By Staff
In the beginning just after God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), God moved freely about the earth and had direct contact with man and woman. Satan (the devil) also had access to earth (Genesis 3:1).
Satan successfully tempted the man and woman to disobey God. Man sinned and was banished from the Garden of Eden and the direct presence of God (Genesis 3:22-24).
God's desire has always been to enjoy His creation and especially to fellowship with man (Revelation 4:11). Sin separated man from God.
After the nation of Israel, the chosen people of God, were liberated from Egyptian slavery by God's mighty hand, they traveled to Mount Sinai. They camped there and God planned an extravagant event when He would talk to Moses in the hearing of the people (Exodus 19:9). God instructed the people how to prepare for His coming. They were to consecrate themselves, they were to wash their clothes, and they were to establish a boundary around the mountain lest they were too close and destroyed (Exodus 19:10-12). Even with all the careful preparations, the people were terrified and asked Moses that God not speak directly to them again (Exodus 20:18-19).
God desired to be with His people. The people had desire to experience God, but sin had messed up the relationship.
Before the incident on Mount Sinai, Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, was traveling through Israel. He stopped to spend the night. Jacob had a dream where he saw a ladder set up on the earth. The top of the ladder reached heaven. Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on the ladder (Genesis 28:10-12). Jacob's dream revealed God's desire and activity to be directly involved in the affairs on earth.
Nothing more was mentioned of this ladder or stairway until Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became man and took up residence on earth. In the early days of His public ministry, Jesus was calling out His disciples. In the gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 51, Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
Jesus would be the ladder! Jesus was virgin-born, conceived by the Holy Spirit, so that He would not have sin passed down from Adam. Jesus would be the perfect sacrifice to die and pay the price of sin so God's righteous judgment could be satisfied.
At the instant Jesus died on the cross, the heavy linen veil that hung in the temple to set the boundary between the earthly presence of God and sinful man was ripped in two from top to bottom. There was now no barrier separating God and man. Jesus Christ was the access both ways.
As sinful people we limit the work of the cross to only providing access to heaven. Jesus not only provides access to heaven as a future destination, but He is also our mediator here on earth through whom we pray, fellowship, and enjoy the presence of God as He originally intended.
No more do the mountains quake and smoke as they did in Exodus, chapter 19, when God came down. We do not have eyes to see all the spiritual activity around us, but we must believe that it is busy beyond imagination. Jacob had a glimpse through his dream. Elisha witnessed the chariot of fire with horses of fire that came to pick up Elijah (2 Kings 2:11-12). The eyes of Elisha's servant were opened (2 Kings 6:17) so that he could see all the chariots of fire of God's heavenly army.
We can tenderly enjoin the presence of God in our lives. He came down the ladder.