Climbing Jacob's Ladder
Climbing jacob's ladder
"Climbing Jacob's Ladder" is a traditional African-American spiritual song that has its roots in the days of slavery in the United States. The song is believed to have originated in the early 19th century, although the exact date and author are unknown.
The song's title refers to the biblical story of Jacob's Ladder, which represents a connection between heaven and earth. In the context of the song, "climbing Jacob's ladder" is a metaphor for the journey to freedom and salvation.
The song became a popular hymn during the Civil War and later in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, with many artists recording their own versions. Some notable recordings include those by Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong, and Pete Seeger.
As a missionary, my companions and I sang this song every Tuesday and Thursday at a senior citizen home in Arcadia, Florida.
So I ended up singing this twice a week for 6 months at the beginning of my mission, and then twice a week for the last 4 1/2 months at the end of my mission.
Listening to the song after my mission led me to the incredible gospel song: This Means War by Charles Jenkins and Fellowship Chicago and Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round. My father in law also served a mission in the South and shared some of the amazing music from that region with me.
My home was built in 1949 and when we bought it about 10 years ago, the sellers left a rickety old wooden ladder. I’m not sure if it was theirs or if the owner they bought the house from left it here. I used it a few times to fix up exterior parts of the house, until my wife told me it wasn’t safe and physically removed the ladder and hid it from me. 😊 Many months later I found the ladder and used it in an early morning Seminary class of teenagers whom I taught.
We labeled each step with a covenant (taking the Sacrament, getting baptized, Temple ordinances, etc.). I asked a young man from the other seminary class to attend my class and climb the ladder - his name was Jacob. He climbed the ladder like a boss! What made it a bit harder was the fact that the Adversary (a young man whose family moved to Guam after our school year ended) would at times shake the ladder. Other students volunteered to climb the ladder and a few years later, some of them still ask me if I remember that lesson and how fun it was.
Not long after that lesson, we read about when Jacob wrestled with an Angel in Genesis 32:
24 ¶ And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
I invited two of the young men to demonstrate this wrestle match. The class watched them and it was sure memorable. The young man who played the role of Jacob eventually won against the much taller guy playing the role of the Angel. The Angel then said: “Let me go for the day breaketh.” The young man acting out Jacob’s role said: “I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me.”
Today - these three young men who taught me and my class how to climb Jacob’s Ladder and how to wrestle or prevail with God (the word Israel can be interpreted as both: Let God prevail and Prevails with God) are serving as Ambassadors of Christ, as full time missionaries, teaching people all over the world how to prevail with God, helping those people climb Jacob’s Ladder. I’m grateful for their example and their faith.