Jacob's Ladder

00:00:00 Speaker 1: How awesome this place is. This is none other than God's house, and this is the Gate of Heaven Genesis twenty eight seventeen. Dear Lord, we stand in awe of your presence, just as Jacob did at Bethel. Wherever you are, the ground becomes holy. Your presence transforms the ordinary into something sacred. We long to dwell where you are, to walk in the light of your truth, and to rest in the beauty of your will. Guide our hearts to live in alignment with your purposes. Teach us to honor you in both our words and actions. May we recognize the sacredness of each moment when your presence fills our hearts. Draw us near to you, Lord, and open our eyes to see you at work around us. Let our lives become places where your spirit dwells and your name is glorified. May our worship be sincere, our service humble, and our love steadfast. Keep us close to you always, for your presence is our greatest treasure and joy. Amen, Thank you for praying with me to day. You're listening to the Chosen People. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. If you enjoyed this episode, rate this podcast and leave a review to help others growing faith. Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to the Chosen People. Remain here for a dramatic story inspired by the Bible. Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss a moment of God's truth, hope, and presence. 00:01:51 Speaker 2: Previously on the Chosen People. 00:01:56 Speaker 3: No games, Jacob, tell me what you've been scheming. 00:02:00 Speaker 4: Scheme, I prepare. Scheming makes me sound so villainous. 00:02:06 Speaker 5: I love this family and I would never jeopardize it for my own gain. 00:02:11 Speaker 3: When you go in there, do not play like a child. Be a man and seize what's yours. And when you finally have it, except whatever comes after with courage esauw. 00:02:25 Speaker 5: Yes, I have done, and you told me and killed deer, eat my game and bless me. May God give you the doom of heaven, the fatness of the earth, and plenty of. 00:02:40 Speaker 6: Grain and wine. 00:02:42 Speaker 4: May people and nations bow down to you and serve you. 00:02:49 Speaker 6: You will be lord over your brothers, and your mother's. 00:02:54 Speaker 2: Son will bend a need to you. 00:02:59 Speaker 6: The world. 00:03:00 Speaker 2: Words were a final seal, a decisive declaration that Jacob was now the inheritor of Isaac's promise passed down from Abraham through Jacob, the blessing of God most high would endure. 00:03:19 Speaker 4: I will hunt and to kill him life first. 00:03:26 Speaker 2: Esau stormed out of the tent and looked around, his eyes narrowed with a hunter's intensity. He grabbed his bow and arrow, searching frantically for his twin. Panic jabbed at Jacob's legs. He was shaking, agitated, ready to run. 00:03:44 Speaker 6: What do I do? 00:03:44 Speaker 1: Mother? 00:03:45 Speaker 6: What do I do? Mother? 00:03:47 Speaker 7: What do I do? 00:03:48 Speaker 6: Mother? 00:03:49 Speaker 5: Tell me what to do? 00:03:50 Speaker 3: Flee to Laban, my brother in heron. You can stay with him until your brother's fury does Maybe with time he'll forget what you've done to. 00:04:08 Speaker 2: Jacob trudged through the wilderness, the weight of his past sins heavy upon his shoulders. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched like fingers across the barren landscape. He was alone, save for the quiet whispers of the wind and the occasional rustle of leaves underfoot. Each step seemed to echo the turmoil in his heart. 00:04:36 Speaker 4: I have the birthright, yet no tint to dwell in or food in my belly. I have the blessing, but I'm trampling on dirt instead of lying in bed. 00:04:47 Speaker 2: Each step was a rhythmic reminder of the betrayal that had driven him from his father's house. Jacob didn't blame Esoor for his anger, However, he refused to let the threat of death stall his ascent. Jacob may not have been the bear his brother was, but he was no pushover. His legs were sturdy as he traversed the desert path to Aaron. He walked with defiant force, murmuring under his breath, intensions for greatness. 00:05:19 Speaker 5: I refuse to let this break me. I will thrive in Laban's household. I return richer and wiser, ready to take back what's mine for my brother. 00:05:28 Speaker 2: As night fell, the air grew cold and the sky darkened a velvet blanket strewn with stars. Jacob's weary eyes scanned the horizon, seeking a place of rest. His journey had been long, and his body ached with exhaustion. There wasn't a torchlight for miles, no town or city set upon a hill to seek refuge. He was alone, wholly and utterly alone. Wolves howled in the distance, causing Jacob's legs to tingle with unrest. He shook his head and gripped his auburn curls tightly. 00:06:09 Speaker 4: What am I doing here? Is this even the right thing to do? Have I messed all this up before it even had a chance to begin. 00:06:18 Speaker 2: There was no response from the skies or whispers of comfort in the wind. Jacob shook his head in resignation. He was weary from the journey, eyes heavy with melancholy and physical exhaustion. The sky overhead was a vast, unending expanse of deep indigo, flecked with countless stars that glittered like shards of ice. Her crescent moon hung low in the sky, its pale light casting eerie shadows upon the ground, illuminating the jagged silhouettes of the distant mountains that framed the horizon. Jacob looked out from the dimly lit hill on which he stood. His grandfather called this place Loose. It was a sight that bore the scars of time and conflict, its stones weathered and worn by centuries of wind and rain. The history of Lews was edged into the very landscape, a silent record of the peoples who had passed through, each leaving their mark in the form of scattered cairns and ancient weather beaten carvings. In the days of Jacob's ancestors, this land had been across roads for traders and nomads alike. The ancient paths that wound through the hills were once traveled by caravans laden with goods from far off lands, spices from the east, precious metals from the south, and grains from the north. The trade routes brought commerce, stories, and traditions, weaving a rich tapestry of cultural heritage that lingered in the air like an unseen mist. But despite its storied past, lows had fallen into relative obscurity by Jacob's time, overshadowed and forgotten. Jacob wondered if Abraham's promise had fallen to the same