“[1] Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. [2] Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. [3] God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. [4] May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” [5] Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.”
So, after Jacob deceived Isaac and received the blessing that was intended for Esau, Isaac calls Jacob to himself. But instead of rebuking him… instead of disowning him… Isaac blesses him and gives him direction for what comes next— “Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him.”
What a remarkable display of grace, right?
There is nothing in Jacob at this point that deserves kindness, yet kindness is what he receives! He is a deceiver. He is a manipulator. Yet, instead of scolding him, Isaac blesses him and sends him on his way.
Friends, isn’t that how God treats us? Like Jacob, we come before him with nothing to offer but our sin. And yet, he chooses to meet us with grace and blessing rather than condemnation and shame.
As Isaac sends Jacob away, he gives him specific instructions on where to go and who not to marry— “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. [2] Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.”
I want to pause here for just a quick moment.
Some, over the years, might be tempted to point to Isaac’s words here to Jacob and seek to make the argument that the Bible speaks against multiracial marriages. Unfortunately, some have used passages like this throughout history to justify segregation or oppose interracial marriage.
That is a misuse of Scripture.
The heart of this command is not to prohibit marriages between different ethnicities. The heart of this command is to guard God’s people from idolatry and preserve covenant faithfulness. The concern with the Canaanites was not Ethnic; it was spiritual.
Later in Deuteronomy 7:3-4, we see God tell his people, “You shall not intermarry with them, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods.”
So, the modern-day application is not a warning against interracial marriage. Interracial marriages can be a beautiful expressions of God’s diverse creation and should be celebrated. Instead, the modern-day parallel should be a believer entering into marriage with an unbeliever.
In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul writes, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” This verse doesn’t directly speak to marriage, but it obviously applies to marriage. The yoke imagery comes from two oxen being joined together under the same yoke. If they are pulling in the same direction, the work is easier. If they are pulling in opposite directions, their work becomes difficult and conflicted.
Marriage works the same way. When two people are pursuing Christ together, they are moving in the same direction. But when one is following Jesus and the other is not, the relationship carries a spiritual tension that God never intended for marriage. So, it’s not wise to intentionally yoke yourself with someone who isn’t pulling in the same direction.
Now, in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul also addresses the topic of a believer who is already married to nonbeliever. He does not tell them to seek divorce. Instead, he encourages them to remain faithful in the marriage and trust God, knowing that their witness may be used by the Lord to draw their spouse to Christ. But when Paul speaks about a believer who is free to marry, he gives a simple instruction: “She is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.” In other words, marry whoever you want, as long as they belong to Jesus!
Friends, I’ve seen this play out far too much over the years. A believer falls in love with a non-believer, and they’re convinced that they can change them. In the beginning, there is optimism. There’s hope. The unbeliever is willing to attend church. They ask a few questions. They seem open to spiritual things. But then marriage comes. The questions stop. The interest fades. Church becomes optional. And before long, the strain of this relationship pulls them away from Jesus.
Church, the implications here are significant! Marriage is hard enough with two believers! So, choose your spouse carefully. Yoke yourself to someone who is chasing after Jesus, too! Both the Old Testament and New Testament prohibit marriages that threaten covenant faithfulness.
Following this, Isaac speaks another blessing over Jacob, this time with a true intention to bless Jacob— “[3] God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. [4] May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!”
The blessing here is intentionally linking the blessing God has spoken over Abraham and Isaac to Jacob. Following this, Jacob is sent away by Isaac— “[5] Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.”
Isaac sent Jacob away empty handed. Nothing but a blessing to his name at this point in time.
Following this, Esau marries an Ishmaelite— “[6] Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” [7] and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. [8] So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, [9] Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.”
So, Esau has realized his actions of marrying Canaanite wives were grievous to his father, which has led to him seeking to find another wife, one his father might approve of. I think there’s a bit of irony here where Jacob is naturally moving toward the covenant family while Esau is moving away from it. And I think his actions demonstrate to us to danger of recognizing a problem, seeking to make external adjustments, while still missing what God was truly after. True faith isn’t simply changing our behavior in order to gain favor; it is trust God’s grace and valuing what God values. God wants heart change, not behavior modification. God is ultimately a father to fear and obey, not a genie to use for our own gain.
After this, Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. On the way, he stops at a “certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set.” I think the details here are intentionally vague. This isn’t a famous city or a sacred mountain; it’s simply “a certain place” that he stayed “because the sun had set.”
With nothing but the clothes on his back, he takes a stone, places it under his head, and lies down to sleep. And as he sleeps, God appears to the most unlikely man in the most unlikely place.
Verse 12 says, “[12] And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! [13] And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. [14] Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
There’s so much richness packed into this one dream. But, before we unpack the words Jacob hears, I want to unpack what’s Jacob sees.
When many of us hear the word “ladder,” we picture the kind of ladder leaning against the side of a house. But that is probably not the image here. The picture is more likely a grand stairway stretching from earth to heaven. The word ladder here is intended to show us how heaven and earth are connected together through this ladder/stairway. Here on this stairway, the angels of God are ascending and descending; they are coming up and down, moving freely between God and man. This was intended to demonstrate to Jacob the reality that God wasn’t distant; he’s connected and involved.
