Jacob’s Ladder || 雅各的梯子

Article #28 the series: You Are God’s Masterpiece: The Genesis Notes. 

你是神的杰作:《创世记手记》系列系列第二十八篇

Jacob has received the blessing from his father, but he has no time to rejoice in the blessing. He is now facing a series of stressful and difficult situations. His brother wants to kill him, he is about to leave home for the first time and – on top of all this – he needs to find a wife. But before he leaves home his father gives him one more blessing to carry him on his journey.

雅各已经得到了父亲的祝福，却没有时间为这些祝福欢呼雀跃，他现在正面临着一连串紧张而困难的处境。他哥哥想杀他，他即将第一次离开家门，最紧要的是—— 他得找一个妻子！但是在雅各离开家之前，他的父亲又给他一个祝福，得以在旅程中保守他。

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.”
Genesis 28:1-9 NIV

 

以撒叫了雅各来，给他祝福，并嘱咐他说：“你不要娶迦南的女子为妻。你起身往巴旦亚兰去，到你外祖彼土利家里，在你舅拉班的女儿中娶一女为妻。愿全能的神赐福给你，使你生养众多，成为多族，将应许亚伯拉罕的福赐给你和你的后裔，使你承受你所寄居的地为业，就是神赐给亚伯拉罕的地。以撒打发雅各走了，他就往巴旦亚兰去，到亚兰人彼土利的儿子拉班那里。拉班是雅各、以扫的母舅。以扫见以撒已经给雅各祝福，而且打发他往巴旦亚兰去，在那里娶妻，并见祝福的时候嘱咐他说：“不要娶迦南的女子为妻。”又见雅各听从父母的话往巴旦亚兰去了，以扫就晓得他父亲以撒看不中迦南的女子，便往以实玛利那里去，在他二妻之外，又娶了玛哈拉为妻。她是亚伯拉罕儿子以实玛利的女儿，尼拜约的妹子。
创世记 28:1-9

Jacob Leaves Home
雅各背井离乡

Jacob obeyed and he left home. He went as far as he could on one day and then stopped to sleep. This might have been a stressful time. Alone, leaving home, pressure of finding the right wife and the knowledge that his twin brother wants to kill him. If you were in Jacob’s situation would you sleep easily on a rock?

雅各顺服了，他离开了家。有一天，他走得远远的，然后停下来住宿。这时的他一定倍感压力，孤身一人，背井离乡，还得找到合适的妻子，而且他的双胞胎哥哥正想追杀他。如果你在雅各当时的处境，会枕在石头上轻松入睡吗？

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 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.
Genesis 28:10-11 NIV

 

雅各出了别是巴，向哈兰走去。到了一个地方，因为太阳落了，就在那里住宿，便拾起那地方的一块石头枕在头下，在那里躺卧睡了。
创世记 28:10-11

Maybe in this moment God seemed very, very far away. Laying down in the wilderness, looking at all of the stars in the sky Jacob might have felt very, very small. God might have seemed very, very distant. But then Jacob had a dream and God came very very close.

或许，在那个时刻， 神看起来非常非常遥远。躺卧在旷野，看着天上的繁星，雅各可能感觉自己渺小极了， 神似乎离他遥不可及。但是，就在那时候，雅各做了一个梦， 神离他很近。

Jacob’s Dream
雅各的梦

In Jacob’s dream he had a vision and he heard God’s voice. The vision was of a ladder rested on earth which stretched to heaven. Angels were on the ladder going up and down. Above the ladder was God.

雅各在梦中看到了一个异象，并且听到了 神的声音。他梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的头顶着天，有 神的使者在梯子上，上去下来，而神站在梯子以上。

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. 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. 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. 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.”
Genesis 28:12-15 NIV

 

梦见一个梯子立在地上，梯子的顶着天，有神的使者在梯子上，上去下来。耶和华站在梯子以上（注：或作“站在他旁边”），说：“我是耶和华你祖亚伯拉罕的神，也是以撒的神，我要将你现在所躺卧之地赐给你和你的后裔。你的后裔必像地上的尘沙那样多，必向东西南北开展，地上万族必因你和你的后裔得福。我也与你同在，你无论往哪里去，我必保佑你，领你归回这地，总不离弃你，直到我成全了向你所应许的。”
创世记 28:12-15

Does this sound familiar? This is exactly what God had promised Abraham. Exactly what God had promised Isaac and now He is promising Jacob. This is the first time God personally spoke to Jacob. Earlier Isaac passed this blessing to Jacob, but now God Himself is pronouncing the blessing to Jacob. In Jacob’s time of great need, God speaks directly to him.

听起来耳熟吗？这些话正是 神给亚伯拉罕的应许，也正是 神给以撒的应许，现在祂把这应许给了雅各。这是 神第一次，亲自跟雅各对话。之前，以撒将 神的祝福传承给雅各，但是现在 神亲自开口祝福雅各。就在雅各有迫切需要的时候， 神直接对他说话了。

Have you ever walked through a difficult situation but during the time you seemed to hear God’s voice more clearly than ever before? Have you ever desperately needed encouragement and at the right time God comforted you and gave you a special Bible verse?

你有过这样的经历吗—— 在一个非常艰难的处境中，你好像比之前更清晰地听到了 神的声音？你是否经历过在非常需要鼓励的时刻， 神安慰了你，给了你一句特别的经文？

Jacob’s Ladder
雅各的梯子

Jacob sees God is not distant and far away, but He can be reached by a ladder. This is the way to get to heaven, climb up the ladder. What is this ladder? Why was there a ladder in Jacob’s dream? What is the connection between heaven and earth? This seems like a mysterious dream.

雅各看到 神并不是遥不可及的，而是可以借着一个梯子到祂那里去！这是通向天堂之路——爬上这个梯子！这个梯子是什么？为什么在雅各的梦里有一个梯子呢？在天与地之间的连接是什么？看起来这是个神秘的梦。

Many years later, when Jesus walked the earth, He helped explain the story of Jacob’s ladder. Jesus said to one of His newest disciples, Nathanael:

许多年后，当耶稣在地上行走的时候，解释过有关雅各梯子的故事。耶稣对祂最亲近的门徒之一拿但业说：

“He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on” the Son of Man.’”
John 1:51 NIV

 

“又说：‘我实实在在地告诉你们，你们将要看见天开了， 神的使者上去下来 在人子身上。’”
约翰福音 1:51

Jesus Is The Ladder
耶稣就是梯子

Jesus is the connection between earth and heaven. There is no way human beings can reach heaven on our own, we are not good enough. There are some religions which teach if you are a good enough person you can reach heaven and you can reach God. But as Christians we know we will never be good enough for heaven. God knows Jesus is perfect – He is good enough. And Jesus came down to earth to live among us. Jesus brought heaven to earth. He showed us how to live God’s way. He pointed us to the Father. The ladder comes down to heaven to reach earth.

耶稣连结着地上和天堂。人类没有办法靠自己去天堂—— 我们不够好！有一些宗教教导说，如果你是一个足够好的人，你就可以进天堂，可以去到 神那里。但是身为基督徒，我们知道自己永远都无法好得可以进天堂。神知道耶稣是完美的——祂足够完美！耶稣降世为人，生活在我们中间，藉着祂可以从地上去到天堂。祂让我们看到了怎么按照 神的旨意生活，祂把天父向我们显明。这梯子从天降下直达地面。

Holy in Heaven
天堂里的圣洁

The ladder in Jacob’s dream connected earth to heaven. Through the ladder of Jesus Christ, Jesus can take us to heaven. But in order to go to heaven, we must be perfectly holy. Are you perfectly holy? Maybe you are a pretty good person, but are you PERFECTLY holy? I am not. Heaven is a perfectly holy place. God is perfectly holy. There can be no sin there. (If there were sin in heaven, would you want to go? NO!) So how can I become perfectly holy and ready for heaven? I have to be washed clean. I have to be forgiven. This is what Jesus has done for us. He has taken all of my sins – everything that separates me from God, everything that breaks my relationship with God. He takes this sin onto Himself and Jesus assumes my guilt and was sacrificed on the cross.

