the man in the middle

The Word for today:
Genesis 27:46-28:22

Jacob had stolen what was already his. And now, for the next 20 years, he would pay for it!

How bitter it must have been for Jacob to know that his misery had been unnecessary. God had promised Jacob the firstborn position--the birthright and the blessing--but Jacob had stolen it with his lies.

Now, on the run from the enraged Esau, he found himself profoundly alone. The bleak and dreary landscape which surrounded him, full of real and present danger, was the creation of his own unbelief.

But right there--in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night, in the middle of his fretful sleep--God put on a display of sheer grace:
And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!(Genesis 28:11-12)

***

Between a rock and a hard place, between his sin and its consequences, Jacob had met the man in the middle:
"I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  (John 1:51)

Very man of very man and very God of very God, Jesus is the connection between man and God. The commerce between heaven and earth are upon him. The transaction at the cross, and the ongoing transaction in prayer, are through him. He is the covenant--the way and the means. He's where the deal goes down:
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

***

How sad it is that many of us can never catch a vision of Jacob's Ladder until we're between the devil and the deep blue sea--or between Esau and Laban in the 'dead waste and middle of the soul's dark night.' (1)

But sadder yet is when the new day finds us still blaming God for the darkness that illuminated the Way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob’s Ladder

We are climbing Jacob’s ladder
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder
Soldiers of the cross.
Every rung goes higher, higher
Every rung goes higher, higher
Every rung goes higher, higher
Soldiers of the cross.
Sinner, do you love my Jesus…
Soldiers of the cross.
If you love Him, why not serve Him…
Soldiers of the cross.
Rise, shine, give God glory…
Soldiers of the cross.
We are climbing higher, higher…
Soldiers of the cross.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) see Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, scene 2