Before and After Meeting God (Genesis 28:10-22)

Conversion:The Most Important Encounter of Your Life:

Bible study questions: Have You Met God?

• • Have you experienced God’s presence?
  • Have you seen a “stairway to heaven”?
• How have you changed after you met God?
• Has God chosen you?
• How do you know that God has called you and chosen you?

** The one central factor of Jacob’s life, the most important factor of his life was that he met God in a way that utterly transformed him.

1. I. Before Meeting God (Gen 28:10-11) you’re living in darkness with discontent–whether you know it or not.
2. II. Meeting God (Gen 28:12-17) means that God has called you and chosen you for Himself.
3. III. After Meeting God (Genesis 28:18-22) your life can never be the same again.

• I. The Darkness of Heaven (Gen 28:10-11).
• II. The Openness of Heaven (Gen 28:12-17).
• III. The Gate of Heaven (Gen 28:18-22).

Life Lessons Learned (and Lies to Un-Learn):

1. Things not going your way is good for you. Or when bad things happen to you, it’s good for you. Life is hard is very good for your soul.

* Uncertainty is better than safety and security.

* Having no control over your life is better than being in control.

* Sadness, sorrow and suffering is better than comfort and convenience.

2. If God choose you, He won’t let you go.
3. Jesus came from comfort, convenience, safety and security, but choose discomfort, inconvenience, danger and insecurity, to save us, to settle us and to send us to show us the way to peace.
4. The worst thing that happened to the best man, enabled the best things to happen to the worst men.

I. Before Meeting God (Gen 28:10-11). The Darkness of Heaven.

Jacob had hit rock bottom. Everthing was falling apart. To him, heaven was a closed book and a closed door.

As with Jacob, every move of God in a man’s heart begins with a deep sense of discontent. He and his brother Esau grew up in a home that was far from ideal. Rebekah and Isaac, their parents, knew God personally and prayed to God (Gen 25:21-23; 26:2-3, 24), but they led seemingly seperate lives, though they never divorced. Rebekah favored Jacob, and Isaac favored Esau (Gen 25:28). They lived together and raised their sons together, but they were divided in their hearts.

Isaac loved Esau because Esau, a hunter, brought home his favorite meat (Gen 25:28). That is a poor excuse of a relationship between a father and son, while Rebekah’s relationship with Jacob was just as toxic. Jacob’s home life was unfortunate.

Jacob’s character was far from desirable. His major flaw was his sneaky conniving nature, which bordered on the perilous. Everybody he encountered he tricked. Nothing seemed to be beneath him. His moral flaws were beyond the normal.

Jacob was really a bad rotten fellow with a streak of avarice and a streak of larceny. His name, Jacob, appropriately means “crooked,” or “he deceives.” “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famised. He said to Jacob, ‘Quick, let me have some of that rd stew! I’m famished!” (Gen 25:29-30). Jacob took full advantage of the situation and asked for Esau’s birthright, the right of the firstborn (Gen 25:31). In this way Jacob cheated his own brother–his own flesh and blood–out of his birthright. If this snarliness goes further, the next step may be fraticide, like Cain killing his brother Abel.

Later, with his mother’s help (Gen 27:5-10), Jacob cheated and thoroughly tricked, deceived, manipulated and blatently lied to his blind father to selfishly get what he wanted–the blessing of the firstborn (Gen 27:18-20, 24-25). It would be laughable if it was not so sad and tragic that Isaac did not know his own son. He lived with his twin sons, yet he summarily dismissed the discordance between Jacob’s voice and Esau’s hairy arms and the smell from his clothes (Gen 27:21-23, 26-27). He also did not pause to inquire of God and seemed to do it all on his own. Though Jacob’s parents were spiritual and had a personal relationship with God, yet he grew up in quite a dysfuntional family.

In summary, Jacob’s family life was tough, his quality of character was bad, and his parents showed favoritism and partiality, thus dividing the family. Jacob would have been voted the man least likely to get right with God, because there was nothing in him to recommend. Anyone who watched Jacob’s slithery, sinuous, serpentine conduct would be appauled and disgusted. But God saw otherwise. God saw something om Jacob that was not in Esau which could be used for His purposes.

An incomprehensible mystery that may be considered here is that someone who may have all the characteristics of a gentleman may be a million miles from God and seem to remain perfectly satisfied with himnself. Ane someone with no qualifying characteristics–someone like Jacob–may be just the one God choses and uses. For sure, God specializes in hopeless cases.

II. Meeting God (Gen 28:12-15). The Openness of Heaven.

Jacob never prayed or sought God. He saw 3 things and he heard 3 things. Heaven is open to Jacob and to us.

