19, 2026 Sermon
Sermon Title: “Jacob's Ladder”
Scripture: Genesis 28:10-19
(Other lectionary suggestions include Psalm 139:1-12, Romans 8:12-25, and Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43.)
Genesis 28:10-19
Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
10Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 18So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
The sermon title is “Jacob’s Ladder,” and with such a title, we absolutely had to sing the hymn or spiritual of the same name! If you were here last week, you know that Jacob was on the run from Esau, whom he had cheated out of his birthright. And perhaps disturbing from our point of view is the fact that God ordained such a thing to have happened. Jacob may have experienced God’s grace, but it’s hard for you and me to keep from thinking that Esau got the short end of the stick. He was not completely blameless, of course; but Jacob was the scallawag that God apparently chose. As Isaiah will say later, “My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”
As I have done on other Sundays, let me share with you what Old Testament Professor Matthew Schlimm of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa has to say in Workingpreacher.org:
This story both reveals God’s grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it and challenges the dominant empire’s logic.
Most of us have had moments when we feel like we have no business being a Christian. We don’t feel worthy of the calling God has put on our lives. We know we’ve often made things worse, rather than better.
One of the best things we can do is become friends with Jacob. Early in his story, he’s a villain. When his brother Esau is so hungry that he’s near death, Jacob offers food only if Esau gives up his inheritance (Genesis 25:29–34). When their dad Isaac is blind and appears ready to die, Jacob deceives Isaac to rob Esau of their dad’s blessing (27:1–45).
Facing the fallout of these actions, Jacob is forced to travel 285 miles (410 km) north, away from his family and all that’s familiar. He has nothing more than his staff (32:10). When he gets to his destination, he’ll have to deal with an uncle who is more deceptive and manipulative than he is (29:15–30; 31:28–42).
Even though Jacob has made a mess of his life, and even though he has to face the bitter consequences of his actions, God still shows up. God is determined to work with him, come what may. God promises land (28:13), offspring (28:14), blessings (28:14), protection (28:15), return (28:15), and presence (28:15). Jacob has done nothing to deserve any of it.
In fact, even after encountering God, Jacob still appears to have questionable character: He promises that the Lord will be his God, but only if God first fulfills a lengthy list of requirements (28:20–21):
1. if God really is with him,
2. if God actually protects him,
3. if God does give him food,
4. if God keeps him clothed, and
5. if God brings him back home in peace.
It’s an incredibly selfish prayer, as if God—who’s already promised most of these things—needs to somehow earn Jacob’s approval. In this moment and many others, Jacob isn’t exactly a saint. He’s all too human. He’s stumbling through life, unaware of how good he really has it. He’s focused on himself and doubts that things will turn out okay in the end.
But God’s promises go marching on to fulfillment in spite of Jacob and his self-centeredness.
The rest of Jacob’s story shows that he continues to know his share of drama. He gets what’s coming to him. He lives with his uncle Laban, who treats him just as badly as Jacob treated his family. His children experience great suffering.
But in the end, Jacob’s story is ultimately one of redemption. Though he’s empty-handed here, he’ll eventually return with enormous wealth and a huge family. He’ll give Esau back what he stole, showering him with hundreds of animals—the ancient equivalent of a fortune. Jacob has so many blessings in his life that others around him experience blessings as well. Like all of us—and all of our ancestors—Jacob is far from perfect. But over time he gains wisdom, experiences God’s blessings, and becomes a better person.
Perhaps the person Jacob most resembles is the prodigal son in Jesus’s parable (Luke 15:11–32):
1. They’re both the younger of two brothers (Genesis 25:26; Luke 15:12).
2. They each get their inheritances in unorthodox ways (Jacob gains his brother’s birthright by exploiting him in Genesis 25:31–33; the prodigal son gets his
inheritance early in Luke 15:12).
3. They both travel to faraway lands (Genesis 28:10; Luke 15:13).
4. They each return home after facing difficulties in those lands (Genesis 31:28–42; Luke 15:14–17).
5. They each come back with humility and repentance (Genesis 32–33; Luke 15:21).
6. As they approach home, a close family member runs out and greets them with hugs and kisses (Esau with Jacob in Genesis 33:4; the father with the son in Luke
15:20). They each find undeserved grace.
When the Bible was written, people hadn’t yet invented italicized, underlined, bold, or capitalized text. To drive a point home, writers would use key words over and over. Like a flashing light, these words let readers know what deserves attention.
One of the most important words in this passage is “place,” which shows up six times (Genesis 28:11 [x3], 16–17, 19). The reason for repeating this word is revealed in 28:17, where Jacob realizes with awe that “this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
In Hebrew, the words “the house of God” are similar to the name of that place, “Bethel” (28:19). Bethel is a city of immense importance. The Bible mentions it more than any other city except Jerusalem. It’s in the center of Israel. At one point, it’s home to the ark of the covenant (Judges 20:26–27). Important people have connections to Bethel, including Deborah (Judges 4:5), Samuel (1 Samuel 7:16), Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29–33), Elijah (2 Kings 2:2–3), Elisha (2 Kings 2:23), and Amos (Amos 5:6). It was an important worship site for the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12:26–30). Prophets often denounced it (2 Kings 23:15–18; Jeremiah 48:13; Amos 3:14; 4:4; 5:5–6; Hosea 10:15), even though Genesis portrays the location quite favorably.
Early audiences of Genesis likely included people the Babylonians had conquered and sent to live in exile in Babylonia. There, the exiles would have heard that Marduk is the supreme God and that Babylon is the place where heaven and earth meet. “Babylon” even means “gate of god,” and it was home to a massive pyramid-like structure called a ziggurat covered with staircases. Inhabitants of that city assumed that divine beings traveled up and down these staircases, moving from heaven to earth and back.
Genesis denounces Babylon’s imperial propaganda. “Babel” is the ordinary Hebrew word for Babylon, meaning the familiar story in Genesis 11:1–9 undermines many claims about Babylon’s greatness. It’s not in the empire’s capital of Babylon, Genesis insists, that God is found and heaven and earth meet. It’s in a small town in the middle of Israel. That’s where God’s angels ascend and descend a stairway to heaven. That’s where heaven and earth kiss.
If you want to find God, do not listen to the empires of this age or their propaganda. Don’t assume that might makes right. Don’t fall for the lie that God’s power aligns with human power. Look for God in the small, the ordinary, the unexpected places that the world misses. Whether it’s at Bethel, a manger, or a cross, God shows up. Amen.
Pastor Skip
