[12] And he dreamed, and
behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven:
and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [13]
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham
thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee
will I give it, and to thy seed;
Behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it
reached heaven, the angels ascending and descending on it, and the Lord
stood above it - This might represent
-
The providence of God, by which there is a constant correspondence
kept up between heaven and earth. The counsels of heaven are executed on
earth, and the affairs of this earth are all known in heaven. Providence
doth his work gradually and by steps; angels are employed as ministering
spirits to serve all the designs of providence, and the wisdom of God is
at the upper end of the ladder, directing all the motions of second causes
to his glory. The angels are active spirits, continually ascending and
descending; they rest not day nor night. They ascend to give account of
what they have done, and to receive orders; and desend to execute the orders
they have received. This vision gave seasonable comfort to Jacob, letting
him know that he had both a good guide and good guard; that though he was
to wander from his father's house, yet he was the care of Providence, and
the charge of the holy angels.
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The mediation of Christ. He is this ladder: the foot on earth
in his human nature, the top in heaven in his divine nature; or the former
is his humiliation, the latter is his exaltation. All the intercourse between
heaven and earth since the fall is by this ladder. Christ is the way: all
God's favours come to us, and all our services come to him, by Christ.
If God dwell with us, and we with him, it is by Christ: we have no way
of getting to heaven but by this ladder; for the kind offices the angels
do us, are all owing to Christ, who hath reconciled things on earth and
things in heaven, Colossians 1:20.
[14] And thy seed shall be as
the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to
the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed
- Christ is the great blessing of the world: all that are blessed, whatever
family they are of, are blessed in him, and none of any family are excluded
from blessedness in him, but those that exclude themselves.
[15] And, behold, I am with
thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring
thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done
that which I have spoken to thee of.
Behold I am with thee - Wherever we are, we are safe,
if we have God's favourable presence with us. He knew not, but God foresaw
what hardships he would meet with in his uncle's service, and therefore
promiseth to preserve him in all places. God knows how to give his people
graces and comforts accommodated to the events that shall be, as well as
to those that are. He was now going as an exile into a place far distant,
but God promiseth him to bring him again to this land. He seemed to be
forsaken of all his friends, but God gives him this assurance, I will not
leave thee.
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