Trinity 19 October 15, 2023
Genesis 28:10-17
Seeing with Your Eyes Wide Shut
vv.12 & 15 “And he [Jacob] 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…[And God said], ‘Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land.’”
Beloved in Christ, our Lord would have us cling to Him and His promises, firmly trusting Him despite what occurs to us in this world. Sounds simple enough, right? Sounds fairly easy, actually. But, as with most things, those that appear to be the easiest are often the most difficult to do. It’s easy to trust in God for your good when everything is going alright (though the Devil enjoys using those times to lead us to trust in ourselves and our power/possessions rather than God, even during the good times). But what about when life throws you a curveball? What about when your world quite literally begins to fall apart? What about when everything around us seems to be happening exactly the opposite as to what God has promised us? What then? Such times can be particularly arduous for the faith of the Christian.
Such was the situation faced by Jacob, the patriarch of the church, so long ago. I mean, just look at his situation. He had been destined to have it all—to rule and to govern the family—the church—he was the chosen heir, even though he was not the firstborn son. But in our text we find him in the midst of a long journey, auspiciously to seek out a wife, but in reality going into exile, fleeing from his brother’s murderous wrath. No friend or companion to lead or to guide him along the way. No one at all. Left all alone. And so we find him stumbling along in weariness, trying to get as far away as possible from his brother as quickly as he possibly could. He is so weary that he walks and walks until it is simply too dark to go any further. Exhausted, he takes a rock to use as a pillow and immediately falls asleep.
Beloved, do you not feel the same at times? Exhausted with this life and this world? Wondering how things have gone so very wrong? Do you stumble around in weariness—lost in the darkness of doubt and unbelief? Do you often feel oppressed and harassed by Satan and the world? Do you not question the validity of God’s promises? Where is the joy? The freedom? The peace? At times, it seems as if these things are not to be found in our lives—the lives Christians—while the world goes along its merry way—seemingly enjoying the many blessings of God that we feel we deserve and have been promised. What’s going on? Indeed, at times, it is most difficult for us to look around with eyes of faith and see the hand of God at work for our benefit.
However, before we answer those questions, let’s go back to our text for a moment. Remember that Jacob had just fallen into an exhausted slumber—it is then that he has a rather odd dream in which he sees heaven opened and a ladder rooted in the earth, but reaching up to heaven on which the angels ascend and descend and God speaks to him personally, reiterating the promises he first heard from his parents, “And behold, the YHWH stood above it and said, ‘I am the YHWH, 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 seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’”
Now, in looking at Jacob’s circumstances from the standpoint of reason alone we would conclude that the divine promises which he had bestowed upon him and which the Lord had just reiterated for him are simply meaningless and empty words. For none of that was happening. In fact, the opposite was happening. His brother Esau was inheriting it all, getting everything, ruling and governing in his stead, having children! Jacob wasn’t even married yet!
Perhaps you have felt the same sort of exasperation and despair. Perhaps God’s promises look good in theory, but in reality you just don’t see them being carried out. Where is the justice and mercy of God? Where is His goodness and blessing? There doesn’t appear to be very much of it around the world these days. In fact, it seems quite the opposite is happening—especially to Christians.
Yet dear Christian friends, we need to see as Jacob did when God came to him in his dream, that the promises and blessings have not been lost, but what we endure is merely a trial, so that we may be made to cling to the promise ever more firmly in faith and wait. Not very appealing is it? But that is the answer that Scripture gives to us.
God often allows things to befall us and His church in order to test our hearts. This is the constant course of the church at all times—namely that promises are made and then those who believe the promises are treated in such a way that they are compelled to wait for the things that are invisible; to believe what they do not see, and to hope for what does not appear. Indeed, Luther said, “He who does not do this is not a Christian.” Strong words. But we must be reminded that Christ Himself entered into His glory only by first descending into hell. When He is about to reign, He is crucified. When He is to be glorified, He is spit on. For He must suffer first and then be glorified.
Yet our God is gracious and merciful, compassionate to us in our time of need. He does not just let us flounder around on this earth struggling all the while with Satan and the world harassing us every step of the way, tempting us to forsake God and reject Him and His promises. Indeed, temptation is added and piled up for those who are afflicted and tried, so that it hurls them headlong into despair, into blasphemy, or impatience. These are the works of the devil. Yet wisdom is not found in the land of those who live pleasantly, but rather under the cross of those who are oppressed and in conflict with spiritual trials. For it is then that God comes and consoles the afflicted. How? In the same manner He came and consoled Jacob on that cold dark night of fear and despair. With His Word.
