GEESIS 28 COMMETARY WRITTEN AND EDITED BY GLENN PEASE 1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed [1 ] him and commanded him: "Do not marry a Canaanite woman. His name means "surplanter", one who takes the place of another through force or plotting (Gen. 27:35-36). 1. Barnes, “Gen_28:1-5 Isaac has now become alive to the real destiny of Jacob. He therefore calls for him to bless him, and give him a command. The command is to take a wife, not from Kenaan, but from the kindred of his parents. The blessing comes from “God Almighty” (Gen_ 17:1 ). It is that belonging to the chosen seed, “the blessing of Abraham.” It embraces a numerous offspring, the land of promise, and all else that is included in the blessing of Abraham. “A congregation of peoples.” This is the word “congregation” ( קהלqâhāl) which is afterward applied to the assembled people of God, and to which the Greek κκλησία ekklēsia, “ecclesia,” corresponds. Jacob complies with his mother’s advice and his father’s command, and, at the same time, reaps the bitter fruit of his fraud against his brother in the hardship and treachery of an exile of twenty years. The aged Isaac is not without his share in the unpleasant consequences of endeavoring to go against the will of God. 2. Clarke, “And Isaac called Jacob - See note on Gen_27:46 . And blessed him - Now voluntarily and cheerfully confirmed to him the blessing, which he had before obtained through subtlety. It was necessary that he should have this confirmation previously to his departure; else, considering the way in which he had obtained both the birthright and the blessing, he might be doubtful, according to his own words, whether he might not have got a curse instead of a blessing. As the blessing now pronounced on Jacob was obtained without any deception on his part, it is likely that it produced a salutary effect upon his mind, might have led him to confession of his sin, and prepared his heart for those discoveries of God’s goodness with which he was favored at Luz. 3. Gill, “And Isaac called Jacob,.... Or therefore (d), because of what Rebekah had said to him, related in the latter part of the preceding chapter, he sent for Jacob to come
1. GE ESIS 28 COMME TARY WRITTEN AND EDITED BY GLENN PEASE 1 So
Isaac called for Jacob and blessed [1] him and commanded him: "Do
not marry a Canaanite woman. His name means "surplanter", one who
takes the place of another through force or plotting (Gen.
27:35-36). 1. Barnes, Gen_28:1-5 Isaac has now become alive to the
real destiny of Jacob. He therefore calls for him to bless him, and
give him a command. The command is to take a wife, not from Kenaan,
but from the kindred of his parents. The blessing comes from God
Almighty (Gen_ 17:1). It is that belonging to the chosen seed, the
blessing of Abraham. It embraces a numerous offspring, the land of
promise, and all else that is included in the blessing of Abraham.
A congregation of peoples. This is the word congregation ( qhl)
which is afterward applied to the assembled people of God, and to
which the Greek ekklsia, ecclesia, corresponds. Jacob complies with
his mothers advice and his fathers command, and, at the same time,
reaps the bitter fruit of his fraud against his brother in the
hardship and treachery of an exile of twenty years. The aged Isaac
is not without his share in the unpleasant consequences of
endeavoring to go against the will of God. 2. Clarke, And Isaac
called Jacob - See note on Gen_27:46. And blessed him - Now
voluntarily and cheerfully confirmed to him the blessing, which he
had before obtained through subtlety. It was necessary that he
should have this confirmation previously to his departure; else,
considering the way in which he had obtained both the birthright
and the blessing, he might be doubtful, according to his own words,
whether he might not have got a curse instead of a blessing. As the
blessing now pronounced on Jacob was obtained without any deception
on his part, it is likely that it produced a salutary effect upon
his mind, might have led him to confession of his sin, and prepared
his heart for those discoveries of Gods goodness with which he was
favored at Luz. 3. Gill, And Isaac called Jacob,.... Or therefore
(d), because of what Rebekah had said to him, related in the latter
part of the preceding chapter, he sent for Jacob to come
2. to him from his tent or apartment where he was, or from the
field where he was keeping the flocks; thus paying a great regard
to what his wife Rebekah had suggested to him, and which appeared
to him very right and reasonable: and blessed him; he did not send
for him to chide and reprove him for his fraudulent dealings with
him to get the blessing from his brother, much less to revoke it,
but to confirm it; which was necessary to prevent doubts that might
arise in the mind of Jacob about it, and to strengthen him against
the temptations of Satan; since he was about to be sent away from
his father's house solitary and destitute, to go into another
country, where he was to be for awhile in a state of servitude; all
which might seem to contradict the blessing and promises he had
received, and would be a trial of his faith in them, as well as a
chastisement on him for the fraudulent manner in which he obtained
them: and charged him, and said unto him, thou shall not take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan; it was time that he was married;
for he was now, as the Jewish writers (e) say, seventy seven, years
of age, which exactly agrees with what Polyhistor (f), an Heathen
writer, relates from Demetrius, that Jacob was seventy seven years
of age when he came to Haran, and also his father Isaac was then
one hundred and thirty seven years old; and so it is calculated by
the best chronologers, and as he must be, since he was born when
his father was sixty years of age; see Gill on Gen_27:1; and being
now declared the heir of the promised land, it was proper he should
marry, but not with any of the Canaanites, who were to be
dispossessed of the land of Canaan, and therefore their seed, and
Abraham's, to whom it was given, must not be mixed. Isaac takes the
same care, and gives the same charge concerning the marriage of his
son Jacob, on whom the entail of the land was settled, as his
father Abraham did concerning his, Gen_ 24:3. 4. Henry, Jacob had
no sooner obtained the blessing than immediately he was forced to
flee from his country; and, as it if were not enough that he was a
stranger and sojourner there, he must go to be more so, and no
better than an exile, in another country. Now Jacob fled into
Syria, Hos_12:12. He was blessed with plenty of corn and wine, and
yet he went away poor, was blessed with government, and yet went
out to service, a hard service. This was, 1. Perhaps to correct him
for his dealing fraudulently with his father. The blessing shall be
confirmed to him, and yet he shall smart for the indirect course he
took to obtain it. While there is such an alloy as there is of sin
in our duties, we must expect an alloy of trouble in our comforts.
However, 2. It was to teach us that those who inherit the blessing
must expect persecution; those who have peace in Christ shall have
tribulation in the world, Joh_16:33. Being told of his before, we
must not think it strange, and, being assured of a recompence
hereafter, we must not think it hard. We may observe, likewise,
that God's providences often seem to contradict his promises, and
to go cross to them; and yet, when the mystery of God shall be
finished, we shall see that all was for the best, and that cross
providences did but render the promises and the accomplishment of
them the more illustrious. Now Jacob is here dismissed by his
father, I. With a solemn charge: He blessed him, and charged him,
Gen_28:1, Gen_28:2. Note, Those that have the blessing must keep
the charge annexed to it, and not think to separate what God has
joined. The charge is like that in 2Co_6:14, Be not unequally yoked
with unbelievers; and all that inherit the promises of the
remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, must keep this
charge, which follows those promises, Save
3. yourselves from this untoward generation, Act_2:38-40. Those
that are entitled to peculiar favours must be a peculiar people. If
Jacob be an heir of promise, he must not take a wife of the
daughters of Canaan; those that profess religion should not marry
those that are irreligious. 5. Jamison, Gen_28:1-19. Jacobs
departure. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him He entered fully into
Rebekahs 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. K&D,
Gen_28:1-5 He called Jacob, therefore, and sent him to Padan-Aram
to his mother's relations, with instructions to seek a wife there,
and not among the daughters of Canaan, giving him at the same time
the blessing of Abraham, i.e., the blessing of promise, which
Abraham had repeatedly received from the Lord, but which is more
especially recorded in Gen_17:2., and Gen_22:16-18. 6b. HAWKER, "No
sooner are the people of God brought within the bond of the
covenant, than persecution ariseth. Jacob having obtained the
blessing, is obliged to flee to Padan-aram, to avoid the fury of
his brother. The sacred historian relates in this Chapter, the
memorable events of his journey. He is favoured with divine
manifestations: God confirms to him the promised blessing: assures
him of his gracious favor and protection: impressed with a deep
sense of thankfulness for those visions of God, the Patriarch vows
to have the Lord for his God, and to dedicate himself to his
service forever. Gen_28:1 Observe how cautious the Patriarchs were
of mingling the holy seed: Ezr_9:2-3; 2Co_ 6:14; Act_2:40. 7. SBC,
"I. If there be little poetic or romantic charm in the history of
Isaac, what a wealth of it there is in that of Jacob! A double
deceit, followed by banishment from his country; this expulsion
relieved and brightened, first by a glorious vision and then by
unexampled prosperity in the strange land whither he had gone; long
toils, travails, disappointments, and quarrels; and, at last, light
at eventime in Egypt, and the spirit of prophecy resting upon his
soul. Jacobs love for Rachel is the most pleasing trait in his
character, as the prophecy from his deathbed is the most sublime.