The conditions for meeting God. Jacob had a great dissatisfaction and holy discontentment with himself, and an inner longing deep within. God cannot help anyone who does not first have a deep discontentment with himself. Jacob was deep in sin, but not so deep that it alienated him from God. Esau was not so deep in sin, but he was satisfied with what he had. The worst thing that can be said about Esau was that he was spiritually satisfied and that damned him.

How far a man has gone is not as greatly concerning as what direction he is heading: toward God or away from God? If you do not long after God, you will remain right where you are. It is why some good people, who are nice to be around, are satisfied with the status quo, especially in their spiritual life. In contrast, some crooked, sinful people with a bad disposition and evil temperament reveal that they are deeply troubled and have a longing, a spark toward God … someone like Jacob.

Jacob was self-stricken for many reasons. He took advantage of his brother in his weakness and famished state; he lied to and cheated his own father; he had to leave his mother and his home; he was feeling afraid and uncertain about his life and future, he was in a state of complete loneliness. It was the perfect set-up for life transformation.

The path to life transformation. Jacob was at his worst, yet he was on his way to meet God and become the best. Jacob the worst became Jacob the best. Jacob the crook became a prince with God.

Alone with God. All great Christians had to go to God alone after experiencing the depth of loneliness before God. God had to get Jacob by himself in a state of complete loneliness. Understandably, people hate loneliness and do their best to avoid feeling lonely. But avoiding loneliness is also avoiding God, for God can only meet us when we are alone.

III. After Meeting God (Genesis 28:16-22). The Gate of Heaven.

All “starways to heaven” is man’s attempt to reach up to/ascend to God, like the tower of Babel. But the stairway to heaven Jacob saw was God reaching down/descending to man purely by His own initiative, mercy, grace and goodness (Jn 1:45-51). God’s grace is conditioned but not unconditional. All religions are steps to God: 5 pillars of Islam; the Ten Commandments; the 8-fold path of Buddhism, etc. It involves what you need to do to get to God. But Jesus says to Nathaniel that he is the steps. It is not what to do, but who he is: he is the steps, the way to God (Jn 14:6). He lived the live I should have lived; he took the penalty that I deserve; he died the horrific way I should have died. Jesus is the steps. Jesus is the stairway. Jesus is the link. Only Christianity says that God came down to man and sufferred injustice, tragedy, the depth of darkness and depravity. Out of his death he brought real life. Out of material poverty he brought real riches. Out of brokenness and weakness, he brought real strength.

Awakened to need God. Before any man will start to woo God, God must begin to woo the man. God must be there first. “We love because he first loved us” (1 Jn 4:19). When Jacob awoke from his dream of a stairway to heaven (Gen 28:12), he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Gen 28:16). Yet God was there all the time. He had been there all the time and was patiently waiting for Jacob. “God is wherever I am” is the theme of those who have been awakened to the reality of God; who have been awakened to the fact that we belong to God, and God belongs to us; that we are His. Only those like Jacob, who are discontent, lonely, uneasy and living with a bad conscience, see something, hear something and they will meet God.

Anyone who has met God has spiritual experiences nobody could define, much less define it themselves. All they could do was stand in silent adoration, rejoice, enjoy it, praise and thank God and obey God in the practical details and small print of their lives.

As crooked as old Jacob was, he had one redeeming quality: He had a holy discontent in the depths of his heart where he wanted to know God, and God knew it. If you are not discontented, but you are satisfied where you are–like Esau who was satisfied with himself and his life–then God can do little or nothing with you. Esau possessed no spiritual longing. Nowhere in his whole life was there any evidence of moral discontent or spiritual yearning. The most precious treasure you have is that spiritual longing in your heart for God.

1. Any place is the gate of heaven. Not just on Sunday and in church. Don’t dichotomise your life. Practice God’s presence everywhere.
2. Though God is everywhere, yet God is closest to you when you’re totally alone, weak, helpless, vulnerable with no control whatsoever over your life. God is attacted to and loves us because of our brokenness. No human being can take our complete weakness, other than God in Christ. Ps 25:11.
3. Jacob’s response is so bad. There are no “if’s” in God’s love. But Jacob’s response is half ass; it is full of “if’s.”

Reference:

1. A. W. Tozer. Voice of a Prophet. Who speaks for God.  Compiled and edited by James L. Snyder. 2014. Chapter 4: When God Chooses a Prophet.
2. The Openness of Heaven. Sermon by Tim Keller. 11/04/2001. Outline of “The Openness of Heaven” (Genesis 28:10-22). Context: Preached shortly after the 9/11 attacks, a time of widespread fear and spiritual seeking.

