Getting right with God?
This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Stairway! (WATCH HERE)
A stairway spans a gap between two places. It can be two floors of a building or the distance between the floor and a shelf out of reach. It allows someone to go where they wouldn’t have been able to without the assistance of the ladder or stairway.
The dream that God gave Jacob had the ladder that extended from the throne of God to earth. The stairway is what connected the two places.
So why is that significant?
First the two places are heaven, where God is, and earth, where sinful mankind dwells. The conscience God put inside each one of us has a natural tendency to want to “be right with God.” It leads us to try to construct ways or ladders to get from where we are to the presence of a holy God.
The reality is that what man has come up with is a flimsy ladder at best or a ladder that is insufficient to span the gap. Some try to make ladders out of their own performance thinking that if one does more good than bad, eventually there will be a rung that reaches to the dwelling of God. Some try to compare their ladders with others and conclude that as long as their ladder built on their performance is longer than 50% of others, they are good. The problem with man-made ladders is they all “fall short” of the presence of God. The standard of the ladder that spans earth to heaven is perfection. God said the only ladder that will gain access is one that is unblemished by sin. God said the only ladder that will gain access is one on which perfect people walk.
We meet neither of these criteria.
Romans 3:22,23 There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So without a pathway to heaven we can build on our own, we are helpless without God sending a stairway on which we can walk.
The amazing thing about the dream given to Jacob is a glimpse of the stairway that God made which extends from heaven to earth.
So what is this a glimpse of? The saving life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He is the one who came from heaven to bring us to heaven.
As Jesus was interacting with his disciples on the night before he went to the cross he told them he was going to heaven and would then take them to heaven. Unsure, Thomas asks the following and Jesus’ response identifies for us who was the stairway pictured in Jacob’s dream.
John 14:1-6 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The only stairway that gives complete confidence to a sinful soul is the perfect stairway Jesus made to bring us from this earth to the throne of God forever!
Apply: What insight into Jesus do you have when you consider him as the stairway from you to God?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for making it possible for me to come to you through the perfect life, innocent death and glorious resurrection of Jesus. AMEN.
Angels…coming and going!
This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Stairway! (WATCH HERE)
Genesis 28:12 [Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
On Sunday, I didn’t spend time talking about the angels that were going up and down on the stairway, but it deserves some reflection.
God could have given Jacob a dream of himself in heaven and just spoken the words of promise and affirmed his presence, but he chooses to use the stairway and has angels ascending and descending to and from the throne of God. Why do you think?
As I think of how and where angels show up in the history of the Bible, it seems they show up to do two things: Proclaim and Protect.
The angel Gabriel came to Mary to proclaim to her that she would be the mother of Jesus. The angels came to Abraham and told him he would have a child and that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed. An angel came to Zechariah to tell him he would have a son named John. The book of Revelation has many examples of the angels sent to proclaim words to the seven churches in Asia Minor.
However the key thing is that these are not messages that the angels came up with on their own. They are bringing words from the very voice of God to God’s people. Consider Gabriel’s opening words to Mary: Luke 1:19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
Part of the power of the vision God showed Jacob was the fact that communication was open between him and God. Whether it was direction from God himself or from one of his angels, God’s desire was for Jacob to receive his words. This was the case as Jacob was returning and encountered the angels of God:
Genesis 32:1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
Angels are also for protection. Consider the words of the psalmist in Psalm 91:11-12:
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. There are numerous examples, but perhaps a familiar one is Daniel in the lions den when he was asked how he survived, replied (Daniel 6:22), “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
Perhaps it’s easy to think, “Yeah that was in Bible times, but not today.” Perhaps in some ways the direct revelation and interaction has shifted to the words of the Bible, but we know that the angels of God are still actively ascending and descending from the throne of God to carry out the will of God among God’s people. The writer to the Hebrews posed (1:14), “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
They are. You can live each day with the confidence not only that you have a God who loves you, but a God who sends his angels to serve you…to bring you messages of his Word and protection of his power.
Apply: Perhaps you have not had a direct encounter with an angel, but can you think of a time in life where your life was spared from harm and you thought, “God must have sent an angel.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love that is willing to command your angels to watch over and protect me. AMEN.
Where’s the Stairs?
This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Stairway! (WATCH HERE)
If one were to ask you for all the names and images that come to mind when you think about the person and work of Jesus, I would guess that it would take a while to make the list of Jesus as a stairway. Good Shepherd? Sure. Light of the World? Absolutely. Stairway? Uhh…what do you mean?
A stairway allows us access to an area of the building or house that we could not access without the stairway. We grab a ladder to get to places we can’t reach on our own. A stairway spans a gap that otherwise would not be accessible.
The Lord chose to use the picture of a stairway with Jacob when he was on the run from his home to his Uncle Laban. Jacob’s twin brother, Esau, was ready to kill Jacob because he had tricked him out of his birthright and tricked Isaac into blessing him as if he were Jacob. Esau was restraining himself until Isaac died, but it was not safe for Jacob at home. With a day’s journey behind him and the quiet of the night and the reality of his situation on his heart, he laid down to sleep.
Genesis 28:10–17 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
As the LORD extends the ladder from his throne to Jacob on earth, he communicates, not a distance, but a desire that Jacob know of his presence and promises. With words that once again communicate his promises, the angels bring the messages of God to Jacob.
