The Jesse Tree: Day 6
ASSURANCE OF THE PROMISE
Ladders are ordinary tools, but their purpose is extraordinary. They connect what seems impossible to reach. They bring the high and the low together. With a ladder, the lofty and the lowly meet. They make a way where no way previously existed.
When Adam and Eve sinned, humanity was separated from God. The gap wasn’t just spiritual; it was relational, a height we could never scale on our own. Heaven was distant, and intimacy with God was lost.
Enter Jacob, a young man running for his life. He cheated his brother, who now wanted him dead, and so his father sent him away, into a foreign land, to keep him safe. Jacob had come to the end of himself, which is where God most commonly meets us:
When Adam and Eve sinned, humanity was separated from God. The gap wasn’t just spiritual; it was relational, a height we could never scale on our own. Heaven was distant, and intimacy with God was lost.
Enter Jacob, a young man running for his life. He cheated his brother, who now wanted him dead, and so his father sent him away, into a foreign land, to keep him safe. Jacob had come to the end of himself, which is where God most commonly meets us:
And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! – Genesis 28:12
God was bridging the gap that was broken by sinners like Adam, Eve, and Jacob. But God was still inviting his people home, as he spoke directly to Jacob:
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. 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 in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. –Genesis 28:13-14
Jacob didn’t know how this would happen, only that God’s promise was real. He wouldn’t wander forever; he wouldn’t be alone forever. And the blessing promised to his family was now his, too.
But what Jacob couldn’t yet see was the full picture. The ultimate ladder wasn’t wood or stone. One day, God Himself would come, not just to visit, but to dwell with His people. Jesus would be the ladder, the connection between heaven and earth, the bridge repairing the broken relationship between God and humanity. Through Him, what once felt unreachable became accessible.
But what Jacob couldn’t yet see was the full picture. The ultimate ladder wasn’t wood or stone. One day, God Himself would come, not just to visit, but to dwell with His people. Jesus would be the ladder, the connection between heaven and earth, the bridge repairing the broken relationship between God and humanity. Through Him, what once felt unreachable became accessible.
Pause to reflect
What details in this text do you see that show Jacob’s vulnerability and desperation? How does his physical situation mirror his spiritual one?
In verse 16, Jacob says, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” Why is this statement important? What does it reveal about the nature of God’s presence?
Read John 1:51. How does Jesus being the connection between heaven and earth change the way you understand Jacob’s dream? How does this deepen the meaning of Advent?
When do you feel distant from God? When does heaven seem impossibly far away? The answer isn’t in climbing harder or striving more; it’s leaning into Jesus, the ladder that spans the gap. He restores access, heals what was broken, and carries us safely to God.
In verse 16, Jacob says, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” Why is this statement important? What does it reveal about the nature of God’s presence?
Read John 1:51. How does Jesus being the connection between heaven and earth change the way you understand Jacob’s dream? How does this deepen the meaning of Advent?
When do you feel distant from God? When does heaven seem impossibly far away? The answer isn’t in climbing harder or striving more; it’s leaning into Jesus, the ladder that spans the gap. He restores access, heals what was broken, and carries us safely to God.
Father, open our eyes to see what Jacob glimpsed in his dream. Help us recognize that Jesus Christ is the ladder, the bridge between heaven and earth. Reunite us with You in ways we cannot achieve on our own. Let us rest in Your promises, trusting that through Christ, the lofty and the lowly are connected, and nothing can separate us from Your love.
Amen.
Amen.
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