Ja'cob had led a happy life in his father's home, and had enjoyed many favors because of his mother's love for him. That is why it was a great trial for him to become a wanderer, facing unknown dangers in a world that was strange to him. The journey to La'ban's home in Mes-o-po-ta'mia was a long, hard trip, filled with many perils.
Still he must go out and face with courage the hardships that would come to him for many years. With staff in hand, carrying a few necessities for the long journey, he took leave of his parents and started on the strange roads to a land far to the north. Leaving Be'er-she'ba, which lay on the border of the desert in the extreme southwestern part of the land, Ja'cob walked over the hills, through the valleys, and across the plains in a northerly direction. After several days of travel had wearied him, he paused one evening at a spot in the mountains not far from Beth'el, about fifty miles from his home at Be'er-she'ba.
As Ja'cob rested his weary body upon the bare ground and looked at the countless stars overhead, many solemn thoughts filled his mind. A feeling of guilt rested heavenly upon his heart, and the loneliness of having to bear the results of wrong-doing without a mother's sympathy and good advice filled his soul with fear and worry. With the passing of the light and cheer of the sun a gloomy darkness descended upon him. As he fell into slumber his last thought was upon the need for protection and guidance from the LORD. He now realized that if the blessings promised in the Covenant with A'bra-ham were ever to be fulfilled in him they must come through the forgiving and redeeming love of God, and not the trickery or cunning fraud.
There came to Ja'cob a wonderful dream, a spiritual vision from God. Suddenly the Heavens above him were radiant with the Glory of God; he saw a stairway leading from the ground near where he slept up into the Heavens where God was dwelling, and angels were going up and coming down the stairs. Carried away by the dream, Ja'cob opened his whole mind and heart to its message. The LORD seemed to be speaking to him from the top of the stairway, renewing in every detail the Covenant which He had made with A'bra-ham.