God could choose many different pictures to reach out to Jacob and assure him of his presence and promises, but he chose a stairway. The stairway connected Jacob to the throne of God. The stairway connected the presence of God to the loneliness of Jacob. The stairway connected the words of God to the heart of Jacob. The stairway created a picture of the work of God spanning the gap between sinful humanity and the holiness of God. The stairway was a glimpse of the person and work of Jesus…more to come this week!
Apply: What picture does a stairway bring to you? What do you think God was communicating to Jacob and us with the use of a stairway?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for spanning the gap between heaven and earth to be with us and guide us with your promises. Let the picture of a stairway for the work of Christ become real for us this week. AMEN.
The promise prevails!
This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Substitute! (WATCH HERE)
Genesis 22:15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
The account of Genesis 22 and Abraham’s willingness to walk by faith and live by God’s promises and not human perceptions is a powerful testimony and example of living under the provision and promises of God…always.
As the ram is on the altar instead of Isaac, the angel of the LORD calls to Abraham. What is amazing about this encounter is that more than likely the “Angel of the LORD” is the pre-incarnate second person of the trinity, Jesus himself. Speaking with knowledge of the future and his role as a descendant of Abraham, he speaks with authority as to what God is going to do as he unfolds the years of history following Abraham’s act of faithfulness.
Abraham’s descendants will be many.
Abraham’s Descendant will bless all.
The dominos of salvation history continued to fall in the shadow of God’s faithfulness and Abraham’s faith.
God’s promises are fulfilled through the faithfulness of God’s people. Yes, God would carry out his plan through and inspite of unfaithfulness of his people, but what is important to recognize is that the faithfulness of God’s people is part of God’s plan to fulfill his promises. Along the way he gives them and us opportunities to walk by faith, not sight and live focused on his promises, not our human perceptions.
What happens to the reality of God’s promises in your life and your family tree when you live by them?
Perhaps it’s hard to understand in the moment, but God uses your faithfulness to be a blessing to future generations. I look back in my family tree (as much as I know of it) and I see faithful Christian parents, pastors, and family that have passed on the truth of Jesus’ love and grace, modeled it and shared it personally and professionally as pastors. My family and I get to enjoy the blessings of that generational faithfulness and have the privilege and responsibility to pass that on to the next generation. It gives me joy to see my girls active in their faith, seeking opportunities to share, to use their gifts to serve the Gospel work and witness to their friends. Faithfulness is recognized by the Lord and given reward not only in heaven, but in the current generation in which we live.
Abraham’s faithfulness was one step in the lineage of God’s people that eventually brought his Son into the world through Mary. What would unfaithfulness of Abraham brought about? We will never know, which a good thing.
What will unfaithfulness on our part bring? Let’s pray we never know the spiritual consequences of giving up on the Gospel and walking away from God’s promises, but learn from Abraham and his son Isaac that the blessings of walking by faith, trusting the plan and promises of God always bring blessings far greater than the challenges and tests present in the moment.
Apply: Where is God challenging you to faithfulness today? Ask him for strength to be faithful to him. Give thanks when you see the blessing of faithfulness in your life!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your certain promises and the ability to live by them each and every day. AMEN.
I need a substitute.
This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Shadows: A Glimpse of a Substitute! (WATCH HERE)
When do you need a substitute?
When playing basketball, a coach will put a substitute in when a player is tired, in foul trouble, or just not performing like he wants.
In baking, you use a substitute when you are out of what the recipe calls for and don’t want to run to the store to get the main ingredient.
Sometimes you find a substitute for something you don’t want to do.
Sometimes you need a substitute when you are sick or on vacation.
A substitute stands in for the original to perform a task they are unable, unwilling, or unqualified to do.
Genesis 22:12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
Just as Abraham had told Isaac, “The Lord will provide the lamb for the sacrifice,” so the Lord did. Isaac’s life was spared and in his place was provided a ram.
The phrase that captures the role of a substitute is the phrase, “Instead of.” The ram was sacrificed as a burnt offering “instead of” his son.
God didn’t eliminate the need for a sacrifice that day. He however allowed Isaac to climb off the altar and let his father untie his hands. In place of Isaac a ram who was caught in a thicket was caught and his life ended that day.
Imagine the thoughts that may have gone through Abraham’s mind as he lifted his knife and slit the throat of the ram, relieved that he didn’t have to do that to his son. Imagine the relief of Isaac as the life of the ram left and the fire consumed the animal, relieved that his life was spared.
Imagine your thoughts and mine as we watch our Savior Jesus hang on the cross paying for our sins instead of us. Imagine your thoughts and mine as we see Jesus suffer the agony of hell, being separated from his heavenly Father, instead of us.
The ram was the substitute for Isaac. The Lamb is the substitute for us.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Isaiah 53:5-7 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
The greatest substitution ever performed was God pulling us out of the “saving” game and inserting his Son. He knew our life and our performance would never amount to the perfection he demanded and so was willing to send his Son to live and die in our place…instead of us…as our substitute.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Apply: What gratitude comes to mind as you see a glimpse of Jesus as your substitute in the ram that was sacrificed instead of Isaac?
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for willingly taking my place, as my substitute on the cross. AMEN.