A Ladder to Heaven

• 1^st – The Blessing… vs. 1-4
  • 1^st – Esau took two Hittite wives when he was 40 years old – Genesis 26:34-35
    • These wives were very upsetting to Isaac and Rebekah!
      • It showed the heart of Esau – he did not follow in the example of his Father…
      • Esau married a Canaanite – into the world – someone who did not know God!
    • Do NOT be unequally yoked…
      • II Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers…”
      • In the Philippines it is still common to use a carabao to plow the fields…
      • But you cannot YOKE together a carabao and a goat – one will pull the other down!
      • A powerful picture – you cannot have a friendship with an unbeliever…
      • It is important when we consider who we are going to marry – they follow Jesus…
      • An unbeliever will not have our love for Jesus – different priorities – inevitable problems!
• Not that we are to avoid people who do not know Jesus…
  • In order to avoid them – you would have to leave this world!
  • We need to be interacting with those who do not know Jesus…
  • If we are not out in the world – we cannot show the world the hope of Jesus!
  • But though we are in the world – we should not be like the world – John 17:15

• 2^nd – Isaac called for Esau… vs. 1-2
  • Isaac was 100 years old at the time of this story – 60 (twins birth) + 40 (Esau marriage) …
    • He admitted – I do NOT know they day of my death (no one does) …
    • But he was blind and thought it would be soon (he lived another 80 years) – Genesis 35:28
    • We never know how many years – or months / days – God has given to us…
    • We should ALWAYS live our lives like we will see Jesus today…
    • But be wise and plan our lives as though God had given us many years…
    • Like Isaac we might think the end is near – and still have 80 years to go!
• 3^rd – Isaac commanded Esau to hunt and prepare him his favorite meal… vs. 3-4
  • He wanted to eat – then give his blessing (piel – intensive) to his first born son…
    • The two gifts given to the FIRST born – BIRTHRIGHT and BLESSING
    • BIRTHRIGHT – Jacob had purchased the birthright from Esau for a bowl of soup…
    • The BIRTHRIGHT meant he received ALL the inheritance from his Father!
  • BLESSING – was the BLESSING of the Father to his son…
    • The BLESSING – to be fruitful – to have the bounty and BLESSINGS of life…
    • The idea being the good things of life would be given to you…
    • The blessing was also meant for the first born – to go along with the BIRTHRIGHT!

• 2^nd – Scheming… vs. 5-17
  • 1^st – Rebekah loved Jacob… vs. 5-10
    • She overheard her husband and wanted to take the blessing for Jacob…
      • She always had favored Jacob – as Isaac had always favored Esau…
      • Isaac loved Esau – the hunter – because he liked to eat his meat…
      • Rebekah loved Jacob – who liked to hang out around the house – Genesis 25:28
    • Rebekah had a plan – she told Jacob – HER son – to obey (imperative) her voice…
      • Jacob would get a goat – no doubt faster than Esau could hunt a dear…
      • Rebekah would make Isaacs favorite dish – and Jacob would give it to Esau…
      • Jacob would seem like Esau returning – and he would receive the blessing instead of Esau!
  • 2^nd – Heal catcher – sneaky thief… vs. 11-17
    • Jacob – not minding the deception – feared the consequences if found out…
      • The brothers were fraternal NOT identical twins – did not LOOK the same!
      • Isaac was blind – but he could still FEEL – and Esau was harry / Jacob was not…
      • If Isaac FELT Jacob – Jacob would bring (hiphil) a CURSE on himself – not a blessing!
    • Let your CURSE be upon me – MY son – only OBEY (imperative) my voice…
      • Rebekah was impatient – they had VERY limited time – but she also had a solution…
      • She gave Jacob the CHOICE clothes of Esau – sweaty used – SMELL like his brother…
      • She put goat hair on his neck and arms – FEEL like his brother…
      • Rebekah used lies – in order to get the blessing of God!
      • Doing the wrong thing for the right reason – is never the right option!
      • No sin is every good – not matter how we justify the outcome…
      • We cannot commit sin – then think you are helping accomplish the purpose of God!
    • Rebekah and Jacob were trusting in their own STRENGTH…
      • God was going to bless Jacob – Romans 9:13 – “Jacob have I loved…”
      • He did not need the help of Rebekah – she should put her FAITH in the Lord!
      • Often – we say we want God to bless us – then start figuring how to help God…
      • Rather than trusting in the Lord – looking to the Lord – we look to be the blessing!
      • We look to ourselves – trust in ourselves – thinking that it is up to us!

