What Happened in the Lonely Wilderness
Bible passage: Genesis 28:10-13, 18-19
“10. Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. 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. "
There is a book called “I Did It Because I Was Lonely.” It is written by a current high school teacher. The book contains stories of the joys and sorrows of teenagers that the teacher experienced in the school setting. The book was written in the year 2011, and in it, it is mentioned that at that time, there were about 35 students in one class, and among them, 4 students were taking medication for depression.
It is said that about 70% of the high school students showed symptoms of depression, and a survey revealed that one out of four students had thought about suicide. On the other hand, there is another similar book. The title of the book is “There Is No Bloom Without Turmoil in Your Forties.” While the first book deals with the joys and sorrows of teenagers, this other book deals with the joys and sorrows of middle-aged people. The author is a psychiatrist, and the book addresses the pain and conflicts of middle-aged people in Korea. The title of the prologue is as follows: “Middle Age Is an Endless Battle.” There is a disease called panic disorder, which is a disease that suddenly causes extreme fear and anxiety without a clear reason, making social life impossible and ruining life.
It is said that panic disorder is most prevalent in people in their 40s and 50s. Life is like this, starting from teenage years in middle and high school, through the 40s, 50s, and beyond into the 60s and 70s - it is difficult throughout one's lifetime in modern life. Is there no way to solve these exhausting and weary problems of life? God gave a hymn as an answer. The secret is in the lyrics.
One of the gospel hymns from Korea is titled “Behind Me, the Lord Helps Me,” and the lyrics of the first verse are as follows: Behind me, the Lord who helps me / On the path of my life, weary and tired / When I want to sit and give up every day / He pushes me forward / Arise and walk, I will give you new strength / Arise and walk, I will help you. In the second verse, you can find a clearer answer: Behind me, the Lord who helps me / Even when I cannot see Him as I walk peacefully / When weary and tired, I fall / He quietly comes and reaches out His hand / Arise and walk, I will give you new strength / Arise and walk, I will help you.
God is the God of love and mercy who, even when unseen during peaceful times, quietly approaches and reaches out His hand when we are weary, tired, and fall down. Today's scripture introduces the story of Jacob, a person who had such an experience long ago. Jacob, although a twin, was born second and did not have the birthright. He took away his brother Esau’s birthright with a bowl of stew and also intercepted the blessing prayer that his father Isaac was supposed to give to Esau. Esau, deceived, burned with anger and sharpened his sword to kill his brother. Knowing this, Jacob fled from his parents and hometown, becoming a pitiful figure running away alone.
On his way to his uncle’s house in Haran, he became weary and tired, and while sleeping in sorrow with a stone as a pillow in the wilderness, God came to him and extended His hand. This allowed Jacob to gain strength again and continue his journey. There may be times in your life when you, unintentionally, find yourself in a lonely wilderness where no one helps, and you fall down, weary and tired, shedding tears. But the God who protected you in 2024 will be with you in 2025 as well. Whenever you fall, weary and tired, He will extend His hand to you.
I hope that by holding onto God's hand, you will rise again and continue moving forward toward blessings. Then, let us find out what happened in the lonely wilderness, why Jacob, though weary and tired and fallen, did not utterly fall and was able to rise again and move forward, and share this grace.
1. In the lonely wilderness where Jacob was weary and fallen, the grace of a ladder that restores broken relationships came upon him.
Jacob is often remembered as someone who was cunning and greedy. However, in reality, Jacob's grandfather was the famous Abraham, and his father was Isaac. Being the grandson of Abraham, one might expect Jacob to have strong faith, but his faith was lacking. Because his faith was formal and without personal experience, Jacob did not rely on God. Instead, he depended on his own thoughts, plans, and cunning schemes.
To achieve his goals, he harbored an evil heart that led him to deceive both his father and his brother, which eventually resulted in consequences. Jacob learned that his brother was enraged and planning to kill him, so he fled. The situation is described as follows: Genesis 28:10-11 says, “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.” The phrase “he reached a certain place” carries a lot of implied meaning. He didn’t know the name of the place. He didn’t know where he was. He wasn’t even sure if he was on the right path.
