The iconic song, “Stairway to Heaven” made popular in the 1970s by Led Zeppelin, has absolutely nothing to do with this passage. But, if you’re like me, you think of it when you picture Jacob’s dream. It can be a helpful image to picture God and angels descending from heaven to earth on a regular basis to help us, watch over us, guide us.
Jacob’s dream was his opportunity to meet God face to face. He had grown up seeing his faithful father and hearing of his faithful grandfather. He has now heard from God firsthand that this land would be his. What a comfort knowing God would be with him, protecting him until what was promised was fulfilled. We, too, have that assurance that God is with us.
But then Jacob surprises us with this statement of his vow. “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.”
Was Jacob intimating that only if God held up his end of the bargain that Jacob would call God his own? Was he putting a limit on God or his obedience to God? We trust God will be true to his word, but it’s possible Jacob did not.
Do we ever try to bargain with God? Have you said something like, “If you get me out of this mess, God, I’ll follow you forever”? It certainly happens. In my younger days, I may have said something like that when living in fear in an abusive marriage. I wanted God’s help to escape for the safety of my children and vowed if he helped me I would be his forever. I remember being on my knees and can vividly picture that location and encounter with God.
Jacob memorialized the location of his encounter with God. The last church we served was called Bethel Lutheran, and it is this story from which our namesake was derived. The house of God or gateway to heaven. Don’t we think of all churches as God’s house? Our current fellowship is called The Lord’s Church. There again, our God is Lord over all churches, all creation. What’s important is to recognize that and honor that.
Too many times, we get caught up in programming details and ministry creation that we forget who we are serving. We are created to worship God and serve one another. When the focus turns inward on what we get out of our ministry or what we get out of our time of worship, we lose the focus on God.
We are selfish creatures. It’s not our fault. To know it is our weakness is the first step to becoming more Christlike and leaving our old ways behind. Let’s not be like Jacob who put his conditions out there. If you do this God, then I will do that. We need to be willing to serve and love God unconditionally just as he loves us.
Let’s pray. Lord, I thank you that you have made me and given me a purpose. Please show me what you intend for me so that I can be the woman you designed me to be. I thank you for your protection and guidance. I thank you for each person you bring into my life. Continue to use me and my words to bless others and bring them closer to you. Help me to channel my desire to help others in a constructive manner. May I leave no gift from you unopened or unused. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
