Jacob's Ladder
God's Presence
Genesis 28about 2 minutes to read aloud
Jacob had wronged his brother Esau and his father Isaac. Now he was running for his life, alone, toward a far-off land. He had nothing but his staff.
The sun set in the wilderness. Jacob found a stone to rest his head on, and he lay down on the hard ground. He fell asleep far from home.
In a dream, Jacob saw a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. Angels of God were going up and coming down on it. And at the top stood the Lord.
The Lord spoke. "I am the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. The land where you lie I will give to you and your children. Through your family, all the families of the earth will be blessed. I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go."
Jacob woke in the gray dawn. He was trembling. "Surely the Lord is in this place," he said, "and I did not know it." He took the stone he had slept on and set it up as a pillar.
He called the place Bethel, which means house of God. And he made a promise that the Lord would be his God. For the Lord had met him in the wilderness — and a God like that does not let go.
Questions to talk about
Why was Jacob sleeping in the wilderness?
Show the answer
Jacob had tricked his brother Esau and was running away from home.
What did Jacob see in his dream?
Show the answer
He saw a stairway reaching heaven with angels going up and down on it.
What did Jacob name that place?
Show the answer
He called it Bethel, meaning "house of God."
The lesson
God is with His people even when they do not deserve it. He meets the runaway in the wilderness.
