JACOB'S LADDER, What's the meaning behind it? (or Him) GEN 28-32
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JACOB'S LADDER, what is the meaning behind it? (or Him) GEN 28-32
PARASHA: VaYETZE (and he went out)
GEN 28:10-32:2...............HOSEA 12:13-14:9..............JOHN 1:43-51
In this Parasha, we see that Jacob is on the run, he has wronged his brother Esau, and has deceived his father Isaac, yet G-d is still with him, and will re-affirm his promise,
Many times, we wrong each other, we mess up things, yet the LORD will never abandon us nor forsake us, just like a father will not forsake his children, neither will our Heavenly father for his children.
Jacob travels from Beer-Sheva Haran, which is a long, long, walk, many hundreds of miles, which probably took about a month to get there. He stopped to make camp at a 'certain place" which he named "Beth-El" which is about 50 miles from Beersheva. The scripture says he took one of the stones that he found, probably one which was flat and probably oblong in shape, he would put his tunic or travel bag on top of it and it served as a pillow.
The Torah goes on to say that he dreamed a dream, a ladder, reaching from heaven to earth, and angels descending and ascending on it, and the LORD repeats His promise to Jacob, as he did with Isaac and Abraham. YHVH also says that "his descendants will be as the dust of the earth" "In your seed all of the families of the earth will be blessed"
"Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go" three great promises, let's look at them one at a time:
1. "Your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth" When we see "dust" we count it worthless, yet, leave anything out in the desert, outside, long enough, eventually, it will disintegrate, and will become "dust" man dies and decomposes, and becomes "dust" again, "dust" is like "forever" indestructible, like "Am Israel" will survive, when most of the ancient peoples and nations have disappeared or have lost their power, but also, the Jewish people have been "stepped on" "and treated as dirt" (as one steps on dust and dirt)
2. "In your seed, all of the families of the earth will be blessed" this is the same promise of Abraham, the blessed "Seed" is Yeshua, in whom "all families are blessed" those who trust in HIM as LORD and Savior
3. "Behold, I AM with you..." These words were repeated thousands of years later, when Yeshua ascended to heaven, they were the last words spoken to his talmidim (disciples) "Lo, I am with you always......." (Matthew 28:20) . These are HIS words to us as well, Many ask, where was G-d during the holocaust? He was right there with them, crying and
weeping, suffering with his people, yet the wages of sin is death, a father will chastise his children, yet will continue to love them, and never leave them (I am saying this about good, responsible fathers)
We look at the ladder and wonder, What or who could this symbolize? the answer is in John 1:51 " Most assuredly, I say unto you hereafter you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" So, "Yeshua" is the ladder. Some state that the ladder had 22 steps on it, one for each of the letters of the Hebrew Alef-bet, the top step "Alef" and the bottom "Tav" Yeshua states "I AM the Alfa and Omega" (or the Alef and Tav) so that makes sense, The angels ascending and descending could signify that they are doing errands, bringing messages, and serving mankind as G-d ordains them to do, caring for/protecting HIS children. The word "Ladder" in Hebrew is "Sulam" when we look at the Gematria, the sum of the letters that spell out "Sulam" (samech, vav, lamed, mem) equals 136. also "tzom" (fasting) "kol"
(voice) and "mammon" (money) each of these words add up to 136. If Yeshua is the ladder, how do these words relate to HIM? "Tzom" (Yeshua fasted) "Kol" (Yeshua lifted up his voice in prayer to HIS father every day) "Mamon" (Yeshua taught giving money to the poor, supported charity) so just as He also fasted, prayed, and taught giving, so should we do the same as HIS followers.
Jacob puts the "Rock" which was under his head, "up" as a pillar, anoints it with oil, and calls the place "Beth El" the House of God, Yeshua is the "Anointed ROCK of ages"
An old preacher once said "I may not know a lot about the age of the rocks, but I do know the Rock of Ages, amen" (Dr. B.R. Laken) This is the "Rock of encounter" He came to the end of his rope, 50 miles walked, probably 500 or some more miles to go to reach Haran. YHVH would be His source, He reaches Haran, meets his future wife Rachael, and removes another "rock" which covers a "well" another "rock of encounter" he would encounter a new life, new challenges, and enroll in uncle Laban's "School of Hard Knocks" as Jacob deceived Isaac, being blind, in the dark, Jacob was deceived, being in the dark (tent) and got Leah, who was the oldest, instead of Rachael the youngest, as Jacob deceived Isaac, being the youngest, pretended to be the oldest, the chickens come home to roost!
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HOSEA 12
"Return Oh Israel to the LORD your G-d" a plea of "Teshuvah" YHVH has been the only God for Israel, yet they abandoned their LORD for other lords, the LORD would bring Jacob Back to the promised land, he changed his name to ISRAEL, yet this same ISRAEL would in the future, fall away, for every wayward son and daughter, there IS a way back, yet sometimes, they will have to go through the pricker bushes and brambles, walk on stony paths, yet the path of repentance ,of "Teshuvah" is the ONLY road back home.
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JOHN 1:43-51
As mentioned before, Yeshua speaks and interprets the scene of the ladder in the desert, which appeared before Jacob. SInce HE (Yeshua) is the ladder, then the only way to Heaven is to "climb it" one rung, one step at a time, if the "Alef" is GOD, then the "Tav" means "covenant" if the "tav" is the ground step, it makes sense, we "start" with the covenant, the covenant of Calvary, and we go through life climbing on rung at a time, until we are home with our LORD and our GOD, YHVH.
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi J. Ben Avraham
