Jacob experienced the fear of the unknown when he was traveling to Padan Aram, where he would meet Rachel, the love of his life. On the way, he stopped at Bethel. There, he dreamed of a ladder reaching up to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. Finally, from the top of the ladder, God spoke to him, revealing what He would do to make his joy complete. From Jacob's descendants would come the Savior, who would pay the price for the salvation of mankind. God is wonderful!

He placed a stone under his head, a symbol of the firm foundation that his soul hoped to find. He suffered his brother's aggression even in the womb, and in his defense, the pain was left to his mother, who taught him to depend on the Father. Only He can judge her attitude. At first, Jacob refused his mother's proposal, until she said to him, “Do this, and I will bear the consequences.” He had to act against reason so that our salvation would not rest in careless hands (Genesis 27).

Who could have imagined that God would reveal Himself to him in that desolate place formerly called Luz? Light penetrates through any crack and illuminates what is hidden. Now, where there is no light, darkness dominates, oppresses, and makes everyone truly defeated. We are the light of the world. The One who said this was the Light Himself, Jesus, our Savior (Matthew 5:14).

In his dream, Jacob saw a ladder connecting Earth to Heaven. Angels ascended and descended on it to praise and serve the righteous Creator. From the top of the ladder, the Lord told Jacob that He would be with him wherever he went (Genesis 28:10-17). We need to hear that distinctive voice speak the same words to us, encouraging us and cleansing our hearts so that we may please the One who created us. Then, at the last moment, we will be able to say: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7), which connects us to God. Without it, we will never be heard by Him.

The patriarch's dream was not a nightmare, but a visit to God's throne room, where he heard the voice of the Creator and understood that he had everything he needed to be happy. From then on, he would be victorious in his endeavor. Did he wake up trembling inside, while being cleansed and purified with pure water—was it from Siloam? No, it came from the One who was Pure!           

The Bible records: And he (Jacob) was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:17b). Wherever divine revelation was given, the place would be seen as awesome or fearsome, for the presence of the Lord would cause such an impact. You will be mightily used by God when you understand that He directs your life through His Word. For Jacob, Luz was Bethel, the House of God.

The patriarch was not negligent; his flask had oil ready for the right moment. God placed the Stone that was to receive the anointing before Him, and in a ceremony full of joy and praise to the Creator, Jacob anointed the place with the anointing from Above and said, “This is Bethel, the house of God.” When you are purified, your heart will be the house of the Lord!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares