Encountering God - Genesis 28:10-22

Have you ever had an experience that changed the course of your life? This could be a moment you began a meaningful relationship, learned something that profoundly changed your thinking, or experienced a life-altering event.

This Sunday, we read Genesis 28:10-22, a passage that describes a life-altering experience for Jacob. Pastor Michael preached on this passage, telling us that God meets us where we are and changes who we are. 

Jacob left Beersheba for Haran and stayed overnight in a certain place on the way. That night, he dreamed and saw a ladder that reached to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. The Lord stood above the ladder and spoke to Jacob. He promised to be with Jacob, to keep him wherever he went, and to bring him back to that land, which He would give to him and to his offspring.

This was a life-altering experience for Jacob, and one that occurred at exactly the right time for him. Jacob had fled Beersheba to escape his brother, Esau, who planned to kill him. God’s promises to Jacob would have provided enormous comfort, enabling him to take courage as he journeyed, knowing that one day he would return to his father’s house.

It’s evident that Jacob’s heart was changed because after this event, he set the stone on which he had laid his head as a pillar and made a vow. He vowed that if the Lord would be with him, keep him, and provide for him, then the Lord would be his God, and that stone would be God’s house. He vowed to give a full tenth of all that the Lord gave him back to Him.

In this passage, we see that God graciously reveals Himself. Jacob did nothing to make himself worthy of receiving divine revelation. Likewise, we have done nothing to make ourselves worthy of receiving divine revelation — yet the Son of God became a man to seek and save the lost, and the Holy Spirit indwells believers today. God has also revealed Himself through His word. As Michael explained, the Bible is not man’s best attempt at describing God — it is divine revelation from God Himself. We would not know God if He did not make Himself known to us.

In this passage, we also see that God has the power to change people’s hearts. Jacob, who before this tricked his father in order to receive the blessing Isaac desired to give Esau, here made a vow to God. When Jacob made this vow, he was not bartering with God — he was committing himself to obedience to God. God, in His grace, reveals Himself to people and transforms them.

Is there anything hindering your devotion to God? Have you recently allowed anything to take your focus away from God? This week, let’s consider how the Lord changed Jacob’s heart and evaluate the postures of our own hearts towards God.

Resource:

Reflection questions:

  • Jacob’s devotion to God was revealed in a commitment to give back to the Lord. What do your financial habits reveal about your devotion?

  • What things occupy your mind most on a daily basis?

  • How does the gospel motivate Christians to treasure the Lord above all else?

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