Heaven Open

One young man lie down alone for bare, rocky ground. No tent. No correct fire. Just one stone under im head and di cold stars for up. E dey run away. And tonight, heaven wan open for im top.

Im name na Jacob, Abraham grandson, Isaac son. And e dey inside trouble wey im own hand cause. E don use wayo collect di blessing of dia papa from im senior twin brother Esau. Esau vex so tey e swear say e go kill am. So Jacob mama send am away, far north go her brother family for Haran, di same town wey Abraham comot from before. Jacob comot from Beersheba, e dey waka alone. After one long day, sun go down. E reach one place for di hill country, e carry one of di stones wey dey there, put am under im head, and lie down to sleep. E no get anytin. E no deserve anytin. E dey far from house.

And Jacob dream. E see one stairway, wey stand for earth, im top reach heaven. And di angels of God dey go up and dey come down on top am. Earth and heaven, join together. E busy with God messengers. And there, for im top, di Lord imself stand. God talk. “Na me be di Lord, di God of Abraham your papa, and di God of Isaac. Di land wey you lie down on top, I go give am to you and to your offspring.” Then God repeat di promise wey e first give Abraham. “Your offspring go plenty like di dust of di earth. Through you and your offspring, all di families of di earth go dey blessed.”

And then di words wey Jacob need pass come. “See, I dey with you, and I go keep you anywhere wey you go, and I go bring you back to dis land. Because I no go leave you, until I don do wetin I don talk to you.” Think about who God dey talk to. No be hero. Na one wayo man wey dey run. Jacob no pray, e no promise say e go change, e no offer sacrifice. God just come meet am, for darkness, for middle of nowhere, and e talk: I dey with you. I no go leave you.

Jacob wake up sharp-sharp. “True-true, di Lord dey for dis place, and I no know.” Fear catch am, di good kind fear, wey full with wonder. “Dis place dey make person tremble! Dis one na di house of God, and dis na di gate of heaven.” Early for morning, e carry di stone wey e sleep on top, set am up as pillar, and pour oil on top am. And e name di place Bethel, wey mean house of God. Before, di town name na Luz. From now on, Jacob go remember am as di place where heaven open. Many hundreds of years after, Jesus tell one man wey im name na Nathanael say e go see heaven open, and di angels of God dey go up and dey come down on top di Son of Man. Wetin Jesus dey talk be say na imself be di stairway. Di place where heaven and earth meet.

Di word wey Genesis use for Jacob stairway no show anywhere else for di Hebrew Bible. Plenty scholars think say e describe something like di big temple towers wey get steps for Mesopotamia, wey dem dey call ziggurats, wey get long stairways for dia side. People believe say na for dat towers di gods dey come down meet di earth. But for Jacob dream, no human being build di stairway. Na God imself make di way, and e come down meet one person wey dey run away.

Heaven open. You go find am for Genesis chapter twenty-eight, verse ten reach seventeen. Jacob sleep alone and e wake up know say God don dey with am all di time. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where for your life God fit dey with you, even though you no know?