It is the promised blessing of God that consoles and strengthens the heart. Beloved in Christ, though your faith be harassed and under attack, remember that God comes to you richly and daily in His Word and Sacrament to uplift and strengthen you. You have His Baptism, His Supper, and His consolation through the Gospel Word and absolution. To be sure, we feel the very opposite in our flesh and so struggle against doubt and unbelief, but take heart and remember that God’s Word is stronger than your doubts! His Word is stronger than Satan and all his armies, His Word is more powerful than all the world, and His Word has been freely given to you.
For the promise that was given to Jacob came as He saw a stairway or ladder rooted in the ground and reaching up to heaven. What does this mean? Surely angels, who are spiritual beings, have no need of a ladder to travel between heaven and earth, so what is it all about? Well, as with the rest of Scripture, it’s all about Christ. The promised seed that would come from Jacob himself—rooted on the earth—being fully human—and reaching up to heaven—being fully divine. We read in John 1:51 that Jesus said to Nathanael, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” So Jesus is the ladder. He is the incarnate Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, come into the world to live perfectly on our behalf, including trusting in God no matter what—even while in unimaginable agony suffering on the cross for our sins—so that you and I might be set free from sin and death and live for all eternity. When we are doubting, when we are frustrated, angry, feeling all alone, to what do we cling? That which our father in the faith, the patriarch Jacob did, the ladder of God, which is Christ Himself. He who was crucified in our stead, who bore the punishment that our sin so richly deserves—it is to Him and His cross alone that we cling to so fervently.
Jesus, the Most High was made to be the lowest—indeed, He became sin for us, writes St. Paul. He was put under every curse of sin, death and hell, so that He might devour them—that they might have no power over us anymore. For He later ascended into heaven so that we also may be raised in glory.
Just think how God strengthened Jacob in the wilderness during his time of need and danger. Jacob saw God Himself—in a dream—with his eyes wide shut! And yet we are blessed to see this same promise of the Saviour more clearly in the Word of God, when we hear the testimony of the apostles and evangelists in the New Testament. We see heaven opened to us and all of His vast promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation fulfilled—in our beloved crucified Lord Jesus—with our ears!
Trust not your eyes that may deceive you to the truth of this world—rather trust in the sure and certain Word of Christ. For in that Word is there life and salvation! For God’s Word is the cradle of Christ—in His Word we see and receive Jesus. In that Word we hear of the sure and certain fulfillment of all God’s promises—in the person and work of His only-begotten Son. Let us hold fast to Him who is our ladder to the safety of the heavenly kingdom. Let us cling to Him as He restores us to life and carries us to our eternal reward. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Genesis 28:10-17
Seeing with Your Eyes Wide Shut
vv.12 & 15 “And he [Jacob] 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…[And God said], ‘Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land.’”
Beloved in Christ, our Lord would have us cling to Him and His promises, firmly trusting Him despite what occurs to us in this world. Sounds simple enough, right? Sounds fairly easy, actually. But, as with most things, those that appear to be the easiest are often the most difficult to do. It’s easy to trust in God for your good when everything is going alright (though the Devil enjoys using those times to lead us to trust in ourselves and our power/possessions rather than God, even during the good times). But what about when life throws you a curveball? What about when your world quite literally begins to fall apart? What about when everything around us seems to be happening exactly the opposite as to what God has promised us? What then? Such times can be particularly arduous for the faith of the Christian.
Such was the situation faced by Jacob, the patriarch of the church, so long ago. I mean, just look at his situation. He had been destined to have it all—to rule and to govern the family—the church—he was the chosen heir, even though he was not the firstborn son. But in our text we find him in the midst of a long journey, auspiciously to seek out a wife, but in reality going into exile, fleeing from his brother’s murderous wrath. No friend or companion to lead or to guide him along the way. No one at all. Left all alone. And so we find him stumbling along in weariness, trying to get as far away as possible from his brother as quickly as he possibly could. He is so weary that he walks and walks until it is simply too dark to go any further. Exhausted, he takes a rock to use as a pillow and immediately falls asleep.
Beloved, do you not feel the same at times? Exhausted with this life and this world? Wondering how things have gone so very wrong? Do you stumble around in weariness—lost in the darkness of doubt and unbelief? Do you often feel oppressed and harassed by Satan and the world? Do you not question the validity of God’s promises? Where is the joy? The freedom? The peace? At times, it seems as if these things are not to be found in our lives—the lives Christians—while the world goes along its merry way—seemingly enjoying the many blessings of God that we feel we deserve and have been promised. What’s going on? Indeed, at times, it is most difficult for us to look around with eyes of faith and see the hand of God at work for our benefit.
