Genesis 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau.
Isaac was preparing to die, and wanted to give his fatherly blessing to his firstborn son Esau, rather than to Jacob. This was against God’s will, since the Lord had told Rebekah, the older will serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). But Isaac favored Esau, and sent him away to hunt for game, and then to prepare a meal for him. After dinner, he’d give Esau his blessing.
The blessing was thought to carry real power, and was a continuation of the blessing God gave to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). Esau regretted selling his birthright to his brother Jacob, and wanted to recover the loss if possible. This was an important moment for him.
But Rebekah overheard the conversation and, since Jacob was her favorite, she took action. Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing (Genesis 27:8-10), she said.
The deception grew more complicated but, surprisingly, it worked. May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed (Genesis 27:28-29), said Isaac.
Shortly after Jacob received his father’s blessing, Esau returned and discovered what happened. He received a secondary blessing, but was furious that his deceptive brother took both his birthright and the primary blessing. He was so angry, in fact, that he planned to kill his brother after their father died. The threat was so real that Jacob would soon run for his life, and stay away for the next twenty years.
There’s little in Jacob or Esau that we should admire. They shared the serious flaw of wanting the blessing of God, without pursuing God himself. God is not a means to an end, however, but the end for which we are made. In fact, the greatest blessing we can receive is more of God. It’s wrong to seek the blessing of God without pursuing God himself. But he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6), says Hebrews.
Genesis 27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.
Another source of tension in this troubled family was Esau’s choice of wives. They were a source of grief to Rebekah, and she hoped Jacob would do better. Few things shape our lives more than whom we marry, but it also affects our larger family. It’s often wise, therefore, to consult our parents before we make a final decision.
Isaac and Rebekah struggled with Esau’s wives because they were from a different clan. Marriage within a clan was generally preferred due to social customs. We usually prefer people who are like us, and find them easier to live with. Instead of bringing her joy, Esau’s wives brought Rebekah sorrow.
We can think marriage as two overlapping circles. The overlapping part represents what we share in common. It may include age, education, politics, religion and background. The non-overlapping parts represent what we don’t share in common. They may include all the above and more. The overlapping part is what makes marriage easy; the non-overlapping parts are what make marriage interesting. Over a lifetime, most prefer easy.
Genesis 28:10-11 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
Taking his parents’ advice, Jacob fled the comforts of home. At the end of the day he slept on the ground, surrounded by who knew what. Away from the people he knew, some of whom he loved, he probably felt alone. What Jacob needed most, he thought, was a good night’s sleep.
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. 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. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth. . . . All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring (Genesis 28:12-14).
Jacob was at a low point when God appeared to him in a dream, and affirmed the promise he’d given to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3), and to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), and now to Jacob. Jacob’s life wasn’t an example to anyone, but his faith in God was not misplaced. God was alive, and would do what he had promised.
The stairway to heaven which Jacob saw in his dream speaks of Jesus Christ. [Y]ou will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51), said Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only way to God (John 14:6), and the angels go up and down to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), says Hebrews.
This is also helpful for understanding how Jesus read the Old Testament. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39), he said. When Jesus read about the stairway to heaven, he saw himself as the way to God. When he read about sacrificial lambs, he saw himself as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). When he read about the high priest, he knew that he was the faithful high priest in service to God (Hebrews 2:17).
Other examples could be given, but these are enough to show that Jesus saw himself throughout the Old Testament, and we aren’t wrong to see him there as well. From beginning to end, the Bible points to Jesus Christ. He came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21), and restore us to a greater paradise than Adam lost (Genesis 3, Revelation 22).
Genesis 28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.
Jacob thought God was far away, but then he learned that God was near. God didn’t seem near when Jacob had only a rock for a pillow, so when God appeared in his dream Jacob was surprised. We too can go through life unaware of God’s presence, but if we Come near to God . . . he will come near to [us] (James 4:8), wrote James. Worshipping God will make us more aware of his presence, and leave us longing for more.
Reflection and Review
What was Jacob’s family like?
How does Jacob’s dream remind us of Jesus Christ?
Why was Jacob surprised that God was in that place?
