Genesis 28 - Jacob Sent to His Uncle Laban

Jacob to Haran https://www.casualenglishbible.com/genesis-28/

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/10/genesis.html
"Isaac blesses Jacob again before he leaves for Paddan-aram.  Isaac tells Jacob to marry one of Laban's daughters, and he tells him not to marry a Canaanite woman.  Esau hears about this, and to show contempt towards his father, he marries another Canaanite woman in addition to his other two wives.  Jacob has a dream from God along his journey to Haran.  God reaffirms the covenant he originally made with Abraham and Isaac to Jacob.  Upon waking, Jacob takes a stone marker, pours oil on top of it, and named the place, where he had the dream from God, Bethel, or the House of God.  Then, Jacob makes a vow with God, saying "If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, if He provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear, and if I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God.  This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God's house, and I will give to You a tenth of all that you give me."

Reading from the Amplified Bible (AMP) version..

• "So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, “You shall not marry one of the women of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take from there as a wife for yourself one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother." v.1-2

• "So Esau realized that [his two wives] the daughters of Canaan displeased Isaac his father; and [to appease his parents] Esau went to [the family of] Ishmael and took as his wife, in addition to the wives he [already] had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth [Ishmael’s firstborn son]." v.8-9

• "And he came to a certain place and stayed overnight there because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down there [to sleep]. He dreamed that there was a ladder (stairway) placed on the earth, and the top of it reached [out of sight] toward heaven; and [he saw] the angels of God ascending and descending on it [going to and from heaven]." v.11-12

• "And behold, the Lord stood above and around him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your [father’s] father and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land [of promise] on which you are lying. Your descendants shall be as [countless as] the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and all the families (nations) of the earth shall be blessed through you and your descendants. Behold, I am with you and will keep [careful watch over you and guard] you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this [promised] land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” v.13-15

• "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, “Without any doubt the Lord is in this place, and I did not realize it.” So he was afraid and said, “How fearful and awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven.” v.16-17

• "So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone he had put under his head and he set it up as a pillar [that is, a monument to the vision in his dream], and he poured [olive] oil on the top of it [to consecrate it]. He named that place Bethel (the house of God); the previous name of that city was Luz (Almond Tree). Then Jacob made a vow (promise), 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 clothing to wear, and if [He grants that] I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God." v.18-21

• "This stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument, memorial) will be God’s house [a sacred place to me], and of everything that You give me I will give the tenth to You [as an offering to signify my gratitude and dependence on You].” v.22

My personal observations and reflections...

• DON'T MARRY CANAANITE WOMEN. Maybe because of what Rebekah expressed to Isaac (in Genesis 27:46, NIV), "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living."-- Isaac, who trembled violently before (Genesis 27:33) upon learning what Jacob did to steal the firstborn blessing, "called Jacob and blessed him and charged him" not to marry a woman from Canaan, like Esau.

It's hard for me to weigh or judge what Rebekah has done, in helping her son Jacob deceive his father Isaac to be able to get the (covenant) blessing.. I remember her as the woman who was virtuous to Eliezer of Damascus, the servant of Abraham. She is a strong and determined woman, she is not afraid to express her real feelings to Isaac (which were reasonable, because Esau's actions of marrying the Hittite women were disappointing and out of God's will.) Again, I wonder if Rebekah just ran out of options-- I'm sure as a mother/wife, she doesn't have the same power as the father/spiritual leader of the house. Anyway, God is always in control, even if we mess up. He always works all things for the good, for the benefit of the whole world.

Rebekah got Isaac to listen to her, so he sent Jacob away-- not only from Esau-- but also to do an important mission. He is to look for his grandfather Bethuel's house, and take from there as a wife for himself one of the daughters of Laban, his mother’s brother. Isaac blessed his 'least favorite' son Jacob and even mentioned God's covenant that was given to Abraham. It's as if Isaac suddenly woke up, and remembered this all important purpose in their family (God's family)! 

• ESAU MARRIED ISHMAEL'S DAUGHTER. I don't know how Esau controlled his anger towards Jacob, but we read that he overheard his father instructing Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman, and he obeyed. So, he realized that his parents were displeased with his wives, and as if to please them or to appease, he married Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael. I don't know how that will make things better, I feel like it's even for the worse.

• STONE PILLOW. AMAZING DREAM. Was Jacob sent away with literally nothing? I guess it's because the father of the house (Isaac) is still alive, so the material wealth and blessings can't be given away (it's not yet time.) When it was night and time to sleep, Jacob took a stone and put it under his head. And then he dreamed of an 'out of this world' dream! There was a ladder, stairway to heaven, and he saw the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And God even spoke to him in his dream! God repeated the COVENANT promise, what He had said to Abraham before! God is faithful, it's amazing. Does it mean Jacob is indeed the rightful heir, or the one deserving the birthright? Despite what he did, I feel like Jacob is a gentle man, and he is also obedient. In a sense, he is also a firstborn, because he and Esau are twins.

 Ladder to heaven https://childrenschurch.wordpress.com/tag/genesis-28/

"For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

• HOLY FEAR. I like how Jacob responded upon waking up, realizing God's presence and what he received from God. Maybe he felt overwhelmed by God's grace and mercy, and he felt forgiven.. God can indeed use anyone He choose to use. Esau is physically strong, from the outside, compared to Jacob, but Jacob has a different kind of strength. It's a quiet, inner strength. He is willing to travel alone, in a far away land, just to be able to fulfill God's plans.. God must have seen something in Jacob's heart.

• BETHEL, HOUSE OF GOD. We see Jacob acting on his faith, when he took the stone and set it up as a pillar, and even consecrated it with olive oil. I think this is the first time that we read about the using of olive oil, as a symbol of being sacred (or dedication to God.)

Jacob vowed a promise as well to God, as he put his hope, faith and trust to Him.

"The name Bethel means house of God.  On his return to Canaan twenty years later, Jacob sets up an altar here (see Genesis 35:6-7).  Bethel became an important sanctuary during the time of the judges and was one of the leading centers for worship in the Northern Kingdom of Israel from the time of King Jeroboam I to the reign of King Josiah, some 300 years.  The stone is a “spiritual milestone.” –Linda B. Hinton. https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/1419-genesis-28/

• TENTH OFFERING (TITHES). Even if Jacob has nothing yet, currently-- he promised that of everything that God will give him, he will give the tenth to God, to signify Jacob's gratitude and dependence on God. That is really admirable! Where did Jacob got the idea? Maybe it is also God who revealed it in his heart.

Bible Footnotes:
Genesis 28:14 I.e. Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is a descendant of Jacob.
Genesis 28:18 I.e. dedicate or declare something sacred for God’s purpose.

Read the Bible here:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+28&version=AMP