However, before we answer those questions, let’s go back to our text for a moment. Remember that Jacob had just fallen into an exhausted slumber—it is then that he has a rather odd dream in which he sees heaven opened and a ladder rooted in the earth, but reaching up to heaven on which the angels ascend and descend and God speaks to him personally, reiterating the promises he first heard from his parents, “And behold, the YHWH stood above it and said, ‘I am the YHWH, 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 seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’”
Now, in looking at Jacob’s circumstances from the standpoint of reason alone we would conclude that the divine promises which he had bestowed upon him and which the Lord had just reiterated for him are simply meaningless and empty words. For none of that was happening. In fact, the opposite was happening. His brother Esau was inheriting it all, getting everything, ruling and governing in his stead, having children! Jacob wasn’t even married yet!
Perhaps you have felt the same sort of exasperation and despair. Perhaps God’s promises look good in theory, but in reality you just don’t see them being carried out. Where is the justice and mercy of God? Where is His goodness and blessing? There doesn’t appear to be very much of it around the world these days. In fact, it seems quite the opposite is happening—especially to Christians.
Yet dear Christian friends, we need to see as Jacob did when God came to him in his dream, that the promises and blessings have not been lost, but what we endure is merely a trial, so that we may be made to cling to the promise ever more firmly in faith and wait. Not very appealing is it? But that is the answer that Scripture gives to us.
God often allows things to befall us and His church in order to test our hearts. This is the constant course of the church at all times—namely that promises are made and then those who believe the promises are treated in such a way that they are compelled to wait for the things that are invisible; to believe what they do not see, and to hope for what does not appear. Indeed, Luther said, “He who does not do this is not a Christian.” Strong words. But we must be reminded that Christ Himself entered into His glory only by first descending into hell. When He is about to reign, He is crucified. When He is to be glorified, He is spit on. For He must suffer first and then be glorified.
Yet our God is gracious and merciful, compassionate to us in our time of need. He does not just let us flounder around on this earth struggling all the while with Satan and the world harassing us every step of the way, tempting us to forsake God and reject Him and His promises. Indeed, temptation is added and piled up for those who are afflicted and tried, so that it hurls them headlong into despair, into blasphemy, or impatience. These are the works of the devil. Yet wisdom is not found in the land of those who live pleasantly, but rather under the cross of those who are oppressed and in conflict with spiritual trials. For it is then that God comes and consoles the afflicted. How? In the same manner He came and consoled Jacob on that cold dark night of fear and despair. With His Word.
It is the promised blessing of God that consoles and strengthens the heart. Beloved in Christ, though your faith be harassed and under attack, remember that God comes to you richly and daily in His Word and Sacrament to uplift and strengthen you. You have His Baptism, His Supper, and His consolation through the Gospel Word and absolution. To be sure, we feel the very opposite in our flesh and so struggle against doubt and unbelief, but take heart and remember that God’s Word is stronger than your doubts! His Word is stronger than Satan and all his armies, His Word is more powerful than all the world, and His Word has been freely given to you.
For the promise that was given to Jacob came as He saw a stairway or ladder rooted in the ground and reaching up to heaven. What does this mean? Surely angels, who are spiritual beings, have no need of a ladder to travel between heaven and earth, so what is it all about? Well, as with the rest of Scripture, it’s all about Christ. The promised seed that would come from Jacob himself—rooted on the earth—being fully human—and reaching up to heaven—being fully divine. We read in John 1:51 that Jesus said to Nathanael, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” So Jesus is the ladder. He is the incarnate Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, come into the world to live perfectly on our behalf, including trusting in God no matter what—even while in unimaginable agony suffering on the cross for our sins—so that you and I might be set free from sin and death and live for all eternity. When we are doubting, when we are frustrated, angry, feeling all alone, to what do we cling? That which our father in the faith, the patriarch Jacob did, the ladder of God, which is Christ Himself. He who was crucified in our stead, who bore the punishment that our sin so richly deserves—it is to Him and His cross alone that we cling to so fervently.
Jesus, the Most High was made to be the lowest—indeed, He became sin for us, writes St. Paul. He was put under every curse of sin, death and hell, so that He might devour them—that they might have no power over us anymore. For He later ascended into heaven so that we also may be raised in glory.
Just think how God strengthened Jacob in the wilderness during his time of need and danger. Jacob saw God Himself—in a dream—with his eyes wide shut! And yet we are blessed to see this same promise of the Saviour more clearly in the Word of God, when we hear the testimony of the apostles and evangelists in the New Testament. We see heaven opened to us and all of His vast promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation fulfilled—in our beloved crucified Lord Jesus—with our ears!
Trust not your eyes that may deceive you to the truth of this world—rather trust in the sure and certain Word of Christ. For in that Word is there life and salvation! For God’s Word is the cradle of Christ—in His Word we see and receive Jesus. In that Word we hear of the sure and certain fulfillment of all God’s promises—in the person and work of His only-begotten Son. Let us hold fast to Him who is our ladder to the safety of the heavenly kingdom. Let us cling to Him as He restores us to life and carries us to our eternal reward. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.