JACOB AND THE OPEN HEAVEN Having blessed his son Jacob, Isaac - by Rebecca’s request - instructed Jacob to go to his uncle Laban, to take one of his daughters as wife, to support him in his way of faith, and to refrain from marrying from the daughters of Heth, as his brother Esau did. On his way, he dreamt that heaven was open, and saw a ladder set up on earth, and its top reached to heaven, and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it, and the Lord stood above it. Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, and poured oil on top of it, to set it as a pillar in God’s house. 1- Isaac’s commandment to his son Jacob 1-5. 2- Esau marries the daughter of Ishmael 6-9. 3- The heavenly ladder 10-15. 4- Jacob and the house of God 16-22. 1- ISAAC’S COMMANDMENT TO HIS SON JACOB If Rebecca asked Jacob to flee from the face of his brother Esau until his anger vanished, she, together with her husband Isaac were convinced that Jacob was the heir of the blessing, in whom the promise would be realized. That is why, in her talk with him, she was sure of his eventual return to the land of Canaan (Gen. 27:44-45) to inherit the land of promise. Isaac also made that clear in his saying to Jacob: “May God Almighty give you the blessing of Abraham; to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham (Gen. 28:4). Indeed, Isaac could have sent one of his servants to bring a wife for Jacob, as Abraham did for him, but because of Esau’s anger towards his brother, Isaac and Rebecca preferred to send Jacob off to his uncle Laban, to stay with him “a few days.” These few days extended about 40 years, during which Rebecca died and did not see her son Jacob. Isaac blessed his son Jacob before leaving to his uncle Laban who is described in the Holy Bible as “the brother of Rebecca, the mother of Jacob and Esau” (Gen. 28:5). Here, Rebecca was called “the mother of Jacob,” counting him as a firstborn, who would enjoy the blessings of Abraham. 2- ESAU MARRIES THE DAUGHTER OF ISHMAEL When Esau saw how his brother got the birthright and the blessing, that was confirmed by sending him to ‘Padan Aram’ to marry one of his uncle’s daughters, and felt that his own marriage to two of the pagan daughters of Heth, had deprived him of much. He intended, for the sake of pacifying his parents, to marry a third wife, ‘Mahalath,’ daughter of Ishmael, son of Abraham, and sister of ‘Nebajoth.’ 3- THE HEAVENLY LADDER And now, having fled before the face of his brother Esau, deprived of the compassion and care of his parents, on his way, when the sun has set, he found himself alone and prone to many dangers. Amid that affliction, Jacob lay down to sleep, putting his head on one of the stones of that place. Then he dreamed of a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, something he could never had seen, as he was dwelling in his tent, spoiled and cared for by his mother, with soft pillows 4 under his head! Amid affliction and deprivation, there comes God to respond to any need, and to give in much more abundance than we ask for. And as St. Jerome says: [The stone under Jacob’s head is Christ, as he, who never had a stone under his head, have one now, at the time he fled before his oppressor. When he was in his father’s house, comfortable according to the flesh, he did not enjoy such a stone under his head. He forsook his home, and became poor and lonely, with nothing in his possession except a cane, to find in the same evening a stone to put under his head; and to find comfort through a vision he saw1.] If the stone is the Lord Christ, we would never enjoy heavenly visions and exalted divine knowledge, as long as we live spoiled, leaning on others. Fr. Caesarius of Arles2 believes that Jacob refers to Christ. And his father Isaac, who commanded him to forsake the girls of the region, refers to God the Father Who lets His Son forsake the Jewish Synagogue, to head far away to acquire the Church of the Gentiles as His bride. That was realized when the two apostles, Paul and Barnabas, said to the Jews: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). Fr. Caesarius also sees in that stone, a symbol of the Lord Christ, on whom the Church is established, anointed for the work of salvation. While the Lord Christ appeared on the top of the ladder, in the height of heaven, being the heavenly, there He is under Jacob’s head as the Cornerstone, on which the Church is set through His incarnation. St. Augustine speaks of that stone saying: [In that stone, we comprehend Christ... put at his head, being the Head of the Church (1 Corinthians 11:3); then that stone was anointed, as Christ was so called, as He is the “Anointed3.”] The ladder seen by Jacob is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which, by faith we are lifted up to enjoy heaven itself; and through their denial, the Jews descend down to Hades. And as St. Jerome says: [I believe that the cross of the Savior is the ladder seen by Jacob. On that ladder, the angels were seen ascending and descending. On that ladder, namely on the cross, the Jews were descending, and the Gentiles were ascending4.] And he also says: [He saw angels ascending, as he saw Paul ascending; and angels descending, as he saw Judas the traitor falling down. He saw saints ascending from earth to heaven, as he saw also angels descending, namely the devil and all his hosts, falling down from heaven5.] As we behold the ladder, we should not find it difficult to ascend through it, as the Lord is there on its top, to support us and to lift us up. And as St. Jerome says: [Do not look at the steps, but lift your eyes up to where the Lord is6.] St. Jerome encourages us to ascend without stopping, saying: [If one of us is standing on the first step, let him not despair to reach the second one. And who stands on the second, let him not lose hope of reaching the third. How happy have been the martyrs, many of whom were worthy of ascending to the ultimate steps, to the top itself. We, who are living in the world, cannot ascend all the steps, from the bottom to the top, at one time. Yet, I wish we do not stop at the first step, but it is appropriate for 1 On Ps. hom 46. 2 Ser. 83:2. 3 On Ps. 45. 4 On Ps. hom 21. 5 On Ps. hom 41. 6 On Ps. hom 41. 5 us to strive ascending higher steps1.] And he says as well: [The lesson we learn from that ladder, is that it is not fit for the sinner to despair of salvation, nor for the righteous to relax in peace concerning his virtue2.] Fr. Caesarius interprets the timing of that vision on the way, by saying: [Why did that vision happen on the way, before Jacob acquires his wife? Because our Lord, the true Jacob, first bowed on the ladder, namely the cross, before shaping the Church for Himself. He did that as He presented her with His blood, as a dowry for His kingdom3.] 4- JACOB AND THE HOUSE OF GOD In our study of the Church as the house of God, we spoke of “Bethel4,” having having been the first house of God, set by man, after he enjoyed the opened heaven, and saw the ladder, set up on earth, and its top reaching to heaven, and saw the angels of God ascending and descending on it; and heard God, who was standing on its top saying to him, “I am with you.” Jacob awoke from his sleep and said: “Surely the Lord is in this place!... How awesome is this place!... This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!... Then he took that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it, and he called the name of that place ‘Bethel,’ namely, (the house of God)” (Gen. 28 16-19). God intended to present to the sacred congregation, through their father Jacob, two facts of faith, which are: His presence with them, and the opening of heaven to those on earth. As to His presence with His people, we find God’s confirmation “I am with you,” at a time when Jacob found no one to support him. As to the opening of heaven to those on earth, the reconciliation has been realized through the true ladder, and the Church became the house of God, and the dwelling place of His angels. And as St. John Chrysostom says: [God sends angels to mankind, to lead them to the heavenly. Here, heaven is set on earth; in order that heaven is committed to accept the earthly5.] We have previously dealt with the Church ‘Bethel,’ and its relationship with the sacred congregation and heaven6. 1 On Ps. hom 41. 2 Ep. 132:5. 3 Ser. 87:3. 4 Church, House of God, P 20-22. 5 Sunday Sermons of the Great Frs. Vol. 1, p. 113.
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