NOTES for Gen 28:1-22

The first meeting of Jacob with God described in Genesis takes place when he is fleeing to Haran, the homeland of Abraham. It was very important: here God renews with Jacob the covenantal alliance first made with Abraham. In antiquity, alliances that had been concluded had to be renewed or confirmed when the situation changed substantially, in particular when one of the parties died. Then the heir of the deceased had to confirm that the agreement made with his father remained in force for him as well. For Jacob, this was his first meeting with the God of Abraham.

Of course, Jacob could not have failed to hear about Him. That is impossible even to imagine. But hearing about Him and meeting Him face to face are not the same thing. The meeting takes place in an old and, at that time, probably abandoned sanctuary at Bethel, founded by Abraham himself. It was unexpected: Jacob did not even understand where he had ended up for the night or what stone he had slept on. This is not surprising. The sanctuaries of nomads were simple and modest, most often only a circle of stones laid out on the ground, with another large, flat stone usually in the center serving as an altar.

Jacob used this altar stone as a pillow. In antiquity people often stayed overnight in a sanctuary in order to learn the will of the deity to whom it was dedicated. Visions, whether in a dream or while awake, revealed to a person during such a night, were considered a revelation of the deity's will or an answer to a question the person had asked.

Jacob also sees such a dream: before his eyes appears a stepped altar like those that then existed in great numbers in the cities of the Near East. At the top, on the altar platform, Jacob sees the God of Abraham standing. The story gives no details of the scene; only the fact itself is mentioned. A stairway leads up there, and angels, God's messengers, move up and down on it. God renews the covenant with Jacob and leads him after Himself, up there, to Himself. The whole path still lies ahead; Jacob is only at the bottom step of the stairway. Yet the covenant with him has been made by God, and that means his path has begun.

A very good text, suitable for any day. "Of all that You give me, O God, I will give You a tenth." Using Jacob's formula, we can calculate how much time we might return to God. One tenth of twenty-four hours is two hours and twenty-four minutes. Now let each person use their own formula to determine the amount of time they owe. And all of this is in addition to what we owe for everything else He gives us. Now let us get to work.

What is the meaning of the ladder Jacob saw? And how is it connected with the meaning of the whole vision as a whole? That on that night God renews with Jacob the covenant once concluded with Abraham is obvious. But what, in that case, can the ladder mean?

From the point of view of historical and cultural realities, it most closely resembles the altars that were found then in great numbers in the cities of northern Palestine and Phoenicia, pyramid-shaped structures with an altar platform at the top, to which a ladder led from the ground. Jacob evidently sees just such an altar, on whose upper platform the God of Abraham stands. Unfortunately, the biblical narrative does not mention exactly how He appeared to Jacob. But the meaning of the vision in such a context becomes clearer: God is evidently calling Jacob after Himself, offering him to climb the ladder as all who desired a meeting with Him climbed it.

This is not surprising, since the renewal of the covenant meant the establishment of relations between God and Jacob, who quite possibly had previously thought more about the right of the firstborn and about power in the tribe than about God. Now he had to become better acquainted with the God of his fathers and become the leader of the people of God, which was far from simple. Until now Jacob had probably thought that becoming a leader was not so difficult: for that one needed only desire, which he had, a little cunning, and a little luck. Now, when he had to flee from his enraged brother, he apparently began to understand that when power is involved, even if only in a small nomadic tribe, everything can turn unexpectedly serious, so serious that a claimant to power has to fear for his life.

But most likely he did not yet understand that life in general is so harsh that one can survive only with God's help, and all the more that without His help it is impossible to become a leader. And now he had to understand this, to understand it through his own difficult experience of life in foreign parts, among relatives who are glad to see you while you are poor and persecuted, and not very glad when you become strong and rich.

And Jacob also had years ahead of him of ever closer communion with the God of his fathers, who over these years would become his God too. And He would make Jacob not merely the head of the tribe into which he had been born, but the leader of His people.

What is the meaning of the ladder seen by Jacob? And how is it connected with the sense of the entire dream generally? The fact that on that night God renews with Jacob the alliance once concluded with Abraham is obvious. But what means in that case the ladder? From the point of view of the historic and cultural realities, it reminds most to these altars, which we met then in great quantities in the cities of the North of Palestine and Phoenicia, which was a pyramidal structure with an altar platform at the top, where the ladder was led from the earth. Jacob, apparently, sees only such an altar, at the top of the platform of which stands the God of Abraham. Unfortunately, the biblical story does not mention how He really appeared to Jacob. But the sense itself of the dream in such context becomes clear: God, apparently calls Jacob with Him, offering him to climb by the ladder, as were climbing by it those who wanted to meet him.

It is not surprising: for the renewal of the union meant the establishment of relationships between God and Jacob, who before very probably thought more about the right of the first-born ("the primogeniture") and about the power in the tribe, than about God. Now it was necessary for him to get acquainted with the God of his fathers and to become the leader of the people of God, what was far from being easy. So far Jacob thought probably, that being a leader isn’t so difficult, for that is needed only the desire, which was for him, a little of cunning and a little of luck.

Now, when he had to flee from his furious brother, he apparently began to understand that, when it is about power, even if it is only in a small nomadic tribe, things can suddenly become serious, so serious that the claimant for the power has to be afraid of his life. But he did not certainly yet understand that the life is generally so severe that we can survive only with the help of God, and what is more without His help it is impossible to become a leader.

And now it was necessary for him to understand that, to understand by a difficult personal experience of life in a foreign land, with relatives who are satisfied with you, when you are poor and persecuted, and aren’t enough, when you become strong and rich. And also in front of Jacob, there were years of more and more narrow relationships with the God of his fathers, who for these years will also become his God. And He will make Jacob not simply the leader of the tribe, in which he was born, but the leader of His people.