fate. Would the greatness of Abraham's lineage end with him? Finding a smooth, flat stone, he placed it beneath his head and lay down to rest. As he lay upon the hard, unforgiving ground, Jacob's mind was a tumult of thoughts and fears. The stone beneath his head was cold and unyielding, but it was also strangely comforting, grounding him in the reality of his journey and the trials yet to come. He was caught between past and future, between the weight of his sins and the promise of redemption. In this liminal space, he drifted into a deep, dream laden sleep, the world around him fading into the background. The vision unfolded. The night around Jacob seemed to thicken, the shadows deepening until they were almost tangible. The air grew still, an expectant hush falling over the landscape, broken only by the soft, rhythmic sucration of the wind through the rocky crags and the distant hoot of an owl. Jacob opened his eyes to a vision. He found himself standing at the base of a monumental staircase that stretched upwards into the infinite expanse of the heavens. The staircase was constructed of a stone so smooth and luminous that it seemed to glow from within. Each step bathed in a soft golden light that shimmered like the surface of a tranquil sea under the moonlight. The steps, though solid, appeared almost ethereal, as if they were fashioned from pure your light and divine essence. 00:10:02 Speaker 5: Ah ah, oh, what is this? 00:10:08 Speaker 2: Jacob stepped forward, drawn to the light of the staircase and the holy glow that emanated from the top. Jacob knew very little about what he was seeing, but he knew he wanted to be at the top of that staircase. He inched forward, only to be drawn back by a holy procession of angels. A faint celestial music, like the sound of distant bells or the harmonious chords of a liar, filled the air, mingling with the faint whisper of angelic voices that spoke in a language beyond human understanding. The air itself seemed to hum with a sacred energy, vibrating with the resonance of countless prayers and ancient hymns. Angels moved gracefully along the staircase, ascending and disending with a serene purpose. Their forms were radiant, clothed in robes of light that flowed like liquid silver. Each angel bore a unique visage, their expressions a blend of serenity and wisdom. Their eyes aglow with an inner fire that bespoke their celestial origin. They moved with an effortless grace, their wings barely stirring the air, leaving trails of luminescent sparks in their wake. The light pulsed, and wisps of living color descended down with the angels. Its brilliance nearly blinded Jacob. As he beheld this wondrous sight, a profound awe and humility swept over him. His heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from the overwhelming sense of being in the presence of God Most High. His legs trembled, and he felt the urge to fall to his knees. Fear, awe, and anticipation welled within him. He turned to the ground, hiding his face from the light, and wonder, Am I. 00:12:13 Speaker 5: Going to die? Or turn to gold? It seems like each is possible at this point. 00:12:19 Speaker 2: Then a warmth spread through him, starting from his core and radiating outward, filling him with a sense of peace and an unshakable certainty that he was not alone. Jacob peered up. There, standing right beside him, stood a vision of God most High. He spoke to Jacob. His voice was unlike any Jacob had ever heard. It was a voice encompassing the roar of the ocean and the whisper of the wind, the crackle of a mighty fire, and the gentle rustling of leaves. It resonated through the very arrow of Jacob's bones, a sound that was once thunderous and soothing, now commanding and comforting. 00:13:08 Speaker 6: I am the existing one, the God of Abraham, your father, and the God of Isaac. 00:13:19 Speaker 4: You here, he You're really here. 00:13:24 Speaker 6: Look around, you, son of Isaac. Behold the splendor of this land. 00:13:32 Speaker 2: Jacob surveyed the Starlit landscape. The radiance of the staircase illuminated its rich and vibrant valleys cut with rushing rivers and lush forests. 00:13:44 Speaker 6: The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south. Through you and your descendants, all families of the earth will be blessed. 00:14:11 Speaker 4: So you have blessed me. 00:14:14 Speaker 5: I didn't know if I wasn't sure if you. 00:14:18 Speaker 2: Jacob's words were caught in his throat. He wrestled with feelings of assurance in God and doubt in himself. Deep down, he knew he was a deceiver, a trickster who stole his blessing. In some ways, it surprised Jacob to receive such a blessing from God himself. 00:14:38 Speaker 6: Behold, I am with you, and I will keep you wherever you go. Though you leave, I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised. 00:14:57 Speaker 2: Just then, Jacob awoke with a starf his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. The memory of the vision lingered in his mind. He looked around him, surveying the land God promised him him, not just his father and grandfather, not his brother Esau or his sons. Him, Jacob, God, most I was here in this place, and I didn't even know it. He's been working, moving and dwelling here right under my nose. He rose to his feet and ran his hand over the smooth stone he used as a pillar. 00:15:40 Speaker 5: How amazing is this place. This is the house of God, the gate of Heaven itself. 00:15:49 Speaker 2: Early that morning, before the rays of light painted the valley, Jacob arose with fervor. He took the stone and set it up as a pillar. He poured oil over the stone and consecrated it as a holy place. 00:16:05 Speaker 5: This place will no longer be called Luz. That is the name my grandfather's people gave it. It's no longer there surname. As a keeper of the promise, I rename it Bethel, the House of God. 00:16:20 Speaker 2: Jacob turned his cheek to the rising sun, basking in its warmth. He raised his hands in the air. 00:16:28 Speaker 7: Hear me, existing one, the God of Abraham and Isaac. If you will be with me, keep me wherever I go, and give me enough bread and clothing to survive so I can depart in peace, then you shall be my God too. Let this monument stand as a testament between us that you are not just the God of my forefathers, You are the God of Jacob. 00:17:01 Speaker 2: This Prey dot Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People. Narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.