Has God Chosen You? (Genesis 28:11-22)

"He had a dream in which he saw a stairway...to heaven" (Gen 28:12). “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’” (Gen 28:17).

• Have you seen a "stairway to heaven"?
• Have you definitively experienced God's presence?
• Have you met God?

1. What do Jacob and Esau's struggle in the womb suggest about them and their future (Gen 25:22)?
• How does Jacob’s action during birth live up to his name (Gen 25:25-26)? See footnote.
  
2. What does Jacob’s behavior toward his famished brother show about him (Gen 25:29, 31, 33)? Is he a good fun guy to hang out with?
   
3. Did Jacob's parents know God personally (Gen 25:21-23; 26:2-3, 24)?
• Did they show favoritism (Gen 25:28)? How would you evaluate their respective behavior (Gen 27:1-4, 5-10)? What should they have done as believers? What would you have done? 
• Did they have a good "Christian" marriage?
• Was Jacob's family dysfunctional? How?
  
4. What was Jacob’s only concern (Gen 27:11-12) regarding his mother’s deceptive proposal (Gen 27:6-10)? What does this reveal about his spiritual state?
5. What is the most disturbing aspect of Jacob’s deception that involves multiple layers—covering his skin, wearing Esau's clothes, preparing food, outright lying ["I am Esau" (Gen 27:19)], and invoking God's name ["the LORD your God granted me success" (Gen 27:20)]?
6. How do you think Jacob felt as he fled from home and with only a stone for a pillow (Gen 28:10-11)? Do you have a "rock for a pillow" moment? Was that a turning point for you? 
7. How does Jacob’s dream/vision of “a stairway...reaching to heaven” (Gen 28:12) show God’s unsolicited initiative?
• What did God promise him (Gen 28:13-15)?
• What did he realize from this encounter (Gen 28:16-17)?
• What did he do (Gen 28:18-19)? What does this mean?
• What does his vow show about him (Gen 28:20-22)?
• Have you had such an experience?
• How sure are you that "the Lord is in this place" with you (Gen 28:16)?
8. How important is it to you to personally and intimately experience God's presence as the ultimate reality?