• 3^rd – Trusting in yourself… vs. 18-29
  • 1^st – Jacob came in to get the BLESSING from Isaac… vs. 18-27
    • I have done as you told me – arise / sit / eat (imperative) – that you may bless (piel) me!
      • Jacob was given 5 different chances to come clean – and LIED 5 times!
      • 1 – When Jacob first came in – Isaac asked WHO are you – Esau…
      • 2 – Isaac asked how he found the food so quickly – God brought it to me…
      • 3 – Isaac asked to touch / FEEL Jacob – the voice of Jacob – but the hand of Esau…
      • 4 – Are you really my son Esau – Jacob answered – I am…
      • 5 – Come now and (betrayed by) kiss me – Isaac smelled him – the SMELL of my son!
    • Isaac must have known Jacob had bought the birthright from Esau…
      • Isaac also likely knew it would be through Jacob the messiah would come…
      • Jacob would have been blessed – whether he got – the BLESSING or not!
      • Yet because of GREED – PRIDE – and a LACK of faith – Jacob choose deception…
      • GREED – because he wanted more than he already had – he was not content!
      • PRIDE – because he was not willing to admit his lie – deceiving his own father!
      • LACK of faith – because he did not trust God would BLESS him!
    • Those who TRUST in themselves…
      • Will be GREEDY – want more than God has given – not content!
      • Will be PRIDEFUL – unwilling to admit mistakes – causing us to lie and deceive…
      • All because they do NOT TRUST that God is the one who will bless them!
    • In contrast – those who TRUST in the Lord…
      • Will be content with what God has given us – Philippians 4:11
      • Will be Humble – and admit when we make mistakes – James 4:6 / I Peter 5:5
      • Because we TRUST in the Lord – that He will be our blessing!
      • Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he… will not fear… and will not be anxious… nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
  • 2^nd – The BLESSING… vs. 28-29
    • Therefore may God give (jussive) you – three fold blessing…
      • 1 – The dew of heaven – the fatness of earth – plenty of grain and wine (earthly blessings) …
      • 2 – People will serve (jussive) you – nations bow (hiphil) down – master of your brothers…
      • 3 – Cursed are those who curse you – blessed are those who bless you!
    • It would seem – at first – that stealing the BLESSING worked out great!
      • Jacob was BLESSED with the goodness of the earth – and the respect of men / brothers…
      • He was EVEN given the Abraham blessing – Genesis 12:3
      • But do not be mistaken – there was a price to pay for the deception!
      • Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
      • Just because we get away with things – in the moment – does not make it OK…
      • If we are constantly full of greed – pride – and self trust…
      • In due time we will reap from that harvest!

• 4^th – Consequences of choices… vs. 30-45
  • 1^st – No sooner had Jacob left – Esau walked into the room… vs. 31-33
    • Let my father arise and eat – that you may bless me…
      • Who are you Isaac asked – I am your firstborn son Esau (right voice) …
      • No sooner had Esau answered then Isaac realized the deception…
      • And he trembled exceedingly – Hebrew – trembling Isaac trembled (noun) very violently!
      • FURIOUS – no doubt he was suspicious all along (asking five times) – now he knew for sure…
      • Jacob had STOLEN the blessing – and he would be blessed!
    • Jacob got the blessing through deception – YET God still blessed him…
      • That does not mean what he did was right – it just means he was FORGIVEN…
      • Jacob had a lot of shortcomings – but he was a man who LOVED the Lord…
      • BECAUSE he was a man who LOVED God – God BLESSED him!
      • Being blessed by God is not a matter of being PERFECT – no one is…
      • It is a matter of desiring to LOVE and SERVE the Lord…
      • We are not PERFECT as Christians – we are just FORGIVEN of our sins!
        