Introduction: The Human Longing for an Open Heaven
A. The innate desire for transcendence and connection with God.
B. The feeling of a “closed heaven” — spiritual alienation and fear (amplified by post-9/11 anxieties).
C. Jacob as a paradigm: a flawed, fleeing man who encounters God’s grace unexpectedly.

I. The Darkness of Heaven. Setting: Jacob’s Crisis and Flight (Gen 28:10-11)
A. Jacob is alone, fearful, guilty (having deceived Isaac and Esau), and exiled.
B. His material vulnerability (using a stone for a pillow) mirrors his spiritual poverty.
C. A portrait of the human condition: striving, anxious, and distant from God.

II. The Openness of Heaven. The Vision: God’s Surprising Initiative (Gen 28:12-15)
A. The ladder/staircase: not human effort to climb up, but God’s bridge down.
B. The angels ascending/descending: sign of active communication and ministry between heaven and earth.
C. God’s unconditional promises to Jacob:
1. Presence (“I am with you”).
2. Protection (“will watch over you”).
3. Guidance (“wherever you go”).
4. Fulfillment of the covenant blessing (land, descendants, universal blessing).
D. Emphasis: Grace comes to the undeserving, not because of Jacob’s character but because of God’s covenant faithfulness.

III. The Gate of Heaven. Jacob’s Response: Awe, Worship, and Commitment (Gen 28:16-22)
A. Realization: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
B. The “house of God” (Bethel): God transforms ordinary, lonely places into sites of divine encounter.
C. Jacob’s pillars and vows:
1. The stone pillar: a memorial to mark the sacred moment.
2. His conditional vow: not bargaining but a responsive commitment.
3. Tithing as a sign of trust and gratitude.

IV. The Gospel Connection: Jesus as the True Ladder
A. John 1:51 — Jesus is the ladder, the only mediator between heaven and earth.
B. The incarnation: God comes down to us, not us climbing up to Him.
C. The cross: the ultimate opening of heaven, reconciling sinners to God.
D. Through Christ, heaven is permanently open — access by grace, not works.

V. Application: Living with an Open Heaven
A. For non-Christians: Stop striving; heaven opens through faith in Christ, not moral achievement.
B. For Christians:
1. Assurance: God is with you in all places, even in crisis.
2. Worship: Ordinary life becomes sacred when lived in God’s presence.
3. Mission: We become “angels” (messengers) mediating God’s blessing to others.
C. Post-9/11 relevance: In a fearful world, the open heaven offers true security and hope beyond earthly instability.

VI. Conclusion
A. Jacob’s story is our story: we are flawed, yet sought by grace.
B. The open heaven is not a place but a person — Jesus Christ.
C. Invitation to trust in Christ and live in the reality of God’s open access.

Summary:

Genesis 28:10-22, “The Openness of Heaven,” (Tim Keller’s sermon) presents the story of Jacob’s ladder as a paradigm of God’s gracious initiative to bridge the gap between a closed heaven and spiritually alienated humanity. Preached in the anxious aftermath of 9/11, Keller highlights the universal human longing for transcendence and connection with God.

Jacob—fleeing, guilty, and vulnerable—represents the human condition: striving yet distant from God. At his lowest point, Jacob experiences a vision of a ladder linking heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending. This symbolizes not human effort to reach God, but God’s descent to us. God promises Jacob His presence, protection, and covenant blessing unconditionally—not because Jacob deserves it, but because of God’s faithful grace.

Jacob responds with awe, realizing God was in that place all along. He names it Bethel (“house of God”), marking it with a stone pillar and making a vow of devotion and tithing.

This points to the Gospel: Jesus is the true ladder (John 1:51), the one who permanently opens heaven through His incarnation and cross. We access God not by climbing spiritually but by trusting in Christ’s finished work.

The application encourages us to stop striving for divine approval and instead rest in the open heaven secured by Christ. For believers, this means living with assurance, worship, and mission, knowing God is present even in crisis. In a fearful world, the open heaven offers lasting security and hope. Therefore, trust in Christ, through whom heaven is opened to all who believe.

“Babel” is strongly linked to “gate of God,” but the Bible’s story creates a famous wordplay, connecting it to “confusion” (from Hebrew balal). The original Akkadian name for Babylon was Bab-ilu, meaning “gate of God,” but the Genesis account puns on the similar-sounding Hebrew balal (“to confuse”) to explain the origin of many languages after God scattered people from the city.

• “Gate of God” (Bab-ilu): This is the actual Babylonian name for the city, derived from Akkadian bab (“gate”) and ilu (“god”).
• “Confusion” (Babel): In Genesis 11:9, the biblical author links the name Babel to the Hebrew verb balal, meaning “to mix” or “to confuse,” explaining why the people’s language was jumbled.