There wasn’t a single person around. The daylight was somewhat manageable, but as the sun set and darkness came, fear crept into his heart. In the wilderness, with no one else around, he lay down using a stone as a pillow. Tears must have flowed endlessly. If people had seen him, they might have said, “What’s a wanderer doing here in the wilderness, sleeping with a stone as a pillow?” What was even harder for Jacob was the uncertainty about his future. What if his uncle didn’t accept him when he reached him? Was his life going to end like this? It was a night of sorrow, despair, and loneliness. But in today’s passage, we see that Jacob experienced a dramatic reversal in this hopeless situation. Just as the lyrics of the hymn say, exactly such a thing happened. When Jacob lived peacefully, God was invisible. But when he was weary, exhausted, and fallen in the wilderness, God approached him and extended His hand. Genesis 28:12 says, “He had a dream in which he saw a ladder resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”
God extended His hand to Jacob, and that hand was symbolized by the ladder Jacob saw in his dream. A ladder is used to connect two points that are otherwise disconnected or separated. Jacob’s entire situation was one of disconnection: a disconnection from his mother, who had always been on his side; a disconnection from his father; a disconnection from his brother; a disconnection from his beloved homeland. More seriously, he was disconnected from God. And then, God stood above the ladder and spoke to him. The expression “God stood above” is used to indicate situations of extreme urgency, great difficulty, or times when help is absolutely necessary. Genesis 28:13–14 says, “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.” This message is very familiar to anyone who has read the book of Genesis. Of course, the message would also have been familiar to Jacob. Where had he heard it before? This was the very message God had given multiple times to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, and to his father, Isaac.
To Abraham, this promise was given in Genesis 12:3, 13:16, and 22:18–19. To Isaac, it was given in Genesis 26:4 and 26:23–24. God had repeated this same message in multiple instances. So, for Jacob, these were words he had been hearing from his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac since childhood. But why, on this night in the wilderness, did God not only show Jacob a ladder but also repeat the same message He had given to Abraham and Isaac? The reason is, “Jacob, although you are weary and fallen, and it seems like everything is disconnected, I have given you the same promise I gave to your grandfather Abraham and your father Isaac. I will restore all the relationships that have been broken for you.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful for us to have such a ladder that restores broken relationships? After finishing the Daniel night prayer and praying a bit more with the servants of the Lord, I go home and step into my backyard for some light exercise.
After exercising, I don’t just go straight into the house. I have a habit of making a cup of warm tea, gazing at the stars in the sky, meditating on the Word, and drinking the tea. A few days ago, as I was drinking tea in the cold night air, looking at the stars and clouds in the sky and meditating, a thought suddenly came to mind. “Jacob had a ladder reaching to heaven, and through it, the blessing of restoring all his broken relationships came. Why don’t I have a ladder? If I could also have a ladder like Jacob’s, so I could always communicate with God, how wonderful it would be.” So, I shouted loudly toward heaven, “Father God! Please give me a ladder reaching to heaven, just like Jacob’s!” Then, surprisingly, I soon heard a quiet voice in my heart saying, “Don’t you already have a ladder?” Even in our church, we have ladders. There are long ladders that the workers use, which make it easy to climb to the roof for various tasks.
But I’m not talking about those kinds of ladders. Don’t we also need a spiritual ladder, like Jacob’s, that reaches heaven so that we can communicate with God? In the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus played the role of a ladder that restores our broken relationships. In other words, Jesus, by being hung on the cross that stood between heaven and earth and shedding His precious blood, restored our broken relationship with God. That cross carried by the Lord is our ladder. John 1:51 says, “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.””
Just as the angels ascended and descended on the ladder Jacob saw, angels are ascending and descending on Jesus, specifically on the cross. Genesis 28:12, latter part, says, “………..and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Is it “descending and ascending” or “ascending and descending”? Is “ascending” first, or is “descending” first? Why would the angels ascend first and then descend, rather than descend first and then ascend? It is because the angels first ascend the ladder to bring your prayers and desires to God, and then they descend to deliver God’s grace, answers, and blessings to you. God is teaching Jacob this spiritual principle. If Jacob is simply lying down, exhausted and asleep, God cannot extend His hand to hold him.
