Jacob is blessed richly by grace, "God is with you", because God has determined to bless Jacob not because of Jacob's merit. We discuss the meaning of Jacob's ladder, his dream of ascending and descending angels. The LORD blesses Jacob and restates the promise to Abraham that through Jacob's offspring all nations will be blessed. In the New Covenant portion, Yeshua uses the same vision of the ladder in John1:51 saying, " Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." As followers of Yeshua, we ascend to heaven upon Jesus our mediator, and God through the Holy Spirit sends his ministering angels up and down watching over those on earth who believe in Him. Like the ladder, our prayers rise to God and his answers descend to us. We discuss Jacob's spiritual maturation in his own faith walk concluding that he will serve God. We discuss that God bestows His favor or "grace" on those whom He chooses. His favor cannot be taken from a person, and nobody knows the personal trials that led to that favor. "Favor" may provoke the sin of envy which is discontent and covetousness, idolatry, and a destructive sin of ill will and malice. God is "jealous" for His people and this causes Him to be strict when His people go after other "idols".
