The Book of Genesis

Chapter 28
Chapter Overview:

We have here,

I.Jacob's parting with his parents to go to Padan - aram: the charge his father gave him, ver. 1, 2.
the blessing he sent him away with, ver. 3, 4.
his obedience to the orders given him, ver. 5 - 10.
and the influence this had upon Esau, ver. 6.
II. Jacob's meeting with God, and his communion with him by the way. And there,
1. His vision of the ladder, ver. 11, 12.
2. The gracious promise God made him, ver. 13, 14, 15.
3. The impression this made upon him, ver. 16 - 19.
4. The vow he made to God upon this occasion, ver. 20, 21, 22.

Verses:
28:1 Isaac blessed him, and charged him - Those that have the blessing must keep the charge
annexed to it, and not think to separate what God has joined.
28:3 Two great promises Abraham was blessed with, and Isaac here entails them both upon Jacob.

1. The promise of heirs, God make thee fruitful and multiply thee.
1. Through his loins that people should descend from Abraham which should be
numerous as the stars of heaven.
2. Through his loins should descend from Abraham that person in whom all the
families of the earth should be blessed.
2. The promise of an inheritance for those heirs, Genesis 28:4 .That thou mayest inherit the
land of thy sojournings - (So the Hebrew) Canaan was hereby entailed upon the seed of
Jacob, exclusive of the seed of Esau. Isaac was now sending Jacob away into a distant
country to settle there for some time; and lest this should look like disinheriting him, he
here confirms the settlement of it upon him. This promise looks as high as heaven, of
which Canaan was a type. That was the better country which Jacob, with the other
patriarchs, had in his eye when he confessed himself a stranger and pilgrim on the earth,
Hebrews 11:16 .

See note at "Ge 28:3"

28:5 Rebekah is here called Jacob's and Esau's mother - Jacob is named first, not only because he had
always been his mother's darling, but because he was now made his father's heir, and Esau was
postponed.
28:6 This passage comes in, in the midst of Jacob's story, to shew the influence of a good example.
Esau now begins to think Jacob the better man, and disdains not to take him for his pattern in this
particular instance of marrying with a daughter of Abraham.
28:11 The stones for his pillow, and the heavens for his canopy! Yet his comfort in the divine blessing,
and his confidence in the divine protection, made him easy, even when he lay thus exposed: being
sure that his God made him to dwell in safety, he could lie down and sleep upon a stone.
28:12 Behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached heaven, the angels ascending and
descending on it, and the Lord stood above it - This might represent

1. The providence of God, by which there is a constant correspondence kept up between

heaven and earth. The counsels of heaven are executed on earth, and the affairs of this
earth are all known in heaven. Providence doth his work gradually and by steps; angels
are employed as ministering spirits to serve all the designs of providence, and the wisdom
of God is at the upper end of the ladder, directing all the motions of second causes to his
glory. The angels are active spirits, continually ascending and descending; they rest not
day nor night. They ascend to give account of what they have done, and to receive orders;
and desend to execute the orders they have received. This vision gave seasonable
comfort to Jacob, letting him know that he had both a good guide and good guard; that
though he was to wander from his father's house, yet he was the care of Providence, and
the charge of the holy angels.
2. The mediation of Christ. He is this ladder: the foot on earth in his human nature, the top in
 heaven in his divine nature; or the former is his humiliation, the latter is his exaltation. All
the intercourse between heaven and earth since the fall is by this ladder. Christ is the way:
all God's favours come to us, and all our services come to him, by Christ. If God dwell with
us, and we with him, it is by Christ: we have no way of getting to heaven but by this ladder;
for the kind offices the angels do us, are all owing to Christ, who hath reconciled things on
earth and things in heaven, Colossians 1:20 .

28:14 In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed - Christ is the great blessing of the world:
all that are blessed, whatever family they are of, are blessed in him, and none of any family are
excluded from blessedness in him, but those that exclude themselves.
28:15 Behold I am with thee - Wherever we are, we are safe, if we have God's favourable presence with
us. He knew not, but God foresaw what hardships he would meet with in his uncle's service, and
therefore promiseth to preserve him in all places. God knows how to give his people graces and
comforts accommodated to the events that shall be, as well as to those that are. He was now
going as an exile into a place far distant, but God promiseth him to bring him again to this land. He
seemed to be forsaken of all his friends, but God gives him this assurance, I will not leave thee.
28:16 Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not - God's manifestations of himself to his people
carry their own evidence along with them. God can give undeniable demonstrations of his
presence, such as give abundant satisfaction to the souls of the faithful, that God is with them of a
truth; satisfaction not communicable to others, but convincing to themselves. We sometimes meet
with God there, where we little thought of meeting with him. He is there where we did not think he
had been, is found there where we asked not for him.
28:17 He was afraid - So far was he from being puffed up. The more we see of God, the more cause we
see for holy trembling and blushing before him. Those whom God is pleased to manifest himself
to, are laid and kept very low in their own eyes, and see cause to fear even the Lord and his
goodness, 3:5 .And said, How dreadful is this place! - That is, the appearance of God in this place
is to be thought of, but with a holy awe and reverence; I shall have a respect for this place, and
remember it by this token as long as I live. Not that he thought the place itself any nearer the
divine visions than any other places; but what he saw there at this time was, as it were, the house
of God, the residence of the Divine Majesty, and the gate of heaven, that is, the general
rendezvous of the inhabitants of the upper world; as the meetings of a city were in their gates; or,
the angels ascending and descending were like travellers passing and re-passing through the
gates of a city.
28:18 He set up the stone for a pillar - To mark the place again, if he came back, and erect a lasting
monument of God's favour to him: and because he had not time now to build an altar here, as
Abraham did in the places where God appeared to him, Genesis 12:7 , he therefore poured oil on
the top of this stone, which probably was the ceremony then used in dedicating their altars, as an
earnest of his building an altar when he should have conveniences for it, as afterwards he did, in
gratitude to God, Genesis 35:7 . Grants of mercy call for our returns of duty and the sweet
communion we have with God ought ever to be remembered.
28:19 It had been called Luz, an almond - tree, but he will have it henceforth called Beth-el, the house of
God. This gracious appearance of God to him made it more remarkable than all the almond - trees
that flourished there.
28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow - By religious vows we give glory to God, and own our dependance upon
him, and we lay a bond upon our own souls, to engage and quicken our obedience to him. Jacob
was now in fear and distress, and in times of trouble it is seasonable to make vows, or when we
are in pursuit of any special mercy, Jonah 1:16 ge 28: , Psalms 66:13 , 14 1Sam 1:11 Num
21:1,2,3.Jacob had now had a gracious visit from heaven, God had renewed his covenant with
him, and the covenant is mutual; when God ratifies his promises to us, it is proper for us to repeat
our promises to him. If thou wilt be with me and keep me - We need desire no more to make us
easy and happy wherever we are, but to have God's presence with us, and to be under his
protection. It is comfortable in a journey to have a guide in an unknown way, a guard in a
dangerous way, to be well carried, well provided for, and to have good company in any way; and
they that have God with them, have all this in the best manner. Then shall the Lord be my God -
Then I will rejoice in him as my God, then I will be the more strongly engaged to abide with him.
And this pillar shall be God's house - That is, an altar shall be erected here to the honour of
God.And of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee - To be spent either
upon God's altar or upon his poor, which are both his receivers in the world. The tenth is a very fit
proportion to be devoted to God, and employed for him; though as circumstances vary, it may be
more or less, as God prospers us.
CHAPTER 28
Genesis 28:1-19 . JACOB'S DEPARTURE.
1. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him--He entered fully into Rebekah's feelings, and the burden of his
parting counsel to his son was to avoid a marriage alliance with any but the Mesopotamian branch of the
family. At the same time he gave him a solemn blessing--pronounced before unwittingly, now designedly,
and with a cordial spirit. It is more explicitly and fully given, and Jacob was thus acknowledged "the heir of
the promise."
6-9. when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, &c.--Desirous to humor his parents and, if possible,
get the last will revoked, he became wise when too late (see Matthew 25:10 ), and hoped by gratifying his
parents in one thing to atone for all his former delinquencies. But he only made bad worse, and though he
did not marry a "wife of the daughters of Canaan," he married into a family which God had rejected. It
showed a partial reformation, but no repentance, for he gave no proofs of abating his vindictive purposes
against his brother, nor cherishing that pious spirit that would have gratified his father--he was like Micah
(see Judges 17:13 ).
10. Jacob went out, &c.--His departure from his father's house was an ignominious flight; and for fear of
being pursued or waylaid by his vindictive brother, he did not take the common road, but went by lonely
and unfrequented paths, which increased the length and dangers of the journey.
11. he lighted upon a certain place--By a forced march he had reached Beth-el, about forty-eight miles
from Beer-sheba, and had to spend the night in the open field.
he took of the stones--"The nature of the soil is an existing comment on the record of the stony territory
where Jacob lay" [CLARKE'S Travels].
12. he dreamed . . . and behold a ladder--Some writers are of opinion that it was not a literal ladder that
is meant, as it is impossible to conceive any imagery stranger and more unnatural than that of a ladder,
whose base was on earth, while its top reached heaven, without having any thing on which to rest its
upper extremity. They suppose that the little heap of stones, on which his head reclined for a pillow, being
the miniature model of the object that appeared to his imagination, the latter was a gigantic mountain pile,
whose sides, indented in the rock, gave it the appearance of a scaling ladder. There can be no doubt that
this use of the original term was common among the early Hebrews; as JOSEPHUS, describing the town
of Ptolemais (Acre), says it was bounded by a mountain, which, from its projecting sides, was called "the
ladder," and the stairs that led down to the city are, in the original, termed a ladder ( Nehemiah 3:15 )
thought they were only a flight of steps cut in the side of the rock. But whether the image presented to the
mental eye of Jacob were a common ladder, or such a mountain pile as has been described, the design
of this vision was to afford comfort, encouragement, and confidence to the lonely fugitive, both in his
present circumstances and as to his future prospects. His thoughts during the day must have been
painful--he would be his own self-accuser that he had brought exile and privation upon himself--and
above all, that though he had obtained the forgiveness of his father, he had much reason to fear lest God
might have forsaken him. Solitude affords time for reflection; and it was now that God began to bring
Jacob under a course of religious instruction and training. To dispel his fears and allay the inward tumult
of his mind, nothing was better fitted than the vision of the gigantic ladder, which reached from himself to
heaven, and on which the angels were continually ascending and descending from God Himself on their
benevolent errands ( John 1:51 ).
13. The Lord stood above it, and said--That Jacob might be at no loss to know the purport of the vision,
he heard the divine voice; and the announcement of His name, together with a renewal of the covenant,
and an assurance of personal protection, produced at once the most solemnizing and inspiriting effect on
his mind.
16. Jacob awaked out of his sleep--His language and his conduct were alike that of a man whose mind
was pervaded by sentiments of solemn awe, of fervent piety, and lively gratitude ( Jeremiah 31:36 ).
18, 19. Jacob set up a stone--The mere setting up of the stone might have been as a future memorial to
mark the spot; and this practice is still common in the East, in memory of a religious vow or engagement.
But the pouring oil upon it was a consecration. Accordingly he gave it a new name, Beth-el, "the house of
God" ( Hosea 12:4 ); and it will not appear a thing forced or unnatural to call a stone a house, when one
considers the common practice in warm countries of sitting in the open air by or on a stone, as are those
of this place, "broad sheets of bare rock, some of them standing like the cromlechs of Druidical
monuments" [STANLEY].
Genesis 28:20-22 . JACOB'S VOW.
20. Jacob vowed a vow--His words are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the
condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let "if" be changed into "since," and the
language will appear a proper expression of Jacob's faith--an evidence of his having truly embraced the
promise. How edifying often to meditate on Jacob at Beth-el.
JACOB FLEES FROM ESAU
A. Isaac's farewell to Jacob.
1. (Gen 28:1-2) Instructions to not take a Canaanite wife.
Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: "You shall not take a wife
from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father;
and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother."
a. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him: Perhaps now Isaac resigns himself to what his wife Rebekah
told him was the LORD's will all along - that the older would serve the younger and that Jacob, not Esau,
would receive the birthright. So he sent Jacob on with blessing and instructions.
b. You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan: It is essential Jacob not take a wife from
the daughters of Canaan, as his brother Esau did. Jacob is the one who nherits the birthright and carries
on the seed of the Messiah.
2. (Gen 28:3-5) The all-important transferal of Abraham's blessing.
"May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of
peoples; and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may
inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham." So Isaac sent Jacob away, and
he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of
Jacob and Esau.
a. And give you the blessing of Abraham: Essentially, this is the aspect of the birthright that Esau
despised, but Jacob (who seems equally unworthy) will gain. Jacob is the one to carry on God's promise
to Abraham.
i. Essentially, Jacob is promised a land, a nation, and a blessing, even as Abraham was (Genesis 12:1-3).
b. To you and your descendants with you: Jacob is by no means worthy of this blessing. Each of the
four parties in this whole birthright mess were in the flesh somewhere along the line. The amazing thing is
that God could bring any good out of all this, and this is an example of a triumph of God's sovereignty.
c. So Isaac sent Jacob away: Tragically, this is the last time Jacob will see his father or mother.
3. (Gen 28:6-9) Esau adds wives.
Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take himself a wife from
there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the
daughters of Canaan," and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan
Aram. Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to
Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife
in addition to the wives he had.
a. Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob: Now the blessing and the birthright seem important to
Esau. They were important enough to him that he determined to impress his father by marrying non-
Canaanite women when he saw that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother.
B. Jacob meets God at Bethel.
1. (Gen 28:10-12) Jacob's dream of a ladder.
Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed
there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his
head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the
earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
a. Then he dreamed: In this desolate wilderness, Jacob had a significant dream as he used a stone for a
pillow (which would seem to cause strange dreams).
i. One can only imagine the strange flood of feelings in Jacob at this moment: the fear, the loneliness, the
isolation, the excitement, and the anticipation. This was an absolutely strategic time in Jacob's life.
b. A ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it: In Jacob's dream, there is now access to heaven. Jacob now
knew God was closer than ever and there was real access and interaction between heaven and earth.
i. Jesus made it clear in John 1:51 that He is the access to heaven. He is the means by which heaven
comes down to us and by which we can go to heaven. He is the "ladder." And He said to him, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man." (John 1:51)
ii. Jesus is this way to heaven. He does not show us a way, He is the way. Jesus said to him, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)
2. (Gen 28:13-15) God speaks to Jacob.
And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God
of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall
be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south;
and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 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 spoken to you."
a. The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants: These words are for comfort
and hope in the life of Jacob, at this critical crossroads in his life. Essentially, God repeats to Jacob the
terms of the covenant He gave to both Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5).
i. Before, Isaac told Jacob the covenant was his (Genesis 28:3-4), but now the voice of God Himself
confirms it.
b. I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac: Jacob had no doubt heard about
the great God who appeared to Abraham and to Isaac, but now this same God has a personal encounter
with Jacob himself. This was a life-changing experience for Jacob.
c. 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 spoken to you: God gives to Jacob the same kind of
promise found in Philippians 1:6: being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in
you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. God won't let us go until His work is complete in us.
3. (Gen 28:16-19) Jacob worships God, naming the place Bethel (house of God).
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 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!" Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his
head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the
name of that city had been Luz previously.
a. Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it: Jacob was right in sensing the presence of
the LORD there, but he was wrong in perhaps thinking God was in some places and not in others. David
knew this: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? (Psalm 139:7)
b. How awesome is this place! From his fleshly perspective, Jacob puts too much emphasis on a
particular place. He doesn't realize that if the presence of the LORD is not with him in every place, then
God can never fulfill His promise to him.
c. He called the name of that place Bethel: The city of Bethel plays an important (though not glorious)
role in Israel's history. It is second only to Jerusalem in the number of times mentioned in the Old
Testament.
i. Later, when speaking to Jacob, God refers to Himself as the God of Bethel (Genesis 31:13).
ii. Bethel would eventually become a high place, notorious for idolatrous sacrifice (1 Kings 13:32, Hosea
10:15, Amos 4:4).
4. (Gen 28:20-22) Jacob's vow unto God.
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and
give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the
LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that
You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."
a. If God will be with me: This can be also translated "since God will be with me"; but knowing Jacob, he
undoubtedly means it in the sense of "if God will be with me." God has given him a promise, yet he is still
making "deals" with God, even promising God money if He makes good on His promise.
i. The way Jacob prayed, it was evident God's mere word was not enough for him. He had to see God do
it before he would believe. Are we the same way? God says, "And my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19); He says, "The LORD is good, a
stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7) Do we believe these
things before we see them?
b. Keep me in the way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on: Here, Jacob
sets the terms of his covenant with God. He is laying down the deal for God, instead of humbly receiving
what God said would be the deal.
i. Jacob isn't very submitted to God. God will teach him submission in a very tough situation, through his
Uncle Laban.
c. Jacob made a vow: Unfortunately, there is a great contrast between God's promise and Jacob's vow.
One is totally God-centered; the other is terribly man-centered.
i. God's promise (Genesis 28:13-15):
- I am the LORD God.
- I will give to you.
- I am with you.
- I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken.
ii. Jacob's vow:
- If God will be with me.
- And keep me.
- In this way that I am going.
- Give me bread and clothing.
- So that I come back to my father's house.
iii. How much better if Jacob had prayed like this: "Because You promised to be with me and to keep me
and to provide for all my needs, and to bring me back to the land which you swore to give to my fathers
and to me, I will be completely Yours, God."
iv. God is gracious enough to not call off the whole deal when He saw such a carnal response from
Jacob. Instead, He is willing to be called, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob
(Exodus 3:6).
Chapter Contents-GENESIS 28
Isaac sends Jacob to Padan-aram. (1-5) Esau marries the daughter of Ishmael. (6-9) Jacob's vision. (10-15)
The stone of Beth-el. (16-19) Jacob's vow. (20-22)
Commentary on Genesis 28:1-5
(Read Genesis 28:1-5)
Jacob had blessings promised both as to this world and that which is to come; yet goes out to a hard service.
This corrected him for the fraud on his father. The blessing shall be conferred on him, yet he shall smart for the
indirect course taken to obtain it. Jacob is dismissed by his father with a solemn charge. He must not take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan: those who profess religion, should not marry with those that care not for
religion. Also with a solemn blessing. Isaac had before blessed him unwittingly; now he does it designedly. This
blessing is more full than the former; it is a gospel blessing. This promise looks as high as heaven, of which
Canaan was a type. That was the better country which Jacob and the other patriarchs had in view.
Commentary on Genesis 28:6-9
(Read Genesis 28:6-9)
Good examples impress even the profane and malicious. But Esau thought, by pleasing his parents in one
thing, to atone for other wrong doings. Carnal hearts are apt to think themselves as good as they should be,
because in some one matter they are not so bad as they have been.
Commentary on Genesis 28:10-15
(Read Genesis 28:10-15)
Jacob's conduct hitherto, as recorded, was not that of one who simply feared and trusted in God. But now in
trouble, obliged to flee, he looked only to God to make him to dwell in safety, and he could lie down and sleep
in the open air with his head upon a stone. Any true believer would be willing to take up with Jacob's pillow,
provided he might have Jacob's vision. God's time to visit his people with his comforts, is, when they are most
destitute of other comforts, and other comforters. Jacob saw a ladder which reached from earth to heaven, the
angels going up and coming down, and God himself at the head of it. This represents, 1. The providence of
God, by which there is a constant intercourse kept up between heaven and earth. This let Jacob know that he
had both a good guide and a good guard. 2. The mediation of Christ. He is this ladder; the foot on earth in his
human nature, the top in heaven in his Divine nature. Christ is the Way; all God's favours come to us, and all
our services go to him, by Christ, John 1:51. By this way, sinners draw near to the throne of grace with
acceptance. By faith we perceive this way, and in prayer we approach by it. In answer to prayer we receive all
needful blessings of providence and grace. We have no way of getting to heaven but by Christ. And when the
soul, by faith, can see these things, then every place will become pleasant, and every prospect joyful. He will
never leave us, until his last promise is accomplished in our everlasting happiness. God now spake comfortably
to Jacob. He spake from the head of the ladder. All the glad tidings we receive from heaven come through
Jesus Christ. The Messiah should come from Jacob. Christ is the great blessing of the world. All that are
blessed, are blessed in him, and none of any family are shut out from blessedness in him, but those that shut
out themselves. Jacob had to fear danger from his brother Esau; but God promises to keep him. He had a long
journey before him; to an unknown country; but, Behold, I am with thee, and God promises to bring him back
again to this land. He seemed to be forsaken of all his friends; but God gives him this assurance, I will not leave
thee. Whom God loves, he never leaves.
Commentary on Genesis 28:16-19
(Read Genesis 28:16-19)
God manifested himself and his favour, to Jacob, when he was asleep. The Spirit, like the wind, blows when
and where it listeth, and God's grace, like the dew, tarrieth not for the sons of men. Jacob sought to improve
the visit God had made him. Wherever we are, in the city or in the desert, in the house or in the field, in the
shop or in the street, we may keep up our intercourse with Heaven, if it is not our own fault. But the more we
see of God, the more cause we see for holy trembling before him.
Commentary on Genesis 28:20-22
(Read Genesis 28:20-22)
Jacob made a solemn vow on this occasion. In this observe, 1. Jacob's faith. He trusts that God will be with
him, and will keep him; he depends upon it. 2. Jacob's moderation in his desires. He asks not for soft clothing
and dainty meat. If God give us much, we are bound to be thankful, and to use it for him; if he gives us but little,
we are bound to be content, and cheerfully to enjoy him in it. 3. Jacob's piety, and his regard to God, appear in
what he desired, that God would be with him, and keep him. We need desire no more to make us easy and
happy. Also his resolution is, to cleave to the Lord, as his God in covenant. When we receive more than
common mercy from God, we should abound in gratitude to him. The tenth is a fit proportion to be devoted to
God, and employed for him; though it may be more or less, as God prospers us, 1 Corinthians 16:2. Let us then
remember our Bethels, how we stand engaged by solemn vows to yield ourselves to the Lord, to take him for
our God, and to devote all we have and are to his glory!
The Seeker Is Sought (Genesis 28:1-22)
Introduction
God has a way of shaping the lives of His children even before they have entered into a relationship with him.
One of my seminary professors, whom I greatly admire, serves to illustrate this dramatically. While an
unbeliever, he attended college and was faced with a decision as to his major. He was (and is) an exceptional
golfer and decided to major in whatever subject was available which would leave his afternoons free to play
golf. That subject happened to be Greek. After his conversion he went on to theological seminary and
eventually became the head of the Greek department there for many years.
I am inclined to look at the life of Jacob in a similar way. I do not see any evidence of his conversion before
Genesis 28. In Genesis 27:20 Jacob referred to the God of Abraham and of Isaac as “your God.” It is here in
chapter 28 that Jacob affirmed, “The LORD will be my God” (Genesis 28:21). Jacob appears to be on the road
to Haran much as Saul made his way to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:1ff.), religious but not related to God by a
personal faith and commitment. Both Saul and Jacob were stopped short by a vision which was to change the
course of their lives.
Jacob’s Farewell
and Esau’s Frustration
(28:1-9)
While the consequences for failure to pull off the deception of Isaac had been carefully considered, neither
Rebekah nor Jacob had weighed the cost of success. Isaac had been deceived and mocked (cf. 27:12,
marginal note in NASV) due to the frailties of his age. Esau was deeply resentful, looking forward to the time
when he could kill his brother (27:41). Rebekah must have found the gap between herself and her husband
(not to mention Esau) widened by her deception of her mate. More than this, Rebekah now perceived that
Jacob would have to leave until emotions cooled, although she had no conception of how long this separation
must last.
In Genesis 27:42-45 Rebekah began to expedite the plan which she had already formulated in her mind. She
must see to it that Jacob escaped the passions of Esau. She would arrange for him to spend time with her
brother Laban, far from Esau, and so she began to pave the way for Jacob’s escape. First, she prepared Jacob
for his departure by explaining the need for it (verses 42-45). Just a few days, she reasoned,232 would be
needed for things to settle down (verse 44). Instead it was twenty years before Jacob would return (cf. 31:38),
and that, it appears, was after she died.