Even in such a situation, if one first offers petitions and prayers to God, He will send comfort, peace, and grace through His angels. Upon realizing this, what does Jacob do after waking up? In verse 16, he offers a confession of faith and gratitude, saying, “God is truly with me. Thank You.” In verse 18, he sets up the stone he had used as a pillow, pours oil on it, and offers worship. In verse 20, he makes a vow to God. In this way, Jacob, who was lost in the lonely wilderness, offers his confession of faith, gratitude, praise, worship, and vows. The angels, without rest, carried these up to God, and in return, they brought down answers, blessings, comfort, and peace to Jacob.
Even today, because Jesus was lifted high on the cross and shed His blood for us, the cross has become a ladder that connects us to God. Angels still ascend and descend on it, bringing heavenly joy, hope, God the Father’s grace, and blessings to us. For this to happen, you must first send something up to heaven through the cross, the ladder that each of you possesses. Through the cross-ladder, when your confession of faith, prayers, goodness, love, obedience, and gratitude go up, God will receive them and grant grace, answers, and blessings appropriate to them. The angels will then carry these down to you. However, if you neither pray, give thanks, worship in spirit and truth, nor practice goodness and love, and if your actions are lacking, your angels will have nothing to do. They won’t be able to ascend or descend but will remain still on the ladder. They might even plead earnestly with you, saying, “Master, please pray.
During worship, stay awake, listen to the Word, and say ‘Amen.’ Please supply us with something to carry up the ladder. In your daily life, keep your promises, don’t lie, and practice goodness and love. Only then can we bring down answers and blessings to you.” Just as a ladder was set up in the lonely wilderness where Jacob was weary and fallen, and the angels ascending and descending on it brought him strength, comfort, and overflowing peace, may you, through the ladder of the cross that Jesus created for us, send up abundant faith, gratitude, praise, goodness, and love. May you receive overflowing grace, answers, and blessings in return.
2. God allows Jacob, who was weary and fallen in the lonely wilderness, to experience healing that restores the joy of life.
God stood above the ladder and gave Jacob a specific promise. Genesis 28:15 says, “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.” First, He said, “I am with you.” Although Jacob was isolated and alone in the wilderness, God assured him, “I will be with you.” Second, He said, “I will watch over you wherever you go.” In the dark and dangerous wilderness, where Jacob was alone, God promised to protect him. And there was one more promise: “I will bring you back to this land.” Jacob may have thought his life was over, that his dreams were gone, and that he would never return home, but God promised him, “I will bring you back.”
How much hope and joy must these words have brought to Jacob, who lay weary and desolate in the lonely wilderness? Through these promises, Jacob, who had been trapped in despair and depression, experienced the healing and restoration of his broken heart. His soul was renewed with fresh hope, attachment, and joy for life. Verse 16 says, “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”” Here, Jacob said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” This statement is similar to Jacob saying: “Ah, there is a way to live! I thought everything was over, but it’s not the end.
Even though everything seemed blocked ahead and on all sides, and my heart was sinking in deep despair, this is not the end. There is a way to recover - I am saved!” In our lives, despair comes. We can feel depressed. But being depressed does not mean being completely overcome, and despair does not mean being abandoned to fall helplessly into the deep valley of hopelessness. This is the power of God’s Word. For Jacob, the joy of life was restored, and from this restored joy came energy. This energy in Jacob manifested in the following actions. Verse 18 says, “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.” When one is discouraged and in despair, it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning.
Even if the eyes open, getting out of bed feels impossible. With no work, failed attempts at jobs, and a loss of motivation, one can lose the strength to rise in the morning. However, Jacob’s early rising in the morning signifies that his will to live had been restored. The first thing Jacob did after rising early was to take the stone he had used as a pillow, set it up as a pillar, and pour oil on it, offering worship to God. Through worship, he gave thanks, praise, and glory to God. One day, a believer came to their pastor and poured out their troubles: "Pastor, life feels like death these days.
My business is failing, my wife is hospitalized with a nervous breakdown, my children had to take a leave of absence from school due to lack of money, and creditors come knocking on my door daily. Every door in my life seems shut. If God truly knows my situation, how could He let every door close?” In response, the pastor encouraged them with the following words: “Believer, there is a saying that while God may close earthly doors, He always leaves the heavenly door open. Instead of focusing on the closed doors of the world, carefully look for the open heavenly door!” Indeed, the heavenly door remains open even now. For Jacob, it seemed like every door was closed, but the heavenly door was open. In the morning, Jacob rose early - not to say, “I must meet my brother again and settle this once and for all.” Instead, he rose early to worship God, facing the open heavenly door.