II. The story of Joseph has often and truly been called a romantic
one, as marvellous as anything in the "Arabian Nights," and yet
alive all over with truth and nature. It combines the charms of the
most finished fiction and of the simplest truth. It is at once the
strangest and the most likely of stories. The character of Joseph,
so mild, yet so determined, so wise and so affectionate, yet so
astute and pious, develops before you as
4. naturally as a bud into a flower or a slip into a tree. The
subordinate characters in this drama of life are all drawn by brief
but most powerful strokes, from the wife of Potiphar with her mock
cry, to the chief butler with his tardy admission, "I do remember
my faults this day"; from the kindness of Reuben to the cruelty of
Simeon; from the tenderness of Benjamin to the pleading eloquence
of the repentant Judah. III. From the history of Jacob and Joseph
we may gather these additional thoughts. (1) Let us learn to admire
even the eddies of life, and to respect even the weaker members of
the Church of God (Isaac). (2) Sometimes, though seldom, policy and
piety are found in the same character (Jacob). (3) Let us rejoice
that, even in this world of dull injustice and leaden law, there
are again and again opened up to aspiring spirits sudden
opportunities of rising, like Jacobs ladder stretched along the
sky. (4) Let us remember that we, too, in our turn, must be
gathered, like the patriarchs, to our fathers. G. Gilfillan, Alpha
and Omega, vol. ii., p. 21. 8. COFFMA , "The highlight of this
chapter, of course, is Jacob's vision of the ladder reaching to
heaven, the whole chapter being built around that event. The
background fact of Jacob's being sent away to Paddan-aram with
Isaac's wholehearted and unrestrained blessing, and also Esau's
belated attempt to please his parents with a proper marriage are
also related. Of special interest is Genesis 28:46 of the previous
chapter, which we have included here because it gives a glimpse of
the CO TI UED involvement of Rebekah in the crucial decisions of
this family. It appears that she might, even here, have been less
than candid with Isaac. Genesis 27:46 says, "And Rebekah said to
Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if
Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the
daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?" There's not
a word here of the knowledge that Rebekah had regarding Esau's
intention of killing Jacob, nor of the previous decision Rebekah
had already made to send Jacob to her brother's home in
Paddan-aram; and, while what she said was most certainly the truth,
it was far from all of the truth. She may have feared that Isaac
was still hostile because of the deception she and Jacob had
perpetrated against him, and, also, she may have desired to conceal
from him what she had heard regarding Esau's expressed intention to
murder Jacob, thus not aggravating a situation already deplorable.
Despite this lack of candor, it is hard to fault Rebekah for the
skilled manner in which she prevailed with Isaac, who promptly
bestowed fully the blessing, without reservation, which the Word of
God, long known to him, had plainly commanded. "And Isaac called
Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him,
5. Thou shalt not take a wife of the DAUGHTERS of Canaan.
Arise, go to Paddan- aram, to THE HOUSE of Bethuel thy mother's
brother; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban
thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee
fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of
peoples; and give the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy SEED
with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings,
which God gave unto Abraham." The difference between this blessing
and the one that Isaac mistakenly conferred upon Jacob earlier is
rather striking. In the first, there was no mention of the
Abrahamic promise, but here Isaac apparently made an effort to go
all the way in conferring the covenant blessing. But even in this
there could have been a deficiency, a lack supplied by God Himself
in the vision that came as a sequel, that being the fact that "all
the families of the earth" would be blessed in his seed.
evertheless, even as it stood, the blessing seemed to convey the
impression that Isaac had repented of his sinful effort to convey
the birthright to Esau. "Thou shalt not take a wife of the
daughters of Canaan ..." These are almost the same words spoken by
Abraham to the servant who was sent to procure Rebekah for Isaac.
And one can only marvel that Isaac had avoided and neglected this
task as long as he had. The usual calculation for the age of Jacob
at this time Isaiah 77 years, although another method of CALCULATI
G his age makes it about 57.[1] If the first is correct, then
Ishmael had been dead fourteen years when Isaac commanded Jacob to
go to the house of Bethuel. If the second calculation is allowed,
Ishmael still lived and would not have died until six years later.
The statement that "Esau went unto Ishmael" (Genesis 28:9),
inferring that Ishmael was alive at the time of the events of this
chapter, definitely favors the lower calculations of 57 for the age
of Jacob. The Bible here says nothing whatever about anyone's age,
and human deductions are subject to all kinds of errors. 9.
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to
Padanaram. The beginning of Jacobs pilgrimage I. THE CAUSES WHICH
LED HIM. TO UNDERTAKE HIS PILGRIMAGE. 1. His brothers anger. 2. His
mothers counsel. II. THE DIVINE PROVISIONS FOR HIS PILGRIMAGE. 1.
The peculiar blessing of the chosen seed. 2. The ministry of man in
conveying this blessing. (T. H. Leale.) Lessons
6. 1. Good fathers disdain not the wise and gracious advice of
mothers for their childrens good. 2. Good men may change their
minds upon Gods convictions for disposal of blessing. 3. Blessing
and command go together from God, by His instruments unto His
covenant ones. 4. Matches of the true seed with the idolaters are
expressly forbidden by God (Gen_ 28:1). 5. Fathers have their due
power to dispose of children in marriage. 6. It is good for fathers
herein to follow the dictates and guidance of God, to dispose
children, where the knowledge of God is (Gen_28:2.) (G. Hughes, B.
D.) Lessons 1. Gods blessing needs to be repeated and confirmed
unto souls, to answer temptations, and to prevent unbelief. 2.
Obedience yielded to the charge of God foregoing, the blessing
shall follow after. 3. God Almighty and All-sufficient is the only
fountain of blessing. 4. The issues of good from God Almighty, upon
poor creatures, they are blessings indeed. 5. Gods All-sufficiency
gives fruitfulness for the increase of His Church (Gen_28:3). 6.
Abrahams blessing from the Almighty is that which passeth from
generation to generation upon the Church. 7. The rest typical as
well as spiritual and eternal, is made the inheritance of Gods
Israel from His Almightiness. 8. Gods gift to Abraham is the just
title of all the seed of promise to that inheritance eternal, typed
out in Canaan (Gen_28:4). (G. Hughes, B. D.) Lessons 1. Providence
makes parents willing to part with dearest children in order to
accomplish His will. 2. Providence ordereth childrens hearts in
readiness to obey the fathers charge to execute Gods purpose. 3.
Providence sometimes sends out creatures naked and helpless the
more to glorify Himself (Gen_28:5). He keeps them while they
believe on His promises. (G. Hughes, B. D.) 9. Calvin, 1.And Isaac
called Jacob, and blessed him. It may be asked, whether the reason
why Isaac repeats A EW the benediction which he had before
pronounced, was that the former one had been of no force; whereas,
if he was a prophet and
7. interpreter of the will of God, what had once proceeded from
his mouth ought to have been firm and perpetual. I answer, although
the benedictions was in itself efficacious, yet the faith of Jacob
required support of this kind: just as the Lord, in reiterating,
frequently the same promises, derogates nothing either from himself
or from his word, but rather confirms the certainty of that word to
his servants, lest, at any time, their confidence should be shaken
through the infirmity of the flesh. What I have said must also be
kept in mind, that Isaac prayed, not as a private person, but as
one furnished with a special command of God, to transmit the
covenant deposited with himself to his son Jacob. It was also of
the greatest importance that now, at length, Jacob should be
blessed by his father, knowingly and willingly; lest at a future
time a doubt, arising from the recollection of his fathers mistake
and of his own fraud, might steal over his mind. Therefore Isaac,
now purposely directing his words to his son Jacob, pronounces the
blessing to be due to him by right, lest it should be thought that,
having been before deceived, he had uttered words in vain, under a
false character. 10. PI K, "Jacob may be viewed from two chief
viewpoints: as a picture of the believer, and as a type of the
Jewish nation. We shall take up the latter first. As to Jacob
foreshadowing the history of the Jews we may note, among others,
the following analogies: 1. Jacob was markedly the object of Gods
election: Romans 9:10. So, too, was the Jewish nation. See
Deuteronomy 6:7; 10:15; Amos 3:2. 2. Jacob was loved before he was
born, Romans 9:11-13. Of the Jewish nation it is written, "Thus
saith the Lord, the people which were left of the sword found grace
in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest,
the Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved
thee with an everlasting love" (Jer. 31:2, 3). 3. Jacob was
altogether lacking in natural attractiveness. This is singularly
true of the Jewish people. 4. Jacob was the one from whom the
Twelve Tribes directly sprang. 5. Jacob is the one after whom the
Jewish race is most frequently called. See Isaiah 2:5, etc. 6.
Jacob was the one whom God declared should be "served," Genesis
25:23; Genesis 27:29. Of the Jews the prophetic scriptures affirm,
"Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up Mine hand to the
Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people, and they shall
bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried
upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and
their queens thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with
their face to the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet" (Isa.
49:22, 23). And again it is written of Israel, "And they shall
bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all
nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon
mules" (Isa. 66:20). 7. Jacob was the one to whom God gave the
earthly inheritance, Genesis 27:28; Genesis 28:13. So, too, the
Jews.
8. 8. Jacob suffered a determined effort to be robbed of his
inheritance, Genesis 27: Isaac and Esau. So have the Jews. 9. Jacob
valued the blessing of God, but sought it in carnal ways, totally
opposed to faith, Genesis 26:27. So it is written of the Jews, "For
I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according
to knowledge. For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness, and
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not
submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:2, 3).