雅各梦中的梯子联结着天和地。通过耶稣基督这个梯子，会把我们带到天堂。但是为了去到天堂，我们必须完全圣洁。你完全圣洁吗？或许你是一个很不错的好人，但是你完全圣洁吗？我不是！天堂是一个极致完美圣洁的地方—— 神是极致完美圣洁的。那里没有罪！（如果天堂里有罪，你还想去吗？绝对不会！）但是我怎么成为完全圣洁，准备好进天堂呢？我必须被洗干净，我必须罪得赦免。耶稣为我们做的正是这些。祂担当了我所有的罪——就是使我与 神隔绝，破坏了我和 神关系的所有东西—— 耶稣把这些罪背负在祂自己身上，祂也承担了我的羞耻，在十字架上成为活祭。

We know Jesus died and three days later He rose from the dead. He has paid the price for my sins and He now offers me the free gift of forgiveness. I can receive His gift and now Jesus makes a way for me to be holy. And, I am accepted into heaven. In this way Jesus is the ladder between the earth and heaven. He is the connection for me to have a home in heaven. Without Jesus, there is NO WAY I could step foot in heaven. Jesus is our ladder.

我们知道耶稣死了，三天后从死里复活，祂为我的罪负上代价，给了我白白的救恩作为礼物。我可以接受祂的礼物，而且现在耶稣使我成为圣洁—— 天堂接受了我！耶稣就是用这种方式，作了地上和天堂之间的梯子！祂使我在天堂里有了一个家！除了耶稣之外，没有别的方法能使我进入天堂！耶稣就是我们的梯子！

Jacob’s Response
雅各的回应

After this dream what was Jacob’s reaction?
梦醒之后，雅各的反应是什么呢？

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 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.” Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
Genesis 28:16-22 NIV

 

雅各睡醒了，说：“耶和华真在这里，我竟不知道！”就惧怕说：“这地方何等可畏！这不是别的，乃是神的殿，也是天的门。”雅各清早起来，把所枕的石头立作柱子，浇油在上面。他就给那地方起名叫伯特利（注：就是“神殿”的意思）；但那地方起先名叫路斯。雅各许愿说：“神若与我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又给我食物吃、衣服穿，使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家，我就必以耶和华为我的神，我所立为柱子的石头也必作神的殿，凡你所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给你。”
创世记 28:16-22

Jacob had holy fear. He respected God and acknowledged God’s presence. He didn’t say, “Wow, what a weird dream! I wonder what it meant?” No, he knew God was there. He believed the place was like the “House of God” so he calls the area Bethel. He makes a vow to follow God and to give God 10% of all he has.

他心里升起了敬畏。他敬畏 神，而且知道 神在那里。他没有说“哇，这个梦真诡异，我很好奇这个梦是什么意思？”他没有这么说，他知道 神在那里。他相信这个地方就像 神的殿一样，所以称之为“伯特利”。雅各 决定跟随 神——他起誓以耶和华为 神，而且将他所有的十分之一献给耶和华。

How Shall We Respond?
我们应该如何回应？

God’s promises do not change. God will connect with His people directly. You do not have to depend on another person’s faith such as the faith of another Christian brother or sister. You can have a direct connection to God yourself and often it is in the difficult times we feel God’s presence the closest. Jacob did not need to just depend on his father, Isaac’s, faith or his grandfather, Abraham’s, faith. God spoke directly to Jacob and made a way for Jacob to know God, to be blessed and have a forever connection with God in heaven.

神的应许不会改变。神会跟祂的子民直接联系。你不需要依靠别人的信心，比如其它弟兄姐妹的信心。你自己就可以跟 神有直接的联系，而且经常是在困难的时候，我们感到 神离我们特别近。雅各不需要仅仅依赖他父亲以撒对 神的信心，或者祖父亚伯拉罕的信心。神亲自对以撒说话，而且为雅各创造了一个途径得以认识祂，使他蒙受祝福，得以在天堂里跟 神有一个永恒的联结。

Have you had a personal connection with God or do you depend on the faith of those around you? Jacob was in a place all alone with no family member there by his side when he was sleeping on a rock. It was God Himself who came to Jacob with His blessing, encouragement and personal connection. God extends Himself to you today. He desires a connection with you.

你与 神有个人的联结吗？还是你依赖着身边的人对 神的信心呢？雅各孤身一人在那个地方——当他枕着石头睡觉时，没有家人在他身边。神亲自带着祂的祝福、鼓励，还有与雅各的个人联结来到了他的身边。今天 神就来到你身边，祂盼望跟你建立联结。