Do you know why this is significant? The scripture has a captivating twist. Jacob’s restoration, his renewed joy, his burning heart, and his newfound hope for the future occurred while he was lying down and asleep, with his eyes closed. When Jacob kept his eyes wide open, striving with all his might to steal his brother’s birthright and take the blessings meant for Esau, thinking, “I can manage my life on my own,” he reaped the consequences of his actions, which drove him into a lonely wilderness. But now, Jacob says, “I can’t do anything on my own,” and his eyes are closed. Isn’t it during this moment that a miraculous work begins to happen?
Don’t overlook this message - sometimes, you need to close your eyes. On your life’s journey, make it a habit to close your eyes often. And you must let go of your strength. For example, when delivering a sermon, if you think, “I am confident about today's sermon; I have prepared it perfectly,” that day will end in failure. It's because you have exerted too much effort. Symbolically, it's like preaching with your eyes wide open. The true works of life happen when your eyes are closed. When you are in despair, frustrated, and completely out of strength, that is when God's help begins to manifest. You must release your strength. Straining your eyes and trying harder won’t make impossible things happen. You need to close your eyes - but not right now.
When did Jacob experience this extraordinary recovery? It was in verse 11 which says, “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 he lay down to sleep there. In a state of near surrender and helplessness, where he could do nothing, Jacob’s incredible transformation happened. There’s a well-known saying about prayer: “When I work, I work. But when I pray, God works.” Are you weary and exhausted, feeling like you are in a lonely wilderness? May you experience the healing that restores the joy of life, and when you are weary and fallen, may you grasp God’s hand, which reaches out to you. Let God work, not you, so that you may rise again and press forward.
3. In the lonely wilderness, a new history was made through a creative proclamation that gave new meaning to life.
Jacob, who experienced healing that restored the joy of life, was able to rise from his place of exhaustion and weariness through a creative proclamation that gave new meaning to life. Verse 19 says, “He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.” He renamed Luz to Bethel. Even the name Bethel itself is challenging to remember, so why does the Bible record the land's old name, Luz, as well? Luz means “to go astray” or “to deviate.” It was likely a rugged and seldom-traveled area, which is why it was given such a name.
The name seems to properly represent Jacob’s life at the time - exhausted and lying with a stone pillow in the lonely wilderness. However, after Jacob received God’s grace in this weary and broken place, the name Luz, which signified a place of deviation and wandering, was transformed. It became Bethel, meaning “House of God,” a place signifying God’s presence. What matters is not the inherent value of the land, but the meaningful value we assign to it. Just as the insignificant land of Luz became the significant Bethel through a creative proclamation, a transformative work occurs when we ascribe valuable meaning.
That night in the wilderness, Jacob chose a random stone to use as a pillow. Through his creative proclamation, that insignificant and purposeless stone became God’s temple and His house. This makes me think that we should ascribe meaning to Africa, the land where we live. By proclaiming creatively that Africa is the most beautiful and blessed land, a transformative work will begin. I researched the origin of the word Africa. The term traces back to the Roman era. In 146 BC, after the Romans conquered Carthage, they began calling the region Africa. This was because the Romans referred to the Carthaginians as Afri. The word Afri is said to mean “warm and sunny.” Africa is the most beautiful of the world’s six continents. By creatively proclaiming that Africa is brighter, more radiant, and more abundant than Europe or the Americas, the land becomes a land of blessings, just as Luz was transformed into Bethel. You must also ascribe meaning to your home. Proclaim, “Our home is the most blessed home.
Even though it feels as if we are in the wilderness of Luz - struggling, poor, and without a house - our family is the most blessed in the world. We are happier than Bill Gates’ family in America or any wealthy family in Europe.” Make this creative proclamation. Jacob renamed a mere stone in the wilderness as the House of God. Do the same by giving your home a meaningful name like Bethel. You must also make a creative proclamation over your life. Say, “Though I am struggling financially, though I have little education and feel insignificant, God, who reaches out and holds my hand when I am weary and about to fall, is with me. Therefore, my life is magnificent, happy, and the best life.” If you circumcise your heart to resemble the heart of the Lord, become a fruitful believer, and enter the New Jerusalem, won’t that be the ultimate best life? Look toward that day and rename your current reality from Luz to Bethel. There is a testimony of a sister who had a similar experience during her second year of high school, in the midst of adolescence. Her father was a schoolteacher but also an alcoholic with a terrible habit of becoming violent whenever he drank.
