1. Jacob has a dream of a stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending, where God promises him the land and numerous offspring. 2. Upon waking, Jacob is amazed at being in the house of God, and sets up the stone he slept on as a pillar, pouring oil on it. 3. Jacob makes a vow that if God will protect him on his journey and return him safely home, then God will be his God.

1. Looking for Love
Genesis 28
(but finding God)

2. Big Idea
…Surely the LORD is in this
place, and I did not know it.
Genesis 28:16b 2

3. Looking for Love
Genesis 28
(but finding God)

4. Time to settle down
When Esau was forty years old, he
took Judith the daughter of Beeri the
Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath
the daughter of Elon the Hittite
Genesis 26:34 4

5. What’s Wrong?
…and they made life bitter for
Isaac and Rebekah.
Genesis 26:35 5

6. Mom has had enough!
I loathe my life because of the Hittite
women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite
women like these, one of the women of
the land, what good will my life be to me?
Genesis 27:46 6

7. Wicked Women
Descendant of Ham
Cursed by Noah
Idolaters
7

8. N.T. principle
Do not be unequally yoked with
unbelievers. For what partnership has
righteousness with lawlessness? Or what
fellowship has light with
2 Corinthians 6:14–15 8

9. N.T. principle
darkness? What accord has Christ with
Belial? Or what portion does a believer
share with an unbeliever?
2 Corinthians 6:14–15 9

10. Evil rubs off on you!
Do not be deceived: “Bad
company ruins good morals.”
1 Corinthians 15:33 10

11. Grandma said…
If you sleep
with dogs,
you’re gonna
get fleas!
11

12. Concerned Mom
“Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about
you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son,
obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in
Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s
fury turns away— until your brother’s anger turns
away from you, and he forgets what you have done to
him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why
should I be bereft of you both in one day?”
Genesis 27:42–45 12

13. Concerned Dad
You must not take a wife from the
Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-
Aram to the house of Bethuel your
Genesis 28:1–2 13

14. Concerned Dad
mother’s father, and take as your wife
from there one of the daughters of Laban
your mother’s brother.
Genesis 28:1–2 14

15. On Board
God Almighty bless you and make you
fruitful and multiply you, that you may
become a company of peoples. May he
give the blessing of Abraham to you
Genesis 28:3–4 15

16. On Board
and to your offspring with you, that you
may take possession of the land of your
sojournings that God gave to Abraham!”
Genesis 28:3–4 16

17. Isaac’s part
Leave
Get a wife
Blessing
17

18. Genesis 28:6–9 (ESV)
6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him
away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that
as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a
wife from the Canaanite women,” 7 and that Jacob had
obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-
aram. 8 So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did
not please Isaac his father, 9 Esau went to Ishmael and
took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the
daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of
Nebaioth.
18

19.  Saw
 Blessing
 Instruction
 Obedience
 Copied
19
Wanted
to
please

20. Obedience requires shoe leather
Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he
came to a certain place and stayed there that night,
because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the
place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place
to sleep.
Genesis 28:10–11 20

21. A dream from God
And he dreamed, and behold, there was a
ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it
reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of
God were ascending and descending on it!
Genesis 28:12 21

22. God still uses dreams
And in the last days it shall be…that I will pour out
my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall
see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams
Acts 2:17 22

23. Countering Babel
Builder Purpose Idea
23

24. Prophetic
Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven
opened, and the angels of God ascending and
descending on the Son of Man.
24

25. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am
the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the
God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to
you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like
the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to
the west and to the east and to the north and to the
south, and in you and your offspring shall all the
families of the earth be blessed.
God Speaks
Genesis 28:13–14 25

26. Personal Promise
Behold, I am with you and will keep you
wherever you go, and will bring you back
to this land. For I will not leave you until I
have done what I have promised you.
Genesis 28:15 26

27. Finding God without looking
Surely the LORD is in this place,
and I did not know it.
Genesis 28:16 27

28. Finding God
How awesome is this place! This is
none other than the house of God,
and this is the gate of heaven.
Genesis 28:17 28

29. Causes action
So early in the morning Jacob took the
stone that he had put under his head and
set it up for a pillar and poured oil
Genesis 28:18–19 29

30. House of God
on the top of it. He called the name of that
place Bethel, but the name of the city was
Luz at the first.
Genesis 28:18–19 30

31. A Transformative
Vision
Luz to Bethel
Lodging to Gate
of Heaven
Pillow to Altar
31

32. Makes his vow
If God will be with me and will keep me in this
way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and
clothing to wear, so that I come again to my
father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall
Genesis 28:20–22 32

33. Makes his vow
be my God, and this stone, which I have set up
for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that
you give me I will give a full tenth to you.
Genesis 28:20–22 33

34. Didn’t God just say this?
Jacob- If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go
God- Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go
Jacob- Give me bread to eat and clothes to wear.
God- I will give you the land
Jacob- Come again to my father’s house
God- I will bring you back to the land. I will not leave you.
34

35. Our Take-Away
1. You must leave the comfortable.
2. Jesus is the Stairway to Heaven
3. Dreams from God are still possible.
4. Move from transactional to conventual.
35

36. Looking for Love
Genesis 28
(but finding God)