Comments on Genesis 28 27:46-v. 5 The subject for this chapter actually starts with the last verse of the previous chapter. In 27:46 we learn that Rebekah uses her disgust for Esau's wives as a foil to get Isaac out of the house away from the murderously minded Esau. Isaac agrees with her and sends him off to the family compound to find a wife (v. 1-2), which just so happens to be the same place he got his wife Rebekah from. Then, Isaac voluntarily bestows a blessing upon Jacob which endorses the previously purloined blessing and forwards the Abrahamic Covenant upon him (v. 3-4). And Jacob sets out on his way (v. 5). Note there is no indication of remorse or anything like that, since Jacob was probably in a real hurry to get away from Esau. v6-9 Esau finally realizes that his parents don't like his wives and attempts some very superficial means of ingratiating himself towards them. It also indicates Esau is so dim witted he doesn't understand that their sending Jacob away is a result of his intent to kill him. v10-15 Jacob travels some time and ends up camping out for the night (v. 10-11). During the night he has a dream of a stairway or ladder connecting heaven and earth upon which the angels of God ascend and descend (v. 12). Then the Lord stands beside him and announces the same blessings he pronounced upon Abraham upon him (v. 13-14). The Lord then provides special emphasis upon His blessing of physical protection (v. 15), which would obviously be intended to allay his very present fears about Esau's murderous disposition (but it will also become important later in ch. 32-33 as well). v12 That ministering angels ascend from heaven to the earth to do the Lord's will is something we simply accept, and that they do it upon Bethel, the House of God (i.e., the Temple), is simply intuitive to us. v16-19 Jacob is stunned by the dream, and realizes and confesses his own naivety over spiritual matters (v. 16). Shaken up by the event (v. 17), the fear of God sinks into him and he additionally confesses "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven" (JPS). That same morning Jacob takes the stone that was formerly serving as a pillow (thus the rock symbolizes his revelation), fashions it into a pillar and anoints it (the anointing being symbolic of the outpouring of the Spirit upon him in the form of revelation, as well as that of the consecration of the site). He then pronounces the site Bethel, or "the House of God" (note altar construction, the name Bethel, and the promise of land are similarly associated with Abraham in 12:7-8). Obviously, the Lord appearing to him here and endorsing the blessings of Abraham upon Jacob makes explicit what was formerly explicit in ch. 27, namely that Isaac was supposed to bless him instead of Esau. This is the pivotal point in Jacob's life where the religious man comes out and the natural man is left behind. Note the events surrounding it are traumatic and trying on Jacob. So common with us that it is in our adversity that we really se God. Jacob returns to the spot some twenty years later and builds an altar there, cf. 35:7. v20-22 Jacob's resolve and convictions become plain here as he covenants with the Lord. Some people read the "If God does such and such for me then I will worship him" to be a selfish sort of condition imposed by Jacob. I do not read it as such at all. I see it as Jacob saying "If God is doing these things (i.e., the substance of v. 13-15 and v. 20), then He is my God and I am doing these other things (i.e., the substance of v. 21-22). I do not see any hesitancy here on Jacob's part that would indicate his not accepting the immediately preceding revelation and the Lord's promises as being entirely genuine. Quite the opposite in fact, as Jacob is fearing God greatly and is overwhelmed by the revelation. Here, probably for the first time in his life, Jacob is humbled and humiliated (for the God who's name he had just sworn in vain just appeared to him), and as a result is religiously convicted. Copyright © 2004 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.