GENESIS 28: Jacob Goes Out of the Land

Jacob had to run out of his house because his brother Esau wanted to kill him for “stealing" the firstborn blessing.  However, before he left, his father Isaac blessed him once more and gave him “Abraham’s blessing”…

ABRAHAM’S BLESSING

Abraham’s blessing was the divine promise of “land and offspring” (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 17:6-8). 

(Genesis 28:3-4)  God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.  (4)  May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!"

Curiously, at the moment he was blessed, Jacob was on his way out of the Promised Land. Furthermore, Jacob did not have any offspring. The blessing could at that time sound a little “ironic”… but in reality it was prophetic.

The Lord warned the patriarchs that before they received the land, their offspring would come (Genesis 12:7). For that reason it was important that Jacob would go in search of a bride. He should not, however, marry a Canaanite woman, rather one from his own kindred, just as Isaac had done before him.

(Genesis 28:1-2)  Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, "You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women.  (2)  Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.

This was not only a blessing or a promise – it was an order, and Jacob obeyed. Where did he go to?

(Genesis 28:5)  Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. 

It seemed ironic that the son that was receiving the promise of inheriting the Promised Land had to go out of the land, while the other son stayed behind. This, however, would be only for a while, since Jacob was to return (20 years later), while Esau was to move to the other side of the Jordan River, where the land was better suited for raising livestock and hunting.

ESAU’S REACTION

Esau was upset with Jacob because he took the firstborn blessing away from him. And now he also was reacting to the fact that Jacob was going in search of a bride. Esau was aware that his parents disliked both his wives and therefore decided to take yet another wife…

(Genesis 28:6-9)  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. 

Some people interpret Esau’s decision as spiteful, since he married the daughter of Ishmael, Isaac’s half brother, whom had given him so much grief. Others on the other hand, give him the benefit of the doubt, and believe that he did it with the purpose of earning his father’s favor, by taking a wife from their “kindred”. In any case, it was evident that Esau’s spiritual discernment was not very keen.

AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

On his way to Haran, Jacob had a personal encounter with God. Up to that point, Jacob recognized YHWH as the God of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. He had not yet experienced a personal encounter with God… up to that day that is…

(Genesis 28:10-14)   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.

God himself confirmed to Jacob the blessing Isaac had bestowed upon him just before he left.

(Psalms 105:8-11)  He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,  (9)  the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,  (10)  which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,  (11)  saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."

It was important for Jacob to hear this word confirmed at that precise moment, since he left empty handed: he had no offspring and he was running away from the land of the promise. He was certainly wondering if he would ever marry, if he would have any children, if he would ever return to the land where he was born and if he would ever see his family again.

The Lord confirmed that Jacob would indeed return to the Promised Land.

(Genesis 28:15)   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." 

What God begins he will not forsake. God will always finish what he started. Paul wrote about this.

(Philippians 1:6)  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Jacob understood this by a revelation he received through a dream. It was a very vivid dream that impressed him. He knew it was from God.

(Genesis 28:16-17)  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." 

Jacob realized that the place where he had fallen asleep was a very special place:

  * The House of God [Hebrew Beit Elohim]

  * The Gate of Heaven [Hebrew Shaar Ha’Shamayim]

It was a place where the Earth is connected with Heaven, where man may connect with God.

What was Jacob’s reaction to this dream?

(Genesis 28:18-19)  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 on the top of it.  (19)  He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 

He called that place BETHEL (Hebrew Beit-El): “The House of God”.

JACOB’S VOW

After the signal he set up as a result of the dream he had, Jacob made a vow.

(Genesis 28:20-22)  Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "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,  (21)  so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,  (22)  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."

Jacob stipulated a requirement to God: If the Lord would take care of him and allow him to return to his family, then he would promise God the following:

  * He would recognize YHWH as his God

  * He would build a Temple unto God

  * He would give Him ten percent of all he own

THE CALLING OF THE PATRIARCHS

Even when God’s purpose for them was the same, each one of the patriarchs received a different calling on their first encounter with God.

Each of them received a different direction in relation to the Promised Land, in accord to the life experience they were going through.

ABRAHAM       —     “Go… to the land...” (Genesis 12:1-3)

ISAAC               —     “Dwell in the land...” (Genesis 26:1-4.)
JACOB              —     “I will bring you back to this land…” (Genesis 28:10-15)

God’s plan is one and the same; however, he may give different directions in different times to accomplish His perfect purpose. Every individual must have a personal relationship with God, which is unique. Even when the calling is the same, God is the one who orders our steps according to the process and His time. That is why we must continually search for His will.

OPENED HEAVENS

Jacob saw the opened heavens. Jesus also spoke about heaven opening and angels ascending and descending. 

(John 1:47-51)  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"  (48)  Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  (49)  Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"  (50)  Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."  (51)  And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

We are still living in this world, but when the heavens open up, we will be able to connect Heaven and Earth (the Kingdom of God with our earthly kingdom).

Angels move from heaven to Earth and vice versa. They go up with our prayers and come back with answers and direction from Heaven.

Part of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples says:

(Matthew 6:10)  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.