  • 2^nd – When Esau heard the words of his father… vs. 34-38
    • He cried (imperfect – kept crying) with an exceedingly great and bitter cry…
      • Bless me (piel imperative) – me also – my father [אָבִֽי] …
      • But there was nothing to give – Jacob had taken the BLESSING by treachery!
      • Esau said – Jacob has the right name – heal catcher / sneaky thief…
      • He took my birthright (bought it) – and now has taken my blessing…
      • He asked for even ONE blessing from his father…
      • Weeping he repeated – bless me (piel imperative) – me also – my father [אָבִֽי] …
      • But his tears were not tears of REPENTANCE – but of bitterness!
      • Hebrews 12:16-17 – “Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”
    • Esau was bitter about the consequences of his choices…
      • Directly connecting between him DESPISING the birthright – and losing the BLESSINGS…
      • No amount of tears could bring them back – because his heart was still FAR from the Lord!
      • Many today are like Esau – they do NOT want to life for the Lord…
      • Instead seeking after the things of this world – only to find they end up with nothing!
      • Like Esau they will end up one day standing before the FATHER weeping – Luke 13:28
      • But there will be no PLACE – no BLESSINGS – because they choose to DESPISE the Lord!
  • 3^rd – Isaac did give him consolation… vs. 39-45
    • 1 – Isaac also blessed Esau with the fatness of the earth – dew of heaven (earthly rewards) …
    • 2 – But Isaac prophesied he would live by the sword – serving his brother…
    • Though in time he would revolt – and throw off the yoke of Jacob…
    • History reveals the nation of Edom (descendants of Esau) – did serve Israel – 2 Samuel 8:14
    • But in time – as prophesied – they revolted and won freedom from Israel – 2 Kings 8:20
  • 4^th – Esau HATED Jacob because of the stolen blessing… vs. 41-45
    • He comforted himself – as soon as my father dies – I will SURELY kill (cohortative) him…
      • Rebekah found out – and sent Jacob away to the house of her brother Laban…
      • She told Jacob to there for a few days – till Esau cools off!
    • Those few days – ended up being 20 years – Genesis 31:38
      • By the time Jacob returned – Rebekah had died (no mention of her again)
      • Jacob never saw his mother again…
      • The cost of his deception – was the anger of his brother – and loss of his mother!
      • Better to wait on the Lord – trust in the Lord – look to the Lord as our blessing
      • Than to try and make things happen on our own – reaping what we sow!

• 5^th – Find a Godly wife… vs. 46-9
  • 1^st – Rebekah told Isaac she was weary of the daughters of Heth… vs. 46-2
    • The people of Heth were the forefathers of the Hittites…
      • Esau had married two women from the Hittites / Heth – Genesis 26:34
      • Therefore – Isaac charged Jacob NOT to take a wife from the daughters of Canaan!
      • Instead he was to Padan Aram – and take a wife from the daughters of Laban (cousin)
    • What was so horrible about these Canaanite women…
      • Abraham also commanded Eliezer – no wife for Isaac from the Canaanites…
      • It was not a matter of them being too ugly – or some petty family feud…
      • It was about their faith – they followed the pagan practices of the Canaanites…
      • The concern was they would turn the hearts of their husbands from the Lord!
        
    • A concern that was well founded – as we see with Solomon…
      • I Kings 11:4 – “When Solomon was old… his wives turned his heart after other gods…”
      • In marriage – or in any relationship (friendship) – we need to be very careful…
      • We will be influenced by those we spend time with…
      • They will either draw us closer to Jesus – or will they draw us away from Him…
      • We are wise to choose friends (spouses) wisely – those who love Jesus!
      • I Corinthians 15:33 – “Bad company corrupts good character.”
  • 2^nd – The blessing of Abraham… vs. 3-5
    • May God Almighty – El Shaddai [אֵל שַׁדַּי] – intensely bless you (piel jussive) …
    • Cause you to be fruitful / multiply (both hiphil jussive) – so you become many nations!
    • And give you the blessing of Abraham – inherit (perfect) the land you are a stranger in!
    • Jacob was to go and marry a Godly wife – but come BACK to the promised Land!
    • Because Jacob was careful about whom he married – he would be blessed!
    • The result of being around people who love the Lord – we also love the Lord
    • We find the Lord is blessing us as we draw closer to Him!
  • 3^rd – Esau saw Isaac bless Jacob – sent him to find a wife… vs. 6-9
    • Esau had already married TWO women from Canaan…
      • Those marriages had troubled both Rebekah and Isaac – Genesis 26:35
      • Esau had obviously NOT asked the advice of his parents before getting married…
      • Nor was he concerned about what God thought!
    • Yet Jacob was BLESSED – because he went to find in Padan Aram…
      • So he married Mahalath – one of the daughters of Ishmael…
      • Esau was trying to copy Jacob so he also could get a blessing!
      • When we see others blessed by the Lord – we might try and copy them…
      • Thinking their BLESSED because they go to church – or read their Bible…
      • So we go to church – or pick up a Bible – looking for the BLESSING…
      • But nothing happens – it is not about what we do – it is about who we KNOW…
      • Religion – or following the motions – does not bring the BLESSING of God…
      • Spending time with God – learning about God – getting to know God – BLESSINGS!

