This is a short study and could be taken with Genesis 29
Recap: (For Genesis chapters 1-18 see Genesis 18 recap).
So far in the second section of Genesis, we have looked at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham’s move to the area between Gerar and Beersheba, the birth of Isaac and the driving out of Ishmael, the offering of Isaac, Esau’s attitude to his birthright and Isaac’s deceit in taking the blessing intended for Esau.
Read Genesis 28:1-22
1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: ‘Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, 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.
Isaac had been very happy having Rebekah as his wife. He could foresee a similar solution for Jacob, but interestingly he does not suggest the same for Esau.
3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. 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 reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.’
Isaac had obviously accepted that Jacob was the chosen one to carry on the commission given to Abraham, so he now blessed him again – this time with no deception!
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.
Map004 http://www.biblenews1.com/maps/BibleAbrahamL.gif
6 Now 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,’ 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram.
Esau was furious. In his mind he had been tricked out of his birthright, out of his blessing, and now out of his opportunity for revenge. If he could not take it out on Jacob then he would turn against his father, the one who actually loved him the most.
8 Esau then realised how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.
(Ishmael was son of Abraham, but born to Hagar, an Egyptian slave. He was driven from the family home by Abraham at the request of Sarah, and when he was older he married an Egyptian girl.)
Why would Esau consider this to be a particularly appropriate form of revenge?
Why do angry people often attack the ones they love; If not physically, then emotionally?
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.
This was probably the second or third night into his journey – he had travelled about 60 miles so far. But the location was important – exactly central to the land of Canaan.
Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: ‘I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’
Could someone describe what Jacob saw in their own words?
(Probably not but everyone would try to build a picture in their minds.)
This is the first time Jacob had encountered God personally. He had obviously seen his father’s faith, and he may have participated in family religious services. He expected to receive what he had been told was promised him, but he had no experience of a personal relationship with God – yet.
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’ 17 He was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.’
Could someone describe what Jacob felt in their own words?
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
The town would still be called Luz by the Canaanites (Joshua 18:13) but Jacob named it ‘The House of God’. The whole experience had a profound effect on Jacob and he was now able to make a personal commitment. Like many modern-day conversion experiences it was perhaps a bit one-sided but it was heartfelt and sincere.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.’
I believe the Lord was very happy to accept this as a basis to build on!
