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24_Being known by God

Gen 28:10-17 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 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. 12 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! 13 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. 14 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. 15 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.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Let us look at a passionate gardener who knows every plant in his garden. He has nurtured each one day by day. Every plant has received careful tending and the right balance of sun, water, and soil to bring it into fullest bloom. Now, contrast this with a visitor to the garden. The visitor marvels at the beauty, takes pictures, and perhaps even comments on the fragrance of the flowers. Yet, the interaction is short-lived. It lacks a real understanding of the care, effort, and connection with the plants that resulted in the vibrant garden. The gardener represents a true relationship, attained by invested effort. The visitor represents a passing acquaintance.

Are we part of the garden of God, where he is the gardener? Or are we just visitors to his garden? The Lord revealed that he was the true vine into which we were to be grafted and in whom we were to live. His Father was the gardener, tending and pruning us. Rather than shallow familiarity, he wants us to recognize his deep and personal care for us. Knowing about him, and even knowing about his work, is not at all the same thing as knowing him. It’s possible to learn facts about Him, yet miss the wonder of His presence. When God knows and acknowledges us, as Paul says, it transforms our lives. Jacob’s story in Genesis 28:10-17 shows us the first steps in Jacob’s experience of this knowing.

Jacob grew up in a wealthy family. He was surrounded by stories of God’s promises to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. Yet Jacob himself had no personal encounter with God. That changed on his journey to Haran. He was there because he had cheated his brother Esau out of his father’s blessing. When he learned that Esau was planning to kill him in revenge, his mother planned to get him away. She got his father to send him to her hometown, Haran, for a wife.

Here was a man running from his past, uncertain of his future, and for the first time, completely alone. Jacob’s sense of need became the stage where God chose to reveal Himself. This is so often the case. When we become vulnerable, the illusion of self-sufficiency having been stripped away, we begin to recognize our need for God. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged.” Jacob, alone in the wilderness, with a stone for a pillow, was at rock bottom. It was in this place of brokenness that God reached out to him, not because Jacob deserved it, but because of His grace.

That night, Jacob had a dream. He saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. Above the ladder stood the Lord, who reaffirmed all the promises made to Abraham and Isaac: the land, the descendants, and the blessing to all nations. But God added a personal word to Jacob: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Jacob didn’t seek God, yet God sought him. This dream was not merely about angels or promises—it was about relationship with God. The Lord later connected Jacob’s ladder to himself in John 1:51, revealing that He is the true bridge between heaven and earth. Through Christ, God reached out in his fulness to humanity, offering the way back into his presence.

This was a moment of revelation for Jacob. Jacob woke up startled, declaring, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it!” So often we go about our lives, oblivious to God’s presence until He opens our eyes. In response, Jacob set up a stone as a pillar and named the place Bethel, meaning “house of God.” He vowed, in classic religious style, that IF God kept His word, he would worship Him and give him a tenth of all he had.

Jacob’s response teaches us two things about the first steps in knowing God: faith and surrender. Despite his flawed character and deceitful past, Jacob valued the promise of God. Unlike his brother Esau, who despised his birthright, Jacob felt the significance of God’s blessing. His faith, though imperfect, was genuine. He didn’t have all the answers, and he certainly didn’t deserve God’s grace, but he responded to God’s revelation with faith.

Jacob didn’t need to manipulate or scheme; God had already chosen him as the heir of the promise. Yet God often meets us where we are, not where we should be. Like Jacob, our relationship with God is not based on our efforts or merits but on His grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

As Jacob began to be known by God, he slowly began to move from a life driven by self-reliance to one marked by dependence on God. This journey of transformation would take years, but it started with a personal encounter and a simple response of faith. Knowing God is a lifelong process, but it begins with recognizing our need for Him, valuing His promises, and responding to His grace.

In our own lives, it’s easy to settle for familiarity with God. We attend church, read the Bible, and know about Him but without engaging with His holiness in truth. God, however, draws us into a place where we have to set him before us all our days. There we can experience His presence, hear His voice, and walk in His ways. This requires an intentional seeking of God through genuine faith in his word and obedience to his instruction.

God reached out to us in ages past through the men of God who spoke his word. In these last days he has spoken through Jesus Christ, the ladder that connects heaven and earth. Our part is to respond in faith, surrendering our plans and trusting in His promises.

Knowing God begins with the first steps of faith. We grow in him as we respond with faith and obedience to His love and grace. God’s grace meets us in our imperfection and brokenness. He is able and ready to heal our backsliding and restore us in his image. His loving kindness endures for ever. He seeks a heart of true worship and genuine obedience in complete dependence on his mercy.

Let us set ourselves to seek God by obeying our Master, Jesus Christ his Son. Let us move beyond familiarity and truly know Him by obeying him. Let’s approach Him with gratitude, acknowledging His grace in our lives, and commit to walking with Him each day. As we do, we can trust that He will fulfill His promises. Let us be like Jacob, overwhelmed by the kindness of God, and let that shape the way we live, worship, and serve Him.