Isaac was preparing to die, and wanted to give his fatherly blessing to his firstborn son Esau, rather than to Jacob. This was against God’s will, since the Lord had told Rebekah, the older will serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). But Isaac favored Esau, and sent him away to hunt for game, and then to prepare a meal for him. After dinner, he’d give Esau his blessing.
The blessing was thought to carry real power, and was a continuation of the blessing God gave to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). Esau regretted selling his birthright to his brother Jacob, and wanted to recover the loss if possible. This was an important moment for him.
But Rebekah overheard the conversation and, since Jacob was her favorite, she took action. Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing (Genesis 27:8-10), she said.
The deception grew more complicated but, surprisingly, it worked. May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed (Genesis 27:28-29), said Isaac.
Shortly after Jacob received his father’s blessing, Esau returned and discovered what happened. He received a secondary blessing, but was furious that his deceptive brother took both his birthright and the primary blessing. He was so angry, in fact, that he planned to kill his brother after their father died. The threat was so real that Jacob would soon run for his life, and stay away for the next twenty years.
There’s little in Jacob or Esau that we should admire. They shared the serious flaw of wanting the blessing of God, without pursuing God himself. God is not a means to an end, however, but the end for which we are made. In fact, the greatest blessing we can receive is more of God. It’s wrong to seek the blessing of God without pursuing God himself. But he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6), says Hebrews.
Genesis 27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.
Another source of tension in this troubled family was Esau’s choice of wives. They were a source of grief to Rebekah, and she hoped Jacob would do better. Few things shape our lives more than whom we marry, but it also affects our larger family. It’s often wise, therefore, to consult our parents before we make a final decision.
Isaac and Rebekah struggled with Esau’s wives because they were from a different clan. Marriage within a clan was generally preferred due to social customs. We usually prefer people who are like us, and find them easier to live with. Instead of bringing her joy, Esau’s wives brought Rebekah sorrow.
We can think marriage as two overlapping circles. The overlapping part represents what we share in common. It may include age, education, politics, religion and background. The non-overlapping parts represent what we don’t share in common. They may include all the above and more. The overlapping part is what makes marriage easy; the non-overlapping parts are what make marriage interesting. Over a lifetime, most prefer easy.
Genesis 28:10-11 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
Taking his parents’ advice, Jacob fled the comforts of home. At the end of the day he slept on the ground, surrounded by who knew what. Away from the people he knew, some of whom he loved, he probably felt alone. What Jacob needed most, he thought, was a good night’s sleep.
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. 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. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth. . . . All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring (Genesis 28:12-14).
Jacob was at a low point when God appeared to him in a dream, and affirmed the promise he’d given to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3), and to Isaac (Genesis 26:2-5), and now to Jacob. Jacob’s life wasn’t an example to anyone, but his faith in God was not misplaced. God was alive, and would do what he had promised.
The stairway to heaven which Jacob saw in his dream speaks of Jesus Christ. [Y]ou will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51), said Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only way to God (John 14:6), and the angels go up and down to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), says Hebrews.
This is also helpful for understanding how Jesus read the Old Testament. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me (John 5:39), he said. When Jesus read about the stairway to heaven, he saw himself as the way to God. When he read about sacrificial lambs, he saw himself as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). When he read about the high priest, he knew that he was the faithful high priest in service to God (Hebrews 2:17).
Other examples could be given, but these are enough to show that Jesus saw himself throughout the Old Testament, and we aren’t wrong to see him there as well. From beginning to end, the Bible points to Jesus Christ. He came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21), and restore us to a greater paradise than Adam lost (Genesis 3, Revelation 22).
Genesis 28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.
Jacob thought God was far away, but then he learned that God was near. God didn’t seem near when Jacob had only a rock for a pillow, so when God appeared in his dream Jacob was surprised. We too can go through life unaware of God’s presence, but if we Come near to God . . . he will come near to [us] (James 4:8), wrote James. Worshipping God will make us more aware of his presence, and leave us longing for more.
Reflection and Review
What was Jacob’s family like?
How does Jacob’s dream remind us of Jesus Christ?
Why was Jacob surprised that God was in that place?