10. Jacob was exiled from the land as the result of his sin,
Genesis 28:5. So have the Jews been. 11. Jacob spent much of his
life as a wandering exile from the land; such has been the history
of his descendants 12. Jacob was distinctly the wanderer among the
patriarchs, and as such a type of the wandering Jew! 13. Jacob
experienced, as such, the sore chastenings of a righteous God. So,
too, the Jews. 14. Jacob had no "altar" in the land of his exile:
thus also is it written of the Jews, "For the children of Israel
shall abide many days without a King, and without a prince, and
without a sacrifice" (Hosea. 3:4). 15. Jacob set his heart upon the
land while exiled from it. His yearning for home is strikingly
expressed in his words to Laban: "Send me away, that I may go unto
mine own place, and to my country," (Gen. 30:25). How we behold the
same yearning among the Zionists today, as they appeal to American
and British statesmen to make it possible for them to return in
safety to Palestine! 16. Jacob was unjustly dealt with in the land
of exile, Genesis 29:23; Genesis 31:41, 42. 17. Jacob developed
into a crafty schemer and used subtle devices to secure earthly
riches, Genesis 30:37, 43. 18. Jacob while in exile receives
promise from God that he shall return unto the promised land,
Genesis 28:15. 19. Jacob received no further revelation from God
during all the years of his exile, until at length bidden by Him to
return, Genesis 31:3. 20. Jacob was graciously preserved by God in
the land of his exile and was the object of His ceaseless
providential care. 21. Jacob became wealthy while in the land of
exile, Genesis 30:43. 22. Jacob, because of this, had stirred up
against him the enmity of those among whom he sojourned, Genesis
31:1. 23. Jacob ultimately returned to the land bearing with him
the riches of the Gentiles, Genesis 31:18. 24. Jacob is seen at the
end blessing the Gentiles (Gen. 47:7), and acting as Gods
9. prophet, Genesis 49. We shall next look at Jacob as a
picture of the believer. It is intensely interesting to mark how
each of the patriarchs foreshadowed some distinct truth in the
believer. In Abraham we see the truth of Divine sovereignty, and
the life of faith; in Isaac Divine sonship, and the life of
submission; in Jacob Divine grace, and the life of conflict. In
Abraham, election; in Isaac, the new birth; in Jacob, the
manifestation of the two natures. Thus we find the order of these
Old Testament biographies foreshadowed accurately what is now fully
revealed in the ew Testament. Again, we may remark further that,
typically, Jacob is the servant. This is ever the Divine order.
Abraham, the chosen object of Gods sovereign purpose, necessarily
comes first, then Isaac, the son born supernaturally, the heir of
the fathers house, followed by Jacob, the servant. It is needful to
call special attention to this order to-day, though we cannot here
enlarge upon it. Man would place sonship at the end of a long life
of service, but God places it at the beginning. Man says, Serve God
in order to become His son; but God says, You must first be My son
in order to serve Me acceptably. The apostle Paul expressed this
order when he said: "Whose I am, and whom I serve" (Acts 27:23).
How carefully this order is guarded in our type appears further in
the fact that before Jacob commenced his service at Padan-aram he
first tarried at Bethel, which means "the House of God"we must
first enter Gods household before we can serve Him! That Jacob
does, typically, represent service is clear from, Hosea 12:12,
where we are told, "And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and
Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep." The
history of this we get in Genesis 29 and 30. As a servant with
Laban, Jacob was singularly faithful. Here is his own challenge,
"These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she
goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I
not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I
bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether
stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was, in the day the
drought consumed me, and the frost by night." There is still
another way in which this progressive order in the typical
foreshadowings of the three great patriarchs comes out. This has
been forcefully set forth by Mr. F. W. Grant who, when commenting
on the words of the Lord to Moses at the burning bush"say unto the
children of Israel, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob sent me unto you"says, "In Abraham we find
manifested the type of the Father, and in Isaac admittedly that of
the Son, in Jacob- Israel we find a type and pattern of the Spirits
work which is again and again dwelt on and expanded in the
after-scriptures. Balaams words as to the people, using this
doublethis natural and this scriptural name, are surely as true of
the nations ancestors. It shall be said of Jacob, and of Israel,
what hath God wrought? What God hath wrought is surely what in the
one now before us we are called in an especial way to acknowledge
and glory in. For Jacobs God is He whom we still know as
accomplishing in us by almighty power the purposes of sovereign
grace." While it is true that each of the three great patriarchs
exemplified in his own person some fundamental truth of Divine
revelation, yet it is to be particularly noted that each succeeding
individual carried forward what had gone before, so that nothing
was lost. In Abraham we behold the truth of election Gods singling
of him out from all the people on the earth; yet in Isaac the same
truth is manifested, as is evident
10. from the passing by of Ishmael and Gods declaration that
"In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Isaac represents the truth of
Divine sonship, born supernaturally by the intervention of Gods
power. ow in Jacob both of these truths, with important additions,
are also to be observed. Even more notably than in the eases of
Abraham and Isaac, Jacob is the object of Gods sovereign choice:
"Jacob gives occasion to the exercise of Gods sovereignty as to the
twin children of Isaac and Rebekah. For they being not yet born,
nor having done any good or bad, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calls, it
was said to their mother, the elder shall serve the younger. It had
been shown before in casting out the bond-woman and her son; but so
it was now far more emphatically in Jacob chosen, not Esau. o flesh
shall glory in His sight; in Jehovah certainly, as it ought to be.
Is man only to think and talk of his rights? Sinful man! Has God
alone no rights? Is He to be a mere registrar of mans wrongs? Oh!
his wrongs, not rights: this is the truth, as no believer should
forget from the dawn of a vital work in his soul!" ("Jacob," by W.
Kelly). As the above truth is now so much controverted we subjoin a
further quotation from the pen of one who is regarded as one of the
leading orthodox teachers of our day: "In all this we see the
marvel and glory of the Divine sovereignty. Why the younger son
should have been chosen instead of the elder we do not know. It is,
however, very striking to find the same principle exercised on
several other occasions. It is pretty certain that Abraham was not
the eldest son of Terah. We know that Isaac was the younger son of
Abraham, and that Joseph was not the eldest son of Jacob. All this
goes to emphasize the simple fact that the order of nature is not
necessarily the order of grace. All through, God decided to display
the sovereignty of His grace as contrasted with that which was
merely natural in human life. The great problem of Divine
sovereignty is of course insoluble by the human intellect. It has
to be accepted as a simple fact. It should, however, be observed
that it is not merely a fact in regard to things spiritual; it is
found also in nature in connection with human temperaments and
races. All history is full of illustrations of the Divine choice,
as we may see from such examples as Cyrus and Pharaoh. Divine
election is a fact, whether we can understand it or not (italics
ours). Gods purposes are as certain as they are often inscrutable,
and it is perfectly evident from the case of Esau and Jacob that
the Divine choice of men is entirely independent of their merits or
of any pre-vision of their merits or attainments (Rom. 9:11). It is
in connection with this subject that we see the real force of St.
Pauls striking words when he speaks of God as acting according to
the good pleasure of His will (Eph. 1:5), and although we are bound
to confess the mystery of His will (Eph. 1:9), we are also certain
that He works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11
italics not ours). There is nothing arbitrary about God and His
ways and our truest wisdom when we cannot understand His reasons is
to rest quietly and trustfully, saying, Even so, Father, for so it
seemeth good in thy sight. In His Will is our peace" (Dr.
Griffith-Thomas, Commentary on Genesis). ot only is the Divine
sovereignty illustrated in Jacob, as in Abraham, but we also see
typified in him the truth of regeneration (as in the case of Isaac)
inasmuch as nature was set aside, and only in answer to prayer and
by Divine intervention was Rebekah enabled to bear Jacob: see
Genesis 25:21.
11. That which is most prominent in the Divine dealings with
Jacob was the matchless grace of God, shown to one so unworthy, the
marvelous patience exercised toward one so slow of heart to
believe, the changeless love which unweariedly followed him through
all his varied course, the faithfulness which no unfaithfulness on
Jacobs part could change, and the power of God which effectively
preserved and delivered him through numerous dangers and which, in
the end, caused the spirit to triumph over the flesh, transforming
the worm Jacob into Israel the prince of God. How these Divine
perfections were displayed will be discovered as we turn our
attention to the various scenes in which the Holy Spirit has
portrayed our patriarch. We turn now to look briefly at Jacob in
Genesis 28. In our last article we dwelt upon Jacob deceiving his
father, now we see how quickly he began to suffer for his
wrongdoing! "And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and said unto
him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise,
go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mothers father; and
take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban, thy mothers
brother" (Gen. 28:1, 2). Jacob is sent away from home, to which he
returns not for many years. In our studies upon Isaac we have seen
how he foreshadowed those who belong to the heavenly calling,
whereas, as we have pointed out above, Jacob typified the people of
the earthly calling. This comes out in many incidental details.
