Jacob's Ladder סֻלָּם֙
Jacob, the son of Isaac, is headed to Laban, the son of Bethuel, the Syrian because his brother has threatened to kill him. On the way he has to spend the night in the wilderness. During the night he has a dream wherein he sees 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. And behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac.” Genesis 28:12-13 The experience was so sacred to Jacob that he consecrated the place and called it Beth-El or “House of God.”
Without any additional details to this story, it is hard to guess what the meaning is to what Jacob saw that night. Since the Bible is a translated book, I decided to look at the original Hebrew word for “ladder.” The word is found in the interlinear Bible and is pronounced sul-lām. It only occurs once in the Biblical text. The dictionary defines the word as “modulated” or possibly related to the similar word “escalated.” When the Bible was translated into English, the idea of “escalate” led the translator to pick the noun ladder or sometimes stairway.
I’m going to explore the idea that the ladder, since it went from earth to heaven, did not go in a straight line. In outer space the shortest distance is curved. A ladder or staircase that is curved is spiral shaped. The word “modulate” in music means the changing of pitches up and down. The angels Jacob saw were both ascending and descending. Now if the angels were coming from God to give a message to Jacob they would first descend and then ascend unless that’s not what he saw. We normally think of a helix in the y-axis but if you look at a helix rotated as if it were in the y-axis you see a line that ascends and descends similar to a sine curve which could describe musical tones going up and down.
Why would this be instructive to anyone? The path from Earth to Heaven and how to get on it is the primary topic of discussion in the Bible. Isaiah 35:8-10 speaks of the “way of holiness.” Proverbs 10:29 says that “the way of the Lord is strength to the upright.” Jeremiah talks of “one heart and one way.” 2 Sam 22:31 says, “His way is perfect.”
Living on this Earth, as a believer, the path seems fraught with both trials and obstacles. Every time things seem to be going well, something happens to try my faith and hope in the promises of the gospel. New Testament writers spoke of these kinds of trials as “more precious than gold.” 1 Pet 1:7-9 In another place the great trial of affliction leads to an abundance of joy through grace. The poverty of obstacles became a rich blessing as the believer willingly gives themselves to God. (1 Cor 8-9)
In what other ways does the Bible describe the “path” back to God. David said in Psalms 23 that he “walks through the valley of the shadow of death.” Isaiah speaks of those who put their trust in God inheriting the “holy mountain.” He also promises that God will “take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.” (Isa 57:13-14)
The great message of God to the weary traveller: “Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.” (Isa 57:19)
The Old Covenant made to Abraham and the New Covenant as described in the New Testament describe the blessings that the believer will receive if he or she stays on the “path.” Hebrews 10: 16-39 refers to the “New and living way.” By following the path, the believer “draws near.” Paul counsels us to not “forsake the assembling of ourselves together” which I interpret at worshiping in congregations. He mentions the “great fight of afflictions.” And through it all, we must have “patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
This life is a progression of lofty vistas and deep sorrows. The purpose is to overcome by faith and to show that we have faith by enduring the trials we are subject to without turning back. Every step into the future is an act of faith. It is through self-mastery that we “obtain the crown.” (1 Cor 9:24-27) It is the giving up of our sins and weaknesses through repentance that we partake of the grace Christ offers. In fact, He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
Image Credit: RobHar / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain