Contemplative Bible Reading

Genesis 28:16-17 (New Living Translation)

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” 17 But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”

The is part of the (hi)story of Jacob and his journey to find a wife. Jacob camps for the night at a place called Bethel. Those who study the geography of the time feel Bethel is just north of Jerusalem. Jacob dreams of a stairway to heaven with Jehovah God standing at the top of the stairway and speaking to him.

The verses above discuss what happens to Jacob when he awakes in the morning. There is much in a couple of sentences. I would expect no less from a person who just had such a dream—imagine speaking with God in a dream.

Jacob calls this place, Bethel, “the house of God, the very gateway to heaven.”

Consider this literally. There is a place named Bethel that is the gateway to heaven. You can enter heaven at that place by walking up a stairway. Surely this is all fantasy, the stuff of dreams and such. But is it? Is there a place where I can open the gate and climb the stairs to heaven.

The text God has given us is an amazing one. There is so much in it that I do not understand. Perhaps one day. Praise be to God.