Isaac was forbidden to leave Canaan (type of the Heavenlies)Genesis
24:5, 6and his bride was brought to him, but Jacob is sent forth
out of Canaan to the house of his mothers father in quest of a
wife, and thus was signified the evident contrast between Isaac and
Jacob, and Jacobs earthly place and relationship. "And Jacob went
out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a
certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was
set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his
pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and
behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to
heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on
it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord
God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon
thy liest to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to
the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south; and
in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be
blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all
places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this
land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I
have spoken to thee of" (Gen. 28:10-15). There is much here that
might be dwelt upon with profit to our souls, but we can do little
more than mention one or two things. Here we behold the marvelous
grace of God, which delights to single out as its objects the most
unlikely and unworthy subjects. Here was Jacob a fugitive from his
fathers house, fleeing from his brothers wrath, with probably no
thought of God in his mind. As we behold him there on the bare
ground with nothing but the stones for his pillow, enshrouded by
the darkness of night, asleepsymbol of deathwe obtain a striking
and true picture of man in his natural state. Man is never so
helpless as when asleep, and it was while he was in this condition
that God appeared unto him! What had Jacob done to deserve this
high honor? What was there in him to merit this wondrous privilege?
othing; absolutely nothing. It was God in grace
12. which now met him for the first time and here gave to him
and his seed the land whereon he lay. Such is ever His way. He
pleases to choose the foolish and vile things of this world: He
selects those who have nothing and gives them everything: He
singles out those who deserve naught but judgment, and bestows on
them nothing but blessing. But noteand mark it particularlythe
recipient of the Divine favors must first take his place in the
dust, as Jacob here did (on the naked earth) before God will bless
him. And under what similitude did the Lord now reveal Himself to
the worm Jacob? Jacob beheld in his dream a ladder set up on the
earth, whose top reached unto heaven, and from above it the voice
of God addressed him. Fortunately we are not left to our own
speculations to determine the signification of this: John 1:51
interprets it for us. We say fortunately, for if we could not point
to John 1:51 in proof of what we advance, some of our readers might
charge us with indulging in a wild flight of the imagination. The
"ladder" pointed to Christ Himself, the One who spanned the
infinite gulf which separated heaven from earth, and who has in His
own person provided a Way whereby we may draw near to God. That the
"ladder" reached from earth to heaven, told of the complete
provision which Divine grace has made for sinners. Right down to
where the fugitive lay, the ladder came, and right up to God
Himself the "ladder" reached! In His address to Jacob, the Lord now
repeated the promises which He had made before to Abraham and
Isaac, with the additional assurance that He would be with him,
preserving him wherever he went, and ultimately bringing him back
to the land. In perfect harmony with the fact that Jacob
represented the earthly people we may observe here that God
declares Jacobs seed shall be "as the dust of the earth," but no
reference is made to "the stars of heaven!" The sequel to this
vision may be told in few words. Jacob awoke and was afraid,
saying, "How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the
house of God, and this is the gate of heaven" (v. 17). ext, he took
the stone on which his head had rested and poured oil upon it. Then
he changed the name of the place from Luz to Bethel. It is
instructive to note this change of name, Luzits original name,
signifies "separation," while Bethel, its new name, means "the
house of God." Is it not beautiful to mark the typical force of
this? God calls us to separate from the world, but in leaving the
world we enter His house! " ever do we part from ought at His call,
but He far more than makes it up to us with His own smile" (W.
Lincoln). Finally, we are told, "And Jacob vowed 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 raiment to put on, so that! come
again to my fathers house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God.
And this stone, which! have set for a pillar, shall be Gods house,
and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth
unto Thee" (Gen. 28:20-22). How true to life this is! It was not
only characteristic of Jacob personally, but typical of us
representatively. Jacob/ailed to rise to the level of Gods grace
and was filled with fear instead of peace, and expressed human
legality by speaking of what he will do. Oh, how often we follow in
his steps! Instead of resting in the goodness of God and
appropriating His free grace, like Jacob, we bargain and enter into
conditions and stipulations. May the God of Grace enlarge our
hearts to receive His grace, and may He empower us to magnify His
grace by refusing to defile it with any of our own
13. wretched additions. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, [2] to the
house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself
there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 1.
Clarke, Go to Padan-aram - This mission, in its spirit and design,
is nearly the same as that in Genesis 24 (note). There have been
several ingenious conjectures concerning the retinue which Jacob
had, or might have had, for his journey; and by some he has been
supposed to have been well attended. Of this nothing is mentioned
here, and the reverse seems to be intimated elsewhere. It appears,
from Gen_28:11, that he lodged in the open air, with a stone for
his pillow; and from Gen_32:10, that he went on foot with his staff
in his hand; nor is there even the most indirect mention of any
attendants, nor is it probable there were any. He no doubt took
provisions with him sufficient to carry him to the nearest
encampment or village on the way, where he would naturally recruit
his bread and water to carry him to the next stage, and so on. The
oil that he poured on the pillar might be a little of that which he
had brought for his own use, and can be no rational argument of his
having a stock of provisions, servants, camels, etc., for which it
has been gravely brought. He had God alone with him. 2. Gill,
Arise, go to Padanaram,.... Of this place; see Gill on Gen_25:20;
either he is bid to go directly, in haste and alone; perhaps by
this time Rebekah had given Isaac some hint of the ill design of
Esau against him, which made Isaac the more urgent upon him to be
gone, as well as it was high time he had took to himself a wife: to
the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; who though now dead in
all probability, yet the house and family went by his name: and
take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's
brother: who had daughters unmarried, of which no doubt Isaac and
Rebekah had knowledge, a correspondence being kept up between the
two families, though at a great distance. 3. Calvin, 2.Arise, go to
Padan-aram. In the first place, he commands him to take a wife from
his maternal race. He might have sent for her by some one of his
servants,
14. as Rebekah had been brought to him; but perhaps he took
this course to avoid the envy of Esau, who might regard it as a
reproach if more solicitude were manifested about his brothers
marriage than about his own. 3 May God Almighty [3] bless you and
make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a
community of peoples. 1. Clarke, That thou mayest be a multitude of
people - likhal ammim. There is something very remarkable in the
original words: they signify literally for an assembly,
congregation, or church of peoples; referring no doubt to the
Jewish Church in the wilderness, but more particularly to the
Christian Church, composed of every kindred, and nation, and
people, and tongue. This is one essential part of the blessing of
Abraham. See Gen_28:4. 2. Gill, And God Almighty bless thee,....
This is not a new blessing, distinct from that in Gen_28:1, but the
same; there it is expressed in general, here the particulars of it
are given; and by which it appears, that Isaac's blessing Jacob was
a prayer, wishing a blessing from God upon him, and was the prayer
of faith, delivered out under the spirit of prophecy; and they are
blessed indeed that are blessed of God, and they must needs be
blessed who are blessed by the Almighty; for what is it he cannot
do or give? The Targum of Jonathan adds,"with much riches;''but no
doubt all kind of blessings are included, both temporal and
spiritual: and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee; with a
numerous offspring: that thou mayest be a multitude of people; or
an "assembly" or "congregation" (g) of them; which may all unite in
one body and make one nation, as the twelve tribes descending from
Jacob did. 3. Henry, With a solemn blessing, Gen_28:3, Gen_28:4. He
had before blessed him unwittingly; now he does it designedly, for
the greater encouragement of Jacob in that melancholy condition to
which he was now removing. This blessing is more express and full
than the former; it is an entail of the blessing of Abraham, that
blessing which was poured on the head of Abraham like the anointing
oil, thence to run down to his chosen seed, as the skirts of his
garments. It is a gospel blessing, the blessing of church-
privileges, that is the blessing of Abraham, which upon the
Gentiles through faith, Gal_ 3:14. It is a blessing from God
Almighty, by which name God appeared to the patriarchs, Exo_6:3.
Those are blessed indeed whom God Almighty blesses; for he commands
and effects the blessing. Two great promises Abraham was blessed
with, and Isaac here
15. entails them both upon Jacob. 1. The promise of heirs: God
make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, Gen_28:3. (1.) Through his
loins should descend from Abraham that people who should be
numerous as the stars of heaven, and the sand of the sea, and who
should increase more than the rest of the nations, so as to be an
assembly of people, as the margin reads it. And never was such a
multitude of people so often gathered into one assembly as the
tribes of Israel were in the wilderness, and afterwards. (2.)
Through his loins should descend from Abraham that person in whom
all the families of the earth should be blessed, and to whom the
gathering of the people should be. Jacob had in him a multitude of
people indeed, for all things in heaven and earth are united in
Christ (Eph_1:10), all centre in him, that corn of wheat, which
falling to the ground, produced much fruit, Joh_12:24. 4. Calvin,
3.And God Almighty bless thee. Here follows the form of
benediction, which slightly differs in words from the former, but
nevertheless tends to the same end. First, he desires that Jacob
should be blessed by God; that is, that he should be so increased
and amplified in his own offspring, as to grow into a multitude of
nations; or, in other words, that he should produce many people who
might combine into one body under the same head; as if he had said,
Let there arise from thee many tribes, who shall constitute one
people. And this truly was, in some measure, fulfilled when Moses
distributed the people into thirteen divisions. evertheless, Isaac
looked for a further result, namely, that many were at length to be
gathered together out of various nations, to the family of his son,
that, in this manner, from a vast and previously scattered
multitude, might be formed one assembly. For it is not to be
doubted, that he wished to hand down what he had received; seeing
that he immediately afterwards celebrates the memory of the
original covenant, deriving his present benediction from thence as
its source: as if he had said, that he transferred whatever right
he had from his father; to his son Jacob, in order that the
inheritance of life might remain with him, according to the
covenant of God made with Abraham. They who expound this as being
said in the way of comparison, as if Isaac (53) wished those
benefits which God had before conferred on Abraham to be in the
same manner GRA TED to his son, attenuate the meaning of the words.
For since God, in making his covenant with Abraham, had annexed
this condition, that it should descend to his posterity, it was
necessary to trace its commencement to his person as its root.
Therefore, Isaac constitutes his son Jacob the heir of Abraham, as
successor to the benediction deposited with him, and promised to
his seed. This also appears more clearly from the context
following, where he assigns to him the dominion over the land,
because it had been given to Abraham. Moreover, we perceive, in
this member of the sentence, with what consistency of faith the
holy fathers rested on the word of the Lord; for otherwise, they
would have found it no small temptation to be driven about as
strangers and pilgrims in the very land, the possession of which
had been divinely assigned them a hundred years before. But we see,
that in their wanderings and their unsettled mode of life, they no
less highly estimated what God had promised them, than if they had
already been in the full enjoyment of it. And this is the true
trial of faith; when relying on the word of God alone, although
tossed on the waves of the world, we stand as firmly as if our
abode were already fixed in heaven. Isaac expressly fortifies his
son against this
16. temptation, when he calls the land of which he constitutes
him lord, the land of his wanderings. For by these words he teaches
him that it was possible he might be a wanderer all the days of his
life: but this did not hinder the promise of God from being so
ratified, that he, contented with that alone, might patiently wait
for the time of revelation. Even the plural number (54) seems to
express something significant, namely, that Jacob would be a
wanderer not once only, but in various ways and perpetually. Since,
however, the Hebrew plural has not always such emphasis, I do not
insist on this interpretation. It is more worthy of notice, that
the faith of Jacob was proved by a severe and rigid trial, seeing,
that for this very reason, the land is promised to him in word
only, while in fact, he is cast far away from it. For he seems to
be the object of ridicule, when he is commanded to possess the
dominion of the land, and yet to leave it and to bid it farewell,
and to depart into distant exile. 4 May he give you and your
descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take
possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God
gave to Abraham." 1. Clarke, Give thee the blessing of Abraham -
May he confirm the inheritance with all its attendant blessings to
thee, to the exclusion of Esau; as he did to me, to the exclusion
of Ishmael. But, according to St. Paul, much more than this is
certainly intended here, for it appears, from Gal_3:6-14, that the
blessing of Abraham, which is to come upon the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ, comprises the whole doctrine of justification by
faith, and its attendant privileges, viz., redemption from the
curse of the law, remission of sins, and the promise of the Holy
Spirit, including the constitution and establishment of the
Christian Church. 2. Gill, And give thee the blessing of Abraham,
to thee, and to thy seed with thee,.... Which was promised to
Abraham, and was entailed upon Isaac and his seed, and now upon
Jacob and his seed, which follows: that thou mayest inherit the
land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave to Abraham; the
land of Canaan, which was given to Abraham by promise, but not in
possession; he was a sojourner and stranger in it, and so Isaac had
been all his
17. days, and now Jacob, who through the blessing was become
heir of it; but as yet neither he nor his posterity must enjoy it,
but be strangers and sojourners in it, for the exercise of faith,
and for the leading of their minds off of all earthly enjoyments,
to the better and heavenly country God has provided for his people;
see Heb_11:9. 4. Henry, The promise of an inheritance for those
heirs: That thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings,
Gen_28:4. 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, that he might be assured that the
discontinuance of his possession should be no defeasance of his
right. Observe, He is here told that he should inherit the land
wherein he sojourned. Those that are sojourners now shall be heirs
for ever: and, even now, those do most inherit the earth (though
they do not inherit most of it) that are most like strangers in it.
Those have the best enjoyment of present things that sit most loose
to them. This promise looks as high as heaven, of which Canaan was
a type. This was the better country, which Jacob, with the other
patriarchs, had in his eye, when he confessed himself a stranger
and pilgrim upon the earth, Heb_11:13. 5. HAWKER, "Observe the same
blessing still carried on. It is here called Abrahams blessing. And
what is that but the gospel blessing of the Lord Jesus; on whom,
and in whom alone, all blessings center. Precious expression! A
multitude of people. Heb_ 12:22-23; Rev_7:9; Num_23:10. 5 Then
Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban
son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the
mother of Jacob and Esau. 1. Clarke, Bethuel the Syrian - Literally
the Aramean, so called, not because he was of the race of Aram the
son of Shem, but because he dwelt in that country which had been
formerly possessed by the descendants of Aram. 2. Gill, And Isaac
sent away Jacob,.... From Beersheba; not in anger, or in a
dishonourable way, but took his leave of him no doubt in an
affectionate manner; as it is clear he went with his blessing, and
had his good wishes for a prosperous journey: and he went to
Padanaram; which from Beersheba, according to some (h), was
four
18. hundred and eighty miles: unto Laban, son of Bethuel the
Syrian; some versions make Laban to be the Syrian, others Bethuel;
it is a matter of no great moment which is here so called, since
they were both called Syrians, see Gen_25:20, the brother of
Rebekah; this refers to Laban, for Bethuel was her father: Jacob's
and Esau's mother; Jacob is set first, not only as being most
beloved by his mother, but as now having the birthright and the
blessing. 4. Henry, Jacob, having taken leave of his father, was
hastened away with all speed, lest his brother should find an
opportunity to do him a mischief, and away he went to Padan-aram,
Gen_28:5. How unlike was his taking a wife thence to his father's!
Isaac had servants and camels sent to fetch his; Jacob must go
himself, go alone, and go afoot, to fetch his: he must go too in a
fright from his father's house, not knowing when he might return.
Note, If God, in his providence, disable us, we must be content,
though we cannot keep up the state and grandeur of our ancestors.
We should be more in care to maintain their piety than to maintain
their dignity, and to be as good as they were than to be as great.
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 make his father's heir, and Esau was, in
this sense, set aside. Note, The time will come when piety will
have precedency, whatever it has now. 5. COFFMAN, ""And Isaac sent
away Jacob; and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel
the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother." It
is not stated that Isaac lavishly equipped Jacob for this journey.
On the other hand, Jacob long afterward mentioned that he had
passed through this area "on foot with his staff in his hand"
(Genesis 32:10). Some have wondered why Jacob should have been
called upon to endure such hardship. But perhaps it was imperative
that he should learn some of the lessons that vividly appeared in
his experience. Sin always drives the sinner out. Adam and Eve
sinned and went out of Eden; Gehazi sinned and lied to the prophet,
and went out a leper white as snow; Judas betrayed the Lord and
went out and hanged himself; Peter profanely denied the Lord and
went out into the darkness weeping bitterly; here Jacob had sinned
and lied to his father and went out to rest in the wilderness with
a stone for a pillow. The application is perpetual: men become
vain, worldly and sinful and go out from the Bible SCHOOL, out from
the worship services, out from the prayer meetings, out from the
holy church! The reason behind Jacob's being commanded to take a
wife from among the daughters of Laban lay in the near-universal
paganism then descending upon apostate humanity. It was imperative
that the head of the chosen nation be relieved of the burden of
paganism in his own family. Even in the case of Laban's family,
there still remained vestiges of the Gentile paganism then
engulfing mankind, but, at least, the people of Laban's household
did know and honor the one true God.
19. We have no sympathy whatever with the critical THEORIES
about multiple sources of this chapter. For those interested in
such things, reference is here made to the scientific analysis of
this problem by Leupold, who outlined the various complicated
arguments allegedly favoring a division of the sources, concluding
thus: "Note how flimsy all this becomes on closer examination ...
There surely is little convincing proof ... If such arguments are
proof, we do not know what proof means ... Could any procedure be
more unscientific ...? Critics admit that they are not sure ...
!"[2] 6. COKE, "Genesis 28:5. Isaac sent away Jacob, &c. It has
been generally supposed, though without any warrant from the text,
that Isaac sent away this son, the heir of the promise, to walk
quite alone all this long journey into Syria. I cannot conceive,
that even in those times, simple as they were, such a step would
have been taken: and I apprehend, that the reason which is given
for this proceeding in Isaac and Rebekah rather proves the
contrary: they sent him away privately, it is supposed, through
fear of Esau. Now it is evident that Esau knew perfectly well the
whole scheme, (see Genesis 28:6.) and consequently could not have
had a fairer opportunity to kill his brother, than in this solitary
and unattended journey, as it has been thought. It is therefore
much more reasonable to believe, that he was accompanied with
presents, and with proper servants, sufficient to defend him from
any attacks: nor can one hardly conceive that Abraham would send
his servants with camels, &c. and Isaac dismiss his son, the
heir of the promise, with his staff only in his hand. Add to this,
that from Genesis 28:18 it appears he had oil with him, more than
sufficient for his own use, as he employed it to other purposes.
And as a further confirmation of this opinion, I would observe,
that he must have had provisions with him for his journey, as there
were no inns or public places of reception; and it is not to be
imagined that he was able, (circumstanced as he must have been,)
or, if he had been able, that it was proper for him to have
travelled alone. These reasons will serve, the more they are
weighed, to confute the popular opinion. REFLECTIONS.Rebekah's
advice, we find, prevailed on Isaac; and, now Jacob is sent away
into a distant land, expecting a lingering exile. Note; Those who
are God's people must expect the cross with the crown, the
suffering with the blessing. Observe, 1. The charge given him,
whither he should go, and for what purpose. Note; (1.) It is
comfortable to have a godly friend's house, where we can find an
asylum. (2.) It is our duty not to be unequally yoked with
unbelievers. 2. The blessing bestowed on him. Isaac was now
convinced it was God's will that the blessing should be Jacob's,
and therefore confirms the promise. Fruitfulness and numbers should
enlarge his house, and Abraham's emphatical blessing, the Messiah,
spring from him. Though now a distant exile, the possession of
Canaan is his own, and Esau's abode shall not affect his title.
Note; Faith can trust more SECURELY on the promise than any other
tenure. 3. Jacob sets off without delay, unknowing when he shall
return. Behold how God trains him up for greatness by humiliation,
and teaches him to govern by his servitude: we find no murmuring at
his lot. Note; If they who are reduced to the lowest ebb have the
promise of God with them, they have enough to enrich and comfort
them.
20. 6 ow Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent
him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he
blessed him he commanded him, "Do not marry a Canaanite woman," 1.
Barnes, Gen_28:6-9 Esau is induced, by the charge of his parents to
Jacob, the compliance of the latter with their wishes, and by their
obvious dislike to the daughters of Kenaan, to take Mahalath, a
daughter of Ishmael, in addition to his former wives. Went unto
Ishmael; that is, to the family or tribe of Ishmael, as Ishmael
himself was now thirteen years dead. Esaus hunting and roving
career had brought him into contact with this family, and we shall
presently find him settled in a neighboring territory. 2. Gill, And
when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob,.... Had conferred the
blessing before given, or had wished him a good journey; which
perhaps may be all that Esau understood by it, and so was not so
much offended with it: and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him
a wife from thence; which likewise might not be displeasing to him,
partly as he understood it to be only on account of taking a wife,
and not on account of his ill design upon him, which he might
imagine his parents knew nothing of; and partly as he would now be
out of the way, and he might find means the easier to ingratiate
himself into his father's favour, and get him to revoke the
blessing, and settle the inheritance upon him: and that as he
blessed him, he gave him a charge, saying, thou shalt not take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan; or of the Canaanites, of any of
the tribes or nations that belonged to that people, whether
Hittites or others. 3. Henry 6-9, This passage concerning Esau
comes in in the midst of Jacob's story, either, 1. To show the
influence of a good example. Esau, though the greater man, 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. The elder children should give to the younger
an example of tractableness and obedience; it is bad if they do
not: but it is some alleviation if they take the example of it from
them, as Esau here did from Jacob. Or, 2. To show the folly of an
after-wit. Esau did well, but he did it when it was too late, He
saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not his father, and he
might have
21. seen that long ago if he had consulted his father's
judgment as much as he did his palate. And how did he now mend the
matter? Why, truly, so as to make bad worse. (1.) He married a
daughter of Ishmael, the son of the bond-woman, who was cast out,
and was not to inherit with Isaac and his seed, thus joining with a
family which God had rejected, and seeking to strengthen his own
pretensions by the aid of another pretender. (2.) He took a third
wife, while, for aught that appears, his other two were neither
dead nor divorced. (3.) He did it only to please his father, not to
please God. Now that Jacob was sent into a far country Esau would
be all in all at home, and he hoped so to humour his father as to
prevail with him to make a new will, and entail the promise upon
him, revoking the settlement lately made upon Jacob. And thus, [1.]
He was wise when it was too late, like Israel that would venture
when the decree had gone forth against them (Num_14:40), and the
foolish virgins, Mat_25:11. [2.] He rested in a partial
reformation, and thought, by pleasing his parents in one thing, to
atone for all his other miscarriages. It is not said that when he
saw how obedient Jacob was, and how willing to please his parents,
he repented of his malicious design against him: no, it appeared
afterwards that he persisted in that, and retained his malice.
Note, Carnal hearts are apt to think themselves as good as they
should be, because perhaps, in some one particular instance, they
are not so bad as they have been. Thus Micah retains his idols, but
thinks himself happy in having a Levite to be his priest,
Jdg_17:13. 4. Jamison 6-9, when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed
Jacob, etc. Desirous to humor his parents and, if possible, get the
last will revoked, he became wise when too late (see Mat_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
Jdg_17:13). 5. K&D 6-9, Gen_28:6-9 When Esau heard of this
blessing and the sending away of Jacob, and saw therein the
displeasure of his parents at his Hittite wives, he went to Ishmael
- i.e., to the family of Ishmael, for Ishmael himself had been dead
fourteen years - and took as a third wife Mahalath, a daughter of
Ishmael (called Bashemath in Gen_36:3, a descendant of Abraham
therefore), a step by which he might no doubt ensure the approval
of his parents, but in which he failed to consider that Ishmael had
been separated from the house of Abraham and family of promise by
the appointment of God; so that it only furnished another proof
that he had no thought of the religious interests of the chosen
family, and was unfit to be the recipient of divine revelation. 6.
Calvin, 6.When Esau saw. A brief narration concerning Esau is here
inserted, which it is useful to know; because we learn from it that
the wicked, though they exalt themselves against God, and though,
in contempt of his grace, they please themselves in obtaining their
desires, are yet not able to despise that grace
22. altogether. So now, Esau is penetrated with a desire of the
blessing; not that he aspires to it sincerely and from his heart;
but perceiving it to be something valuable, he is impelled to seek
after it, though with reluctance. A further fault is, that he does
not seek it as he ought: for he devises a new and strange method of
reconciling God and his father to himself; and therefore all his
diligence is without profit. At the same time he does not seem to
be careful about pleasing God, so that he may but propitiate his
father. Before all things, it was his duty to cast aside his
profane disposition, his perverse manners, and his corrupt
affections of the flesh, and then to bear with meekness the
chastisement inflicted upon him: for genuine repentance would have
dictated to him this sentiment, Seeing I have hitherto rendered
myself unworthy of the birthright, my brother is deservedly
preferred before me. othing, therefore, remains for me but to
humble myself, and since I am deprived of the honor of being the
head, let it suffice me to be at least one of the members of the
Church. And, certainly, it would have been more desirable for him
to remain in some obscure corner of the Church, than, as one cut
off and torn away from the elect people, to shine with a proud
preeminence on earth. He aims, however, at nothing of this kind,
but attempts, by I know not what prevarications, to appease his
father in whatever way he may be able. Moses, in this example,
depicts all hypocrites to the life. For as often as the judgment of
God urges them, though they are wounded with the pain of their
punishment, they yet do not seek a true remedy; for having aimed at
offering one kind of satisfaction only, they entirely neglect a
simple and real conversion: and even in the satisfaction offered,
they only make a pretense. Whereas Esau ought thoroughly to have
repented, he only tried to correct the SI GLE fault of his
marriage; and this too in a most absurd manner. Yet another defect
follows: for while he retains the wives who were so hateful to his
parents, he supposes he has discharged his duty by marrying a
third. But by this method, neither was the trouble of his parents
alleviated, nor his house cleansed from guilt. And now truly,
whence does he marry his third wife? From the race of Ishmael, whom
we know to have been himself degenerate, and whose posterity had
departed from the pure worship of God. A remarkable proof of this
is discernible at the present day, in the pretended and perfidious
intermeddlers, who imagine they can admirably adjust religious
differences by simply adorning their too gross corruptions with
attractive colors. (55) The actual state of things compels them to
confess that the vile errors and abuses of Popery have so far
prevailed as to render a Reformation absolutely necessary: but they
are unwilling that the filth of this Camarine marsh be stirred;
(56) they only desire to conceal its impurities, and even that they
do by compulsion. For they had previously called their abominations
the sacred worship of God; but since these are now dragged to LIGHT
by the word of God, they therefore descend to novel artifices. They
flatter themselves, however; in vain, seeing they are here
condemned by Moses, in the person of Esau. Away, then, with their
impure pretended reformation, which has nothing simple nor sincere.
Moreover, since it is a disease inherent in the human race,
willingly to attempt to deceive God by some fictitious pretext, let
us know that we do nothing effectually, until we tear up our sins
by the roots, and thoroughly devote ourselves to God.
23. 7. COFFMA , "One cannot resist the opinion that Esau was a
SHADE late with what he must have considered some kind of a
concession to the opinions of his parents. "This was a rather
pathetic attempt, a closing of the barn door after the horse was
gone."[3] It is true that this marriage bore a superficial
resemblance to that of Jacob, in that Jacob married his mother's
niece, and Esau married his father's niece. But the shocking
difference lay in the fact that Esau married out of the covenant
line, Ishmael also having been rejected as heir of the promises.
Besides this, he already had two wives from the daughters of
Canaan, and the only thing he did was to add another woman to his
polygamous household. Alas, Jacob fell into the same error, but
with provocation that did not exist in the case of Esau. The
behavior of both these grandsons shows what a colossal mistake
Abraham made when Hagar became a second wife. These marriages by
the patriarchs of wives closely akin to them were possible and
permitted because, "The race was young enough that the danger of
accumulated mutational defects was minimized."[4] Later, in the
times of Moses, when genetic problems were more likely, the Law
forbade the marriages of persons of near kinship. Despite the
failure of Esau to make any essential improvement in his situation
by this additional marriage, one may sympathize with what he no
doubt intended as a gesture of reconciliation. 8. ELLICOTT, "(6)
When Esau.The solemn transfer of the birthright to Jacob, and
Isaacs complete assent thereto, must have been the cause of no
little grief to Esau, and evidently it made him feel that he had
greatly contributed to this result by his own illegitimate
marriages. When, then, he sees Jacob sent away to obtain a wife, in
accordance with the rule established by Abraham, he determines also
to conform to it, and marries a daughter of Ishmael. She is called
Bashe-math in chap , and described in both places as the sister of
ebajoth, in order to show that as ebajoth the firstborn (Genesis
25:13) was undoubtedly the son of Ishmael by his first wife, whom
Hagar took for him out of the land of Egypt (Genesis 21:21), so
also Mahalath shared in this precedence, and was not the daughter
of any of Ishmaels subsequent wives, or of a concubine. 9. BIBLICAL
ILLUSTRATOR, "Genesis 28:6-9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael Esau, the
type of worldliness and hypocrisy
24. I. HIS CONDUCT WAS MERCENARY. II. HIS CONDUCT WAS
ONE-SIDED. III. HIS CONDUCT WAS FRAMED BY THE PRINCIPLE OF
IMITATION. (T. H.Leale.) Lessons 1. Hypocrites hearing of blessing
upon others, pretend to make to it as well as any. 2. Hypocrites
hearing Gods charge to accompany His blessing, would seem to
observe it (Gen_28:6). 3. Hypocrites seeing the obedience of
saints, would seem to imitate it (Gen_28:7). 4. Hypocrites
perceiving what is displeasing to God and His servants, would seem
to avoid it (Gen_28:8). 5. Hypocrites in all their pretences for
God, take their own ways without His counsel. 6. Hypocrites in all
their pretended imitations of the saints do but add sin to sin
(Gen_28:9). (G. Hughes, B. D.) Mistaken imitation See what awkward
work is made when men go about to please others, and promote their
worldly interests, by imitating that in which they have no delight.
Ignorance and error mark every step they take, Esau was in no need
of a wife. His parents would not be gratified by his connection
with the apostate family of Ishmael. In short, he is out in all his
calculations; nor can he discover the principles which influence
those who fear the Lord. Thus have we often seen men try to imitate
religious people for the sake of gaining esteem, or some way
promoting their selfish ends; but instead of succeeding they have
commonly made bad worse. That which to a right mind is as plain as
the most public highway, to a mind perverted shall appear full of
difficulties. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them,
because he knoweth not how to go to the city (Ecc_10:15). (A.
Fuller.) 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had
gone to Paddan Aram. 1. Gill, And that Jacob obeyed his father and
his mother,.... As it became him, and as it becomes all children to
be obedient to their parents in all things lawful they command
them; and it would have been well if Esau had been obedient to them
also in a
25. like case, the case of his marriage: and was gone to
Padanaram; as they had enjoined him, to take a wife from thence. 2.
TRAPP, "Genesis 28:7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his
mother, and was gone to Padanaram; Ver. 7. And was gone to
Padanaram.] Which was distant from Beersheba almost five hundred
miles. This was the father of the that family of travellers; and
his affliction is our instruction. [Romans 15:4 1 Corinthians
10:11] 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women
were to his father Isaac; 1. Gill, And Esau seeing that the
daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father. Who he perceived
was displeased with the daughters of Canaan, or that they were
"evil in his eyes" (i), offensive to him, and disapproved of by
him, because of their ill manners: Rebekah is not mentioned, whose
displeasure he cared not for. 2. H. C. Leupold writes, What a
dullness of spiritual perception! Growing up in a household where
it was well known why Abraham had taken pains to secure a non-
Canaanite wife for Isaac, Esau never seems to have understood why
this was done. The entire spiritual heritage and all spiritual
traditions had not as yet begun to mean anything to Esau. These few
verses help us to understand very clearly why God could not use
Esau in the building of the kingdom. ot too bright was Esau when it
came to discernment about what pleased his parents and God. 3.
TRAPP, "Genesis 28:8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan
pleased not Isaac his father; Ver. 8. Pleased not Isaac his
father.] Whether himself or they pleased God or not, was no part of
his care. God is not in all the wicked mans thoughts. [Psalms 10:4]
What he strives for is, to be well esteemed of by others, to have
the good will and good word of his neighbours and friends, such
especially as he hopes for benefit by. Thus Julian counterfeited
zeal, till he had got the EMPIRE: afterwards, of Julian, he became
Idolian, as azianzen saith he was commonly called, because he set
open
26. again the idols temples, which had been shut up by
Constantine, and restored them to the heathens. 9 so he went to
Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of ebaioth and daughter of
Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had. 1.
Clarke, Then went Esau unto Ishmael - Those who are apt to take
every thing by the wrong handle, and who think it was utterly
impossible for Esau to do any right action, have classed his taking
a daughter of Ishmael among his crimes; whereas there is nothing
more plain than that he did this with a sincere desire to obey and
please his parents. Having heard the pious advice which Isaac gave
to Jacob, he therefore went and took a wife from the family of his
grandfather Abraham, as Jacob was desired to do out of the family
of his maternal uncle Laban. Mahalath, whom he took to wife, stood
in the same degree of relationship to Isaac his father as Rachel
did to his mother Rebekah. Esau married his fathers niece; Jacob
married his mothers niece. It was therefore most obviously to
please his parents that Esau took this additional wife. It is
supposed that Ishmael must have been dead thirteen or fourteen
years before this time, and that going to Ishmael signifies only
going to the family of Ishmael. If we follow the common
computation, and allow that Isaac was now about one hundred and
thirty-six or one hundred and thirty-seven years of age, and Jacob
seventy-seven, and as Ishmael died in the one hundred and
thirty-seventh year of his age, which according to the common
computation was the one hundred and twenty-third of Isaac, then
Ishmael must have been dead about fourteen years. But if we allow
the ingenious reasoning of Mr. Skinner and Dr. Kennicott, that
Jacob was at this time only fifty-seven years of age, and Isaac
consequently only one hundred and seventeen, it will appear that
Ishmael did not die till six years after this period; and hence
with propriety it might be said, Esau went unto Ishmael, and took
Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael to be his wife. See note on Gen_
26:34, etc. 3. Gill, Then went Esau unto Ishmael,.... Not to
Ishmael in person, for he was now dead, Gen_25:17, and had been
dead as is reckoned about fourteen years before this, but to the
house of Ishmael: and took unto the wives which he had; the
daughters of Heth, and who seem by this to be both alive at this
time: Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son; the same
with Bashemath, Gen_36:3; as the Targum of Jonathan expresses it,
this person having two names, and is
27. further described: the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife;
who was the eldest son of Ishmael, and, his father being dead, was
the principal in the family; and this woman Esau took to wife was
his sister by his mother's side, as the above Targum expresses, as
well as by his father's; whereas he might have other sisters only
by his father's side, he having had more wives than one. This Esau
seems to have done in order to curry favour with his father, who
was displeased with his other wives, and therefore takes one of his
father's brother's daughters; but in this he acted an unwise part,
on more accounts than one; partly as it was taking to wife the
daughter of one that was cast out of his grandfather's house, and
had been a persecutor of his father, and therefore not likely to be
agreeable to him; and partly as being a daughter of the bondmaid's
son: children born of her could not inherit the land promised to
Abraham and Isaac. 4. TRAPP, "Genesis 28:9 Then went Esau unto
Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter
of Ishmael Abrahams son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
Ver. 9. Then went Esau unto Ishmael.] Stulta haec fuit , et
hypocrisis , saith Pareus rightly. Apes will be imitating men:
spiders have their webs, and wasps their honeycombs. Hypocrites
will needs do something, that they may seem to be somebody: but,
for want of an inward principle, they do nothing well: they amend
one error with another, as Esau here; and as Herod prevents perjury
by murder. Thus, while they shun the sands, they rush upon the
rocks, and while they keep off the shallows, they fall into the
WHIRLPOOL. (a) Sed nemo ira perplexus tenetur inter duo vitia, quin
exitus pateat absque tertio , saith an ancient. 10 Jacob left
Beersheba and set out for Haran. 1. Barnes, Gen_28:10-22 Jacobs
dream and vow. Setting out on the way to Haran, he was overtaken by
night, and slept in the field. He was far from any dwelling, or he
did not wish to enter the house of a stranger. He dreams. A ladder
or stair is seen reaching from earth to heaven, on which angels
ascend and descend. This is a medium of communication between
heaven and earth, by which messengers pass to and fro on errands of
mercy. Heaven and earth have been separated by sin. But this ladder
has re-established the contact. It is therefore a beautiful emblem
of what mediates and reconciles Joh_1:51. It here serves to bring
Jacob into communication with God, and teaches him the emphatic
lesson that he is accepted through a mediator. The Lord stood above
it, and Jacob, the object of his mercy, beneath. First. He reveals
himself to the sleeper as the Lord Gen_2:4, the God of Abraham thy
father, and of Isaac. It is remarkable that Abraham is styled his
father,
28. that is, his actual grandfather, and covenant father.
Second. He renews the promise of the land, of the seed, and of the
blessing in that seed for the whole race of man. Westward,
eastward, northward, and southward are they to break forth. This
expression points to the world-wide universality of the kingdom of
the seed of Abraham, when it shall become the fifth monarchy, that
shall subdue all that went before, and endure forever. This
transcends the destiny of the natural seed of Abraham. Third. He
then promises to Jacob personally to be with him, protect him, and
bring him back in safety. This is the third announcement of the
seed that blesses to the third in the line of descent Gen_12:2-3;
Gen_22:18; Gen_26:4. 2. Gill, And Jacob went out from
Beersheba,.... Where Isaac and Rebekah now lived: from hence he
went alone, without any servants to attend him, though perhaps not
without letters of recommendation from his parents, testifying
their affection to him, and that he came with their knowledge and
consent, and was their heir, as Isaac had been to Abraham; nor
without provisions, at least not without money to purchase them by
the way, as appears by the oil he had, Gen_28:18, and went toward
Haran: for thither he could not get in one day, being many days'
journey; See Gill on Gen_28:5. 3. Henry, We have here Jacob upon
his journey towards Syria, in a very desolate condition, like one
that was sent to seek his fortune; but we find that, though he was
alone, yet he was not alone, for the Father was with him,
Joh_16:32. If what is here recorded happened (as it should seem it
did) the first night, he had made a long day's journey from
Beersheba to Bethel, above forty miles. Providence brought him to a
convenient place, probably shaded with trees, to rest himself in
that night; and there he had, 4. Jamison, Jacob went out, etc. His
departure from his fathers 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. 5.