The final verse of chapter 27 describes the skillful manipulation of Isaac by Rebekah, leading him to the
inevitable conclusion that Jacob should be sent away to Haran, the city of her brother Laban:
And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the
daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46)
How different was Rebekah’s approach from what Sarah could have been predicted to do. I think Sarah would
have given Abraham an ultimatum: “Send my son to my brother Laban in Haran or else!” This she would have
demanded, poking her bony finger in the face of Abraham all the while (cf. 16:5; 21:10). Rebekah believed in
the subtle but sure approach. She never told Isaac what to do; she just spelled things out in such a way that
Isaac could reasonably do nothing else. She let it be known how distressed she was over the Canaanite
women whom Esau had taken as wives (cf. 26:34-35). Then she insinuated that if Jacob did the same she
would not be fit to live with. Little wonder then that Isaac did what is recorded in the first two verses of chapter
28:
So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the
daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there
take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother” (Genesis 28:1-2).
Two things are striking about this word of instruction from the lips of Isaac. First, it is unprecedented. Nowhere
previously has this instruction been given. We see this from Esau’s response to the events of the early verses
of chapter 28:
Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take to himself a wife from
there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of
Canaan,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. So Esau saw
that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the
wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth (Genesis 28:6-9).
We must therefore conclude that neither Jacob nor Esau had ever previously been taught that marriage to a
Canaanite woman would be inconsistent with the will of God and unsatisfactory to their parents.
Second, this charge to Jacob was untimely. We must admit that the occasion of Jacob going to Paddan-aram
to seek a wife is a good one for this instruction, but we must not overlook how late in the life of these two sons
this is. We have previously stated that Jacob was 77 years old when he went down to Haran.233 This would
mean that Jacob did not marry until he was 84, since he had to work seven years for his wife (29:18,20).
We must remember that Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah (25:20), as was Esau when he took his two
Hittite wives (26:34). For Esau this instruction came 37 years late. Imagine his frustration at finally learning the
reason for his parents’ grief about his marriage. Surely Isaac’s words in verses 1 and 2 are too little and too late
for Esau, and none too soon for Jacob.
Coupled with the fact that marriage was a secondary reason for Jacob’s departure to Haran, while survival was
primary, we begin to grasp the casual attitude of Isaac toward the spiritual training of his sons. To him these
matters must have been of minimal import to come as little and as late as they did.
The blessing of Jacob is somewhat more positive. While Isaac had blessed Jacob in the previous chapter, he
had done so as though it were Esau. That blessing does not reach the clarity and the particularity of verses 3
and 4:
And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of
peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you; that you
may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.
Only by allusion did Isaac convey the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob in chapter 27. Here it is
stated in very specific terms. Isaac has finally resigned himself to the fact that God is going to bless Jacob and
not Esau. His words reflect this acceptance of things as they must be and as God said they would be.
Television and the movies have conditioned us to delight in the destruction of the villain. He gets his just
desserts, and usually in a way that befits his dastardly deeds. We all know that the good guy will win (or at least
this used to be true), but we must watch until we have had the pleasure of seeing the bad guy get what is
coming to him. Likewise, when we come to these verses concerning the response of Esau to what has
happened between Isaac and Jacob, we tend to think of Esau as the villain. We expect to see his downfall, and
we plan to savor it when it comes.
Because of this, we must be reminded that Jacob was not chosen because he was the hero, nor was Esau
rejected because he was the villain. Genesis 25, especially in the light of Paul’s explanation in Romans 9,
forces us to conclude that God chose Jacob and rejected Esau without regard to the deeds of either (Romans
9:11-12). Esau is not a man who, because of his actions described here and elsewhere, was rejected by God.
Esau is not any different from any unbeliever whose heart has not been enlivened and whose mind has not
been enlightened to respond to divine realities. Esau in his unbelief is no more depraved nor any less sensitive
to spiritual things than any other son or daughter of Adam who suffers from inherent sin:
There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All
have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one
(Romans 3:10-12).
Let us therefore put aside all sense of smugness and superiority when we come to consider this tragic figure,
for whom we should all feel a deep sense of pity. Let us all acknowledge that, but for the grace of God, there go
we. Here is a man who cannot comprehend the love of God and is unconvinced about the love of his father.
Here is one who fails to grasp spiritual realities but who also has not been taught them by his parents.
Thirty-seven years too late Esau has learned at least one of the reasons why he felt unloved: his wives
displeased his parents. I say “parents,” but you will observe that Esau is not reported to have cared about his
mother’s sentiments toward him, only his father’s (verse 8). He had long since given up hope of being loved
and accepted by Rebekah. Desperately he sought to win the approval of his father.
