In our previous study, we saw that Isaac had purposefully and publicly blessed Jacob and sent him away to Haran, to his mother’s brother, Laban to obtain a wife from one of his daughters. This would be the final time the text refers to Isaac doing anything. From this time forward, the text would concern itself with Jacob and then with Joseph, Jacob’s son. We left off our previous study as Jacob began his journey to Padan-aram in obedience to his father and mother. The mention of Jacob’s obedience, at this point (Genesis 28:7), seems to be to be placed in contrast to the works of Esau, his brother, concerning whom the text never claims obedience was one of his characteristics. Nevertheless, up to this time, neither Jacob nor Esau had any personal experience with the Lord, as far as the text informs its reader is concerned. All we know from the text is that Esau was a loner, hoping that, what pleased himself, would also please his father, Isaac. Moreover, nothing is mentioned concerning Esau ever seeking to please his mother.
On the other hand, Jacob remained unmarried for about 73 years, until Isaac sent him to find a wife among the daughters of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. We also know that Jacob, like Esau, desired the birthright and the blessing of Abraham, but neither of the brothers understood that such rights belonged to God, alone to give. The Lord was the giver of both, despite the desires of men (cp. Romans 9:16). Although Jacob feared to be cursed by Isaac, if his deception was found out, Jacob submitted to his mother’s desire to trick his father into blessing him, instead of Esau, Jacob’s brother. Therefore, it seems that Jacob believed that Rebekah, his mother, had indeed received a dream or vision, in which the Lord told her the birthright and blessing would go to Jacob and not to Esau, something that Isaac either didn’t believe or made light of.
Thus, Jacob left Isaac, his father, and Rebekah, his mother, in Beersheba, the southernmost area of the Land of Promise, and he went to Haran, the very city that Abram had left in obedience to the Lord to come to the land, which Jacob was now leaving (Genesis 28:10; cp. 12:1-4). As chance, or more likely guidance from the Lord, would have it, sometime later Jacob came to a place, where Abraham had built an altar over a century and a half ago (Genesis 28:11; cp. 12:8). There, Jacob rested from the journey, and during the night he dreamed a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder, stretching from heaven to the earth (Genesis 28:12).
At some point in the dream Jacob saw the Lord at the top of the ladder, and the Lord said that he was the God of Abraham and Isaac, and the land upon which Jacob lay would be given to him and his descendants after him. Moreover, his descendants would be innumerable, and they would spread out in all directions, from where he lay, and in him, vis-à-vis in Jacob, all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 28:13-14).
The Lord concluded by telling Jacob that he would be with him and protect him wherever he went, and he would bring him back to the Land of Promise, which he was presently leaving. Finally, the Lord told Jacob that he would remain with him, until he had performed everything that he told Jacob he would do (Genesis 28:15). Thus, not only did Jacob have his first personal experience with the Lord, just as both Abraham and Isaac had, but he was assured that the Lord was not rejecting him over his act of deception and taking back the blessing of Abraham, because Isaac had sent him out of the Land of Promise. Instead, all that his father, Isaac had blessed him with, the Lord confirmed in appearing to Jacob in his dream. Thus, was Jacob put in great fear of the Lord, and encouraged at the same time!
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