He suffered from severe jealousy and distrust, and four to five nights a week, he would come home drunk late at night, assault her mother without reason, and destroy household items, leaving the home in chaos. Her mother, who cried herself to sleep almost every night, eventually developed breast cancer and had to undergo major surgery to remove one of her breasts. However, even after the surgery, her father’s drinking and violent habits didn’t change. Her mother, needing to protect her fragile body for 3 to 4 years to avoid a recurrence of cancer, suffered an even more severe incident one day. Her father came home drunk, yelling loudly, and punched her weak, post-surgery body, causing her to nearly lose consciousness. The girl often wanted to kill her father.
However, unable to bring herself to harm him, she thought, “I should just end my own life.” Many times, she went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and contemplated suicide. Yet her mother, a devout Christian, never uttered a word of resentment. Instead, she instructed her daughter: “Do not hate your father. Have pity on him and pray for him.” Following her mother’s words, she prayed for her father through tears every night, soaking her pillow with her prayers. However, instead of answers, the situation worsened. One day, her father’s wasteful spending brought their family to complete financial ruin. They lost their home and were left struggling for basic necessities. Their situation resembled Luz, the lonely wilderness where Jacob lay exhausted and broken. Still, all the family members, except for her father, were faithful Christians.
They believed this was part of God’s plan to transform their unsaved father. United in prayer for his salvation, they trusted that Luz would become Bethel. Eventually, their father started attending church. Although their financial situation was dire, they found joy and happiness because their father began coming to church and even received baptism. God also healed him of his alcoholism and violent habits. Though they had once been financially prosperous but emotionally unstable, they were now financially struggling but filled with joy, gratitude, and contentment as they witnessed their father’s transformation. God, who comes near quietly when we are weary and fallen, turned their Luz into Bethel, the house of God. This happened about 20 years ago.
The high school girl is now nearly 40 years old. Despite her hardships, she worked diligently, got into a prestigious university, and now works at a major company’s research institute, living a blessed and successful life. Just as God extended His hand to Jacob, who lay crying in the lonely wilderness with a stone pillow, you, too, can encounter God who says, “I will help you.” Reflect on the past year. Were there moments of disappointment or times when you fell? Now, hold onto God’s outstretched hand.
Even if you are shaken or face difficulties, don’t fall. Rise again and move forward. Behind me, the Lord who helps me On the path of my life, weary and tired When I feel like sitting down and giving up every day He pushes me forward. Behind me, the Lord who helps me Even when I cannot see Him as I walk peacefully When weary and tired, I fall, He comes near Extending His hand to me. Arise and walk, I will give you new strength. Arise and walk, I will help you. Conclusion Jacob was deeply moved after encountering God. While wandering in the lonely wilderness, exhausted and about to fall in the dark of night, he met God, who appeared in the light, extended His warm hand, and held him up. With this encounter, Jacob was able to rise again and move forward toward blessings.
Grateful for the grace of meeting God, Jacob made three vows of faith, declaring, “From now on, this is how I will live.” Genesis 28:20–22 says, “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.”” He resolved to make God the Lord of his life and to live in obedience to Him forever. He vowed to center his life around God’s temple and to live a life of worship, making his entire life an offering to God. He pledged to live a life of faithful tithing. Indeed, tithing is “a seed of faith, a seed of blessing, and a seed of miracles.”
God, who accepted Jacob’s vows, began to provide him with boundless power and resources, eventually blessing him with great prosperity. Jacob was someone who passionately desired God’s blessings - not the blessings of this world, but the holy blessings of God. You too should passionately desire God’s blessings. When you are weary and about to fall in the lonely wilderness of this world, hold onto the hand of God, who comes with the grace of the ladder to restore broken relationships. Recover the joy of life with hope and gladness instead of despair and frustration.
Proclaim creatively, transforming Luz, the “wrong path,” into Bethel, the “House of God.” May all of you follow Jacob’s example of dedication and, in 2025, receive the blessings Jacob received. I bless you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - END -
