Jacob’s Ladder?

All my life, I heard the phrase, “Jacob’s Ladder.”  Yet the Scriptures never called it his ladder.  In Genesis we are told, Jacob dreamed and saw a ladder set up on the earth and its top reached to the heavens.  He saw angels descending and ascending on it.  And at its top, the Lord stood above it telling him that the promise of Abraham (father of faith) would be fulfilled.

Then he awoke and said, “Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this place!”  And it says he was afraid saying, “How awesome is this place!  This is none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven.”

Later, when Christ was on the earth, He said to Nathanael, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Now I would like to share what this ladder means to me.  We all know that Christ is the ladder – the bridge to God – starting on earth through His coming in earthly form, then ascending back to God in resurrection form. 

God started way back when to give us pictures, symbols, shadows of the coming Lord and Savior – to help us understand His GREAT salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said many things of Himself:  “I am the door, the gateway to the sheep, the Bread sent from heaven (manna), the Living Waters, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Good Shepherd…”

Now back to the ladder – in a way this is our spiritual pilgrimage.  We entered into Christ and started at the bottom rung of the ladder as a babe.  And we can “see,” with the eyes of our heart, the ascended Lord at the top of the ladder – this is where we are headed in spiritual maturity.  Yet according to the Scriptures, we are already seated with Him there, because of His grace and the work of His Son.  We believe by faith in God’s Word.

Yet in practicality and experience, we climb this ladder.  We all start out as babes in Christ.  We only grow by the pure milk of God’s Word.  We truly grow by Grace and the Knowledge of the Son of God.  Not tradition, not opinion, no reasoning – but by God’s pure Truth.

Each rung represents our spiritual wisdom and understanding of the riches of Christ – and how God has worked His Word of Life into our souls in real expression of our lives here on earth.

Our ministries that we have in the Lord, need to represent one true goal – helping others to “see” Christ clearly – to hold fast to the Head – to Him – so that they continue to grow in Him (climbing each rung to maturity).  Repeating:  in truth and in spirit, we are already in Him who is seated in the heavens – but again, we grow up in Him in all things.

The question remains then:  Which rung am I on?  Am I stuck on a certain rung?

Other questions:  Am I a stumbling block to others being able to see Christ?  Am I reaching out my hand to pull others up to new heights of understanding of Him?  Do I desire to go to the next rung of understanding, trusting Christ Himself to take me there?

“…that our hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to ALL riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are HIDDEN ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  (Colossians 2:2) “…rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith…” (Col. 2:7) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with ALL spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”  (Ephesians 1:3)

Climbing with you,

Sue Gaither