K&D, Genesis 28:10-15 Jacob's Dream at Bethel. - As he was
travelling from Beersheba, where Isaac was then staying
(Gen_26:25), to Haran, Jacob came to a place where he was obliged
to stop all night, because the sun had set. The words he hit
(lighted) upon the place, indicate the apparently accidental, yet
really divinely appointed choice of this place for his night-
quarters; and the definite article points it out as having become
well known through the revelation of God that ensued. After making
a pillow with the stones ( , head-place, pillow), he fell asleep
and had a dream, in which he saw a ladder resting upon the earth,
with the top reaching to heaven; and upon it angels of God going up
and down, and Jehovah Himself standing above it. The ladder was a
visible symbol of the real and uninterrupted fellowship between God
in heaven and His people upon earth. The angels upon it carry up
the wants of men to God, and bring down the assistance and
protection
29. of God to men. The ladder stood there upon the earth, just
where Jacob was lying in solitude, poor, helpless, and forsaken by
men. Above in heaven stood Jehovah, and explained in words the
symbol which he saw. Proclaiming Himself to Jacob as the God of his
fathers, He not only confirmed to him all the promises of the
fathers in their fullest extent, but promised him protection on his
journey and a safe return to his home (Gen_ 28:13-15). But as the
fulfilment of this promise to Jacob was still far off, God added
the firm assurance, I will not leave thee till I have done (carried
out) what I have told thee. 7. Calvin, 10.And Jacob went out. In
the course of this history we must especially observe, how the Lord
preserved his own Church in the person of one man. For Isaac, on
account of his age, lay like a dry trunk; and although the living
root of piety was concealed within his breast, yet no hope of
further offspring remained in his exhausted and barren old age.
Esau, like a green and flourishing branch, had much of show and
splendor, but his vigor was only momentary. Jacob, as a severed
twig, was removed into a far distant land; not that, being
ingrafted or planted there, he should acquire strength and
greatness, but that, being moistened with the dew of heaven, he
might put forth his shoots as into the air itself. For the Lord
wonderfully nourishes him, and supplies him with strength, until he
shall bring him back again to his fathers house. Meanwhile, let the
reader diligently observe, that while he who was blessed by God is
cast into exile; occasion of glorying was given to the reprobate
Esau, who was left in the possession of everything, so that he
might SECURELY reign without a rival. Let us not, then, be
disturbed, if at any time the wicked sound their triumphs, as
having gained their wishes, while we are oppressed. Moses mentions
the name of Beersheba, because, as it formed one of the boundaries
of the land of Canaan, and lay towards the great desert and the
south, it was the more remote from the eastern region towards which
Jacob was going. He afterwards adds Charran, (Genesis 29:1,) where
Abraham, when he left his own country, dwelt for some time. ow, it
appears that not only the pious old man Terah, when he followed his
son, or accompanied him on his journey, came to Charran where he
died; but that his other son ahor, with his family, also came to
the same place. For we read in the eleventh chapter (Genesis 11:1,)
that Terah took his son Abraham, and Lot his grandson, and Sarai
his daughter-in-law. Whence we infer that ahor, at that time,
remained in Chaldea, his native country. But now, since Moses says,
that Laban dwelt at Charran, we may hence conjecture, that ahor, in
order that he might not appear guilty of the inhumanity of
deserting his father, afterwards gathered together his goods and
came to him. Moses here, in a few words, declares what a severe and
arduous journey the holy man (Jacob) had, on ACCOU T of its great
length: to which also another circumstance is added; namely, that
he lay on the ground, under the open sky, without a companion, and
without a habitation. But as Moses only briefly alludes to these
facts, so will I also avoid prolixity, as the thing speaks for
itself. Wherefore, if, at any time, we think ourselves to be
roughly treated, let us remember the example
30. of the holy man, as a reproof to our fastidiousness. 8.
What did they gain by their deception? Rebekah had to lose her son,
and Jacob had to leave home. It looks like they got the short end
of the stick, and Esau had the home and the inheritance of his
parents all to himself. He lost all and had to start from scratch
and had many disappointments in his life, and he concluded, few and
evil have been the days of the years of my life. They suffered for
their folly, and were not rewarded. Had they waited for God all
could have been different. It is about 1780 B.C. and Jacob is 57
years old. He is on a walk that will take him 450 miles, and so he
had many a night sleeping under the stars. Haran is the place where
Abraham left his relatives behind. Jacob is off to see relatives he
never met. With this journey Jacob takes the spotlight of Gods Word
off Isaac, and the rest of Genesis is mainly about him and his
family. Isaac lives 63 more years, but his recorded role is over.
Isaac was not chosen to be the leader of a great nation, but his
son was. Isaac was just sort of a middle man between Grandpa and
Grandchild. We need to learn to be content with what God chooses in
terms of who will be great and who will just be the links to others
greatness. 9. MACLARE , "From Abraham to Jacob is a great descent.
The former embodies the nobler side of the Jewish character,its
capacity for religious ideas; its elevation above, and separation
from, the nations; its consciousness of, and peaceful satisfaction
in, a divine Friend; its consequent vocation in the world. These
all were deep in the founder of the race, and flowed to it from
him. Jacob, on the other hand, has in him the more ignoble
qualities, which Christian treatment of the Jew has fostered, and
which have become indissolubly attached to the name in popular
usage. He is a crafty schemer, selfish, over-reaching, with a keen
eye to the main chance. Whoever deals with him has to look sharply
after his own interests. Self-advantage in its most earthly form is
uppermost in him; and, like all timid, selfish men, shifty ways and
evasions are his natural weapons. The great interest of his history
lies in the slow process by which the patient God purified him, and
out of this stone raised up a worthy child to Abraham. We see in
this context the first step in his education, and the very
imperfect degree in which he profited by it. 10. SBC, "Genesis
28:10-13 In his dream Jacob saw three things: I. A way set up
between earth and heaven, making a visible connection between the
ground on which he slept and the sky. II. The free circulation
along that way of great powers and ministering influences. III. He
saw God, the supreme directing and inspiring force, eminent over
all. From these we learn: (1) that every mans ladder should stand
upon the ground: no man can be a Christian by separating himself
from his kind; (2) along every mans ladder should be seen Gods
angels; (3) high above all a mans plans, high above all his heroic
moral
31. resolves, there is to be a living trust in God. H. W.
Beecher, Sermons, 1870, p. 643. Genesis 28:10-15 I. Consider the
circumstances under which the vision here described was granted to
Jacob. He had left his home and was suffering trial and hardship;
he was a friendless and unprotected man. II. Look at the nature of
his vision. From this glimpse into the secrets of the unseen world,
it appears: (1) that the angels are interested in the well-being of
Gods people; (2) that heaven is a place of activity; (3) that there
is a way of communication open between heaven and earth. This way
represents the mediation of Christ. III. Look at the promises which
on this occasion were made to Jacob: (1) God promised to be with
Jacob; (2) God promised His protection and guidance to Jacob; (3)
God promised him final deliverance from all trouble. A. D.
Davidson, Lectures and Sermons, p. 108. I. God is near men when
they little think it. He is near (1) when we are not aware of it;
(2) when sin is fresh upon us; (3) when we are in urgent need of
Him. II. God is near men to engage in their religious training (1)
God assured Jacob of His abiding presence with him. (2) Jacob was
taught to recognise God in all things. (3) He was taught to feel
his entire dependence upon God throughout the journey of life. III.
God is always near men to effect their complete salvation.
Intercourse has been established between earth and heaven; the
whole process of mans salvation is under the superintendence of
God. D. Rhys Jenkins, The Eternal Life, p. 347 Reference:
Gen_28:10-16.Homiletic Quarterly, vol. ii., p. 98. Genesis 28:10-17
Jacob makes his brothers hunger an occasion for bargaining with him
for his birthright. Esau says, "What profit shall this birthright
do to me?" Neither one nor the other knew what good it would do.
The vision of something to be realised now or hereafter dawned upon
Jacoba vision probably mixed with many sensual and selfish
expectations, still of a good not tangible, a good which must come
to him as a gift from God. The absence of all want, all discontent
with the present and the visible, is the feeling which exhibits
itself in the acts and utterances of Esau. I. The vision at Bethel
was the first step in Jacobs Divine educationthe assurance which
raised him to the feelings and dignity of a man. He knew that
though he was to be
32. chief of no hunting tribe, there might yet come forth from
him a blessing to the whole earth. II. Jacobs vision came to him in
a dream. But that which had been revealed was a permanent reality,
a fact to accompany him through all his after-existence. The great
question we have to ask ourselves is, Was this a fact for Jacob the
Mesopotamian shepherd, and is it a phantasm for all ages to come?
or was it a truth which Jacob was to learn that it might be
declared to his seed after him, and that they might be acquainted
with it as he was, but in a fuller and deeper sense? If we take the
Bible for our guide we must accept the