If having a non-Canaanite wife was all that it took to please his father, that was a small price to pay for the
approval he craved. Failing to see any problem in his actions, Esau took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael
(verse 9). This woman was no Canaanite; she was of the family of Abraham. What could be more pleasing to
Isaac than this? But Esau did not understand the matter of purity. Ishmael had been rejected to carry out the
line of Abraham because he was a child of self effort (21:12, cf. Galatians 4:22-23). He was a product of fleshly
striving, not spiritual dependence. Marriage to a descendant of Ishmael failed to achieve Esau’s intended goal.
Without realizing it, he typified in this act the very thing which God most condemned, fleshly striving. Just as
Abraham acted on his own to achieve a son, so Esau acted in a fleshly way to win the approval of his father.
How appropriate this marriage was, and how ineffectual.
Jacob’s Departure and His Dream
(28:10-17)
On his journey to Paddan-aram, Jacob was accompanied only by his staff (32:10) and his thoughts. It would
not seem difficult to speculate with fair accuracy as to what these thoughts were about. Surely he must have
considered the wisdom of his actions in deceiving his father. He must have compared his expectations in this
plot with the outcome of it. He should have felt guilt at the thought of his treatment of his brother and father. He
undoubtedly grieved at having to leave his mother. He must have wondered what kind of reception he would
have from Laban. He would not be able to overlook the fact that he had nothing to offer Laban as a dowry for a
wife. What would his wife be like? When would he ever be able to return home?
Whatever his thoughts must have been, I believe that Jacob was finally at the end of himself. I believe that he
came to realize that he would never prosper on the basis of his schemes and struggles. His self-assurance was
probably at an all-time low. This was the ideal time for God to break into his life, for now Jacob knew how much
he needed God in order to be blessed as his father had been.
Night seems to have overtaken Jacob before he arrived at the city of Luz. The city gates would have been
closed for the night, so Jacob, as shepherds customarily did, slept under the stars. He found a suitable spot,
took a stone from nearby, and propped himself up for the night. In his sleep he had an awe-inspiring vision. He
saw a ladder reaching from heaven to earth, with angels ascending and descending upon it. Above this ladder
was God, who spoke these words to him:
I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to
you and to your descendants. Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread
out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all
the families of the earth be blessed. And 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 28:13-
15).
This vision has been the victim of many interpreters. Its significance has been said to be deep and profound. I
think not. I believe that it was intended to be understood very simply, just as Jacob did. My interpretation of its
meaning and significance will be based upon four considerations: (a) the words of God to Jacob; (b) the words
immediately spoken by Jacob; (c) the words spoken on a later occasion by Jacob; and (d) the words of our
Lord in John 1:51.
The words spoken by God are very similar to previous declarations to Abraham and to Isaac. Isaac’s
pronouncement that passed on the blessing of Abraham to Jacob (verse 4) was now confirmed by God
Himself. While there are various aspects to these covenant blessings, foremost seems to be the references to
the land:
… the land on which you lie; I will give it to you … (verse 13)
… and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south … (verse 14)
… and will bring you back to this land … (verse 15)
Jacob perceived the significance of the place, too, for he immediately narrowed his thinking to the
awesomeness of the place where he lay:
… surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it (verse 16).
… How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (verse
17).
Later on in his life Jacob looked back upon this vision, still realizing the manner in which God signified the
special nature of that place:
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land,
and return to the land of your birth (Genesis 31:13).
As Jacob, in obedience to this command, approached the land of promise, he received a report that Esau was
coming to meet him with four hundred men (Genesis 32:6). Jacob prayed for protection as he went forward,
based upon the promise of God in the vision at Bethel:
Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack
me, mother with children. For thou didst say, “I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the
sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude” (Genesis 32:11-12).
These statements of God and Jacob fit together nicely, especially in the light of the context of the vision. Jacob
was about to leave the land of promise for a twenty year sojourn in Paddan-aram. He might be tempted never
to return to this land again. By means of this dramatic vision God impressed Jacob with the significance of this
land. It was the place where heaven and earth met. It was the place where God would come down to man and
where men would find access to God. It was, as Jacob asserted, “the gate of heaven.” Throughout those
twenty years Jacob would never forget this dream. He would realize that ultimately, to be in the will of God, he
must be in the place of God’s choosing, the land of promise. It was in the land that God’s blessings would be
poured out upon God’s people. While Jacob must leave, he must surely return.
How eagerly the first recipients of this record must have read it. The books of the Law were written by Moses
and thus must have been completed before his death and before the entrance of Israel into the promised land.
What a sense of anticipation the Israelites must have had as they looked across the river Jordan knowing that,
in some special way, God’s presence was to be revealed in that place. The experience on Mount Sinai surely
gave substance to this hope.
In the first chapter of John’s gospel Jesus had invited Philip to follow him (1:43). Philip likewise sought out
Nathanael, assuring him that he had found the Messiah. This Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth (verse 45).
Nathanael wondered at how the Messiah could come from such a place as Nazareth (verse 46). When Jesus
saw Nathanael coming, He identified him as a man “in whom is no guile” (verse 47). Further, Jesus indicated
that He had seen Nathanael while he was “under the fig tree” (verse 48). This was enough to convince
Nathanael that Philip was right—Jesus was the Messiah!
Our Lord did not stop at this, however. While commending his belief, He went on to give even greater
revelation concerning Himself:
And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51).
Nathanael had put too much stock in place. How could Messiah come from Nazareth? Jesus had been born in
Bethlehem. God had revealed Himself to man in Israel. But while Jacob had focused upon the ground, the
place where the ladder was situated, Jesus drew Nathanael’s attention to the ladder itself. He, Jesus of
Nazareth, was the ladder. It was not the place where the ladder stood which was now most important but the
person who was the ladder. Jacob saw God above the ladder; Jesus revealed God as the ladder. Ultimately it
was Jesus Christ who bridged the gap between heaven and earth. It is through Him that God has come down
to man. It is through Him that man will have access to God. Jacob saw what he needed to see at that moment
in his life. Jesus revealed to Nathanael that there was much more to be seen than what Jacob had perceived in
his day.
Jacob’s Declaration
(28:18-22)
Jacob’s response to this dramatic disclosure of the divine purposes and promises of God can be summarized
by three statements.
Jacob Set Up a Pillar
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar,
and poured oil on its top. And he called the name of the place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city
had been Luz (Genesis 28:18-19).
The pillar was to serve as a memorial. It marked a place to which he would return to build an altar and worship
God.
Jacob Made a Profession of Faith
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will
give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be
my God” (Genesis 28:20-21).
Some are inclined to view the “ifs” of these words as evidence of Jacob’s bargaining nature. It is as though
Jacob is striking a deal with God. While Jacob’s faith is certainly immature at this point, I am inclined to view
the “ifs” more in the sense of “since,” along with others.234
Jacob Made a Promise
And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house; and of all that Thou dost give me I will
surely give a tenth to Thee (Genesis 28:22).
Jacob planned to return, consistent with the thrust of the vision he had seen. At that time he would build an
altar and give a tithe to God. While the Scriptures record the building of the altar (35:7), no reference can be
found to the giving of the tithe. It may be, however, that this tithe was involved in the sacrifices which would be
offered upon the altar. There was no command to tithe; this was a voluntary act on Jacob’s behalf.
Conclusion
This chapter has some very sobering lessons for us as parents. Isaac’s apathy in the matter of instructing his
sons may sound uncomfortably familiar. In addition to this I find Isaac’s love to be contingent upon Esau’s
performance. Isaac “loved Esau because,… ” we are told (25:28). Interestingly, in this same verse we are told
only that Rebekah loved Jacob. No conditions are expressed. Look at the insecurity of Esau. Here was a 77-
year-old man, still desperately trying to win the love and approval of his father—and with good reason, for his
father loved on the basis of his performance.
Then, also, it would seem that as a favored son Esau was pampered by his father. Nowhere are we ever told of
the discipline of either of Isaac’s sons. Discipline, as the Bible repeatedly informs us, is one manifestation of
genuine love (cf. Proverbs 3:12; 13:24; Hebrews 12:5-11). I cannot help but feel that some words of admonition
and correction in the life of Esau would have assured him of his father’s love. Discipline is not the enemy of
love but the evidence of it.
Both Jacob and Esau illustrate the futility of scheming and self-effort in achieving divine acceptance. Here
Esau’s sincere and diligent efforts to win approval by marrying a daughter of Ishmael are worthless. While his
sincerity is evident, his actions do not conform with the requirements of faith. Sincere effort which is not based
upon divine revelation is folly.
All of Jacob’s efforts to achieve the blessing of God are in vain as well. It was only by entering into a
relationship with the covenant God of Abraham and Isaac that Jacob could experience the blessings of God.
The basis for such a relationship was the revealed word of God. I find it amusing that while Jacob could not find
God by striving, he was found by God while in his sleep. Surely God is trying to tell us something by this. It is
by resting in Him and in His Word that we can be blessed. This does not mean the absence of activity on our
part,235 but it does mean that self-effort will always be futile.
Two further lessons from this text should be pointed out. First, place is important. It surely was important so far
as Jacob was concerned. Experiencing the blessing of God meant being in the place where God had promised
to bless. I hear people say things such as, “I can worship God just as well out on the lake as I can in a church.”
But the Word of God tells us, “… not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some …”
(Hebrews 10:25). There are surely certain places where it would be difficult, even impossible, for a Christian to
be for the glory of God.
Second, a profession of faith does not mean our immediate entrance into blissful experiences and rose-petal-
strewn pathways. For twenty years after this conversion experience Jacob was to live away from his mother
and father, away from the land of promise. For twenty years Jacob was to be administered a large dose of his
own medicine, dealt out by an uncle who was even more deceitful than he. Entering into a relationship with
God does not guarantee only good times and happy experiences; but it does assure us of the forgiveness of
sins, the hope of eternal life, and the presence of God in our everyday lives.