• 6^th – The Dream of Jacob… vs. 10-15
  • 1^st – Coming to a hard place… vs. 10-11
    • Jacob was running for his life – Esau wanted to kill him for taking the blessing…
    • He came to Bethel – a very rocky and barren area – a dessert place…
    • Likely hungry / cold / exhausted / and weary he went to sleep with a rock for a pillow…
    • In the midst of great hardships and difficulty – God met with Jacob!
    • So often it is only in the hard times we hear from the Lord…
    • When we have run out of every other answer – exhausted every other possibility…
    • Too often the answer that should be first – is the very last!
  • 2^nd – The Dream… vs. 12-15
    • While Jacob slept – he had a dream – a LADDER reaching from earth up to Heaven…
      • Angels were going up and down the LADDER – God spoke down from the very top…
      • I am the God of Abraham and Isaac – note NOT in the past tense (was the God)!
      • Mark 12:27 – “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living…”
    • God gave Jacob the promise of the Blessings of Abraham / Isaac…
      • For the third and final time – God would repeat the Promise – Genesis 22:18 / 26:4
      • Descendants as the dust of the earth / spread throughout the Land…
      • In your SEED / Jesus – all of the nations of the earth will be BLESSED!
      • God would be with Jacob – wherever he went – and would bring him back to the LAND!
    • God seemed so far away…
      • Jacob had probably been lying out under the stars – thinking about all his troubles…
      • Jacob had a heavy heart – and a worried mind – he needed help…
      • God certainly was the right answer – but He seemed too far away!
      • Inevitably we face trials and hardships in life – certainly God is the answer…
      • When we think about God – we think about Him in Heaven – far from us…
      • If only God could come down here – if only He was closer – He could see…
      • If only God was closer – I am sure He could help – but He is so far away!
    • Jacobs ladder…
      • God is not far away at all – as a matter of fact He built a bridge to reach out to us…
      • Through that bridge we are able to reach out to heaven – and God reach out to us!
      • Jacobs ladder is Jesus – He is the bridge between heaven and earth!
      • John 1:51 – “[Jesus] said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, after this you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’”
      • If I told you I opened a bank account for you and put 1 million pesos in it
      • That does not mean you have 1 million pesos – you have to go to the bank first!
      • Through Jesus we have the opportunity to come right before the Lord in prayer!
      • We have instant access to the very throne room of heaven – Hebrews 4:16
      • We can ask the Lord for help in any trials – find grace for any need…
      • God has given us complete access to the throne room of heaven – do we use it!

• 7^th – The house of God… vs. 16-22
  • 1^st – Jacob woke up and said – surely the Lord is in this place… vs. 16-17
    • Jacob assumed he was at a special place – a place where God was…
    • He was in AWE (afraid) – and said how AWESOME is this place!
    • This is none other than – the house of God [בֵּית אֱלֹהִים] – and the Gate of Heaven…
    • The truth was it was not the place that was special – it was his heart…
    • Jacob had been so busy with his plans – his scheming – he had missed God…
    • Now in a moment of desperation – difficulty – he was open and listening!
    • When God does a work in our lives – we often credit circumstances…
    • We were in church – or it is a special day of the year…
    • But it is not where we are – but where our hearts are…
    • When we are looking to the Lord – listening to Him – He speaks to us!
  • 2^nd – Doubting the Word of God… vs. 18-22
    • Jacob took the PILLOW he had been lying on – and made set it up as a PILLAR / ALTAR…
      • He called the name of the place BETHEL – house of God (previously called Luz) …
      •  Jacob made a VOW – if God will be with me – provide for me – the LORD will be my God…
      • This stone – PILLAR – shall be the house of God – I will give one tenth to the Lord!
      • I have to laugh at this – whatever you give me – I will give back ten percent!
      • Such a deal – and throw in a rock as a HOUSE – so generous!
    • God had promised to provide for Jacob – and MUCH more!
      • Not because of what Jacob would give to the Lord – but because he LOVED Jacob!
      • Yet because Jacob had not been spending time with the Lord – He doubted the Lord!
      • If we ask a stranger for help – we might doubt his answer if he promises to help…
      • If we ask a good friend for help – we trust them when they promise to be there…
      • When we need help – we often doubt when God promises to provide…
      • The reason – God is more or less a stranger to us – we do not trust Him…
      • As we spend time with the Lord – we learn to trust the Lord – for every need!