As Jacob (the deceiver) was sent off alone with no riches… as he’s fleeing from his brother… as he’s laying in this random place with his head laid on this random rock… God shows up to teach him, show him, save him. God is revealing himself to Jacob for the first time in order to teach him deep and practical truths about himself! It’s as if God is saying, “Jacob, you’ve been relying on your own efforts of deception your whole life. It’s time you see that I am involved and working, even here. It’s time you begin to learn that you can trust me!”
Some argue that this could be the point of conversion for Jacob. I think I agree! At the very least, this is the first personal encounter with God that Jacob ever has! The scales are beginning to fall off his eyes here. God has revealed himself to Jacob, and Jacob is now beginning to see who God is!
Here in this dream, we find a ladder that reaches the top of heaven and God is standing above it.
Now, if you notice in your Bible, there is probably a footnote next to the phrase “above it” that says “or ‘beside him.’” The Hebrew phrase here is difficult to translate, which is why you have this footnote.
If it means above it, then that would signify God’s transcendence and sovereignty. He is in heaven above all things, sovereignly reigning and ruling over all things!
If it means beside him, then that would signify God’s immanence. The sovereign God has come down and is close to his people.
Both are applications of God are true of God.
And whichever is true, what we do not see being true is Jacob climbing up this ladder himself. There is no indication of Jacob ascending toward God. Instead, this dream is the great reversal of the Tower of Babel.
In Genesis 11, we see humanity trying to build a tower in order to get to God, and in Genesis 28 we see God coming to man. In Genesis 11, sinners failed to reach heaven. In Genesis 28, heaven came to a sinner. At Babel, mankind tried to ascend and was scattered. At Bethel, God descended and blesses.
God is the one who bridges the gap! God is the one who pursues! God is the one who establishes a connection! God is the one who comes down! Our relationship and union with God is not manufactured by man; it is established by the infinite grace and mercy of God. God is the one who built the stairs, not man. And as we will see in a moment, this is a foreshadow of Christ. Jesus is the staircase! In Christ, heaven came down!
So, in this dream, Jacob sees the infinite, sovereign, and personal God drawing near to him. And as he draws near, he speaks! And what’s remarkable is that God doesn’t speak a new message to Jacob! He doesn’t give Jacob a new promise! No, he gives Jacob the same promise he’s given to his father, Isaac, and he gives Jacob the same promise he's given to Isaac’s father, Abraham. In other words, God plan hasn’t changed. God’s promise hasn’t dwindled. The covenant is still binding. God’s faithfulness is to all generations! The God of Abraham is the God of Isaac; and the God of Isaac is now revealing himself to be the God of Jacob!
Notice these similarities!
First, God promises Jacob the land— “The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.” Likewise, he told Isaac, “To you and to your offspring I will give all these lands (Gen 26:3).” Similarly, he said this to Abraham three different times (Gen 12:7, 13:15, 15:18-21).
Second, God promises to Jacob numerous descendants— “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth.” Likewise he says to Isaac’s “I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven (Gen 26:4).” Similarly, he says to Abraham multiple times that his descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, the stars of the sky, and the sand on the seashore (Gen 13:16, 15:5, 22:17).
Third, he promises worldwide blessing through his offspring— “In you and your offspring shall all these families of the earth be blessed.”
Likewise he says to Isaac, “In your offspring all these families of nations of the earth shall be blessed (Gen 26:4).” Similarly, he says in Genesis 12:3 to Abraham, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen 12:3).”
Fourth, we see that God promises his presence with him— “Behold, I am with you and will keep you where you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Likewise, he said to Isaac, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you (Gen. 26:24).” Similarly, he says to Abraham, “Am I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
Do not miss the beauty (and even scandal) of this promise! God doesn’t make this promise to Jacob after years of obedience from Jacob! God makes this promise to Jacob right on the cusp of Jacob’s deception! Theirs is nothing worthy in Jacob at this point in time. Yet, God vows to be with Jacob, just as he promised to be with Isaac, just as he promised to be with Abraham. As Jacob is asleep on a rock with nothing in his pockets, the God of heaven comes down and says, “I am with you!”
Oh the grace and mercy of God’s willingness to commune with sinners. The land is great, the descendants are cool, the blessing is awesome, but God’s presence is astounding! The greatest gift of the covenant has always been the presence of God!
Jacob then wakes us from his dream and says, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it!” In other words, “My understand of God was small! His ways are not my ways, and his thoughts are not my thoughts! He is not distant; he is close!”
And Jacob was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
In our context, we often use the word “awesome” to mean “cool!” But, that’s not what Jacob is saying! Jacob isn’t saying, “This place is really cool!” He’s fearfully saying, “This place is overwhelmingly awe-inspiring! It’s dreadful! It’s fearsome!”
This random place is the house of God, the gate of heaven!
That’s what I love about the song, “Awesome God!” It captures the awe-inspiring nature of God!
There’s thunder in his footsteps, and lightning in his fists
(Our God is an awesome God!).
Our God is an awesome God.
He reigns from heaven above
with wisdom, power, and love.
Our God is an awesome God!
So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. This is the first mentioning of anyone anointing anything with oil in Scripture! It’s an act of worship. It’s Jacob setting this place apart as a place to be remembered! He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
Then Jacob made 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 clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
So, keep in mind, Jacob has nothing at this point in time. And he has just encountered God in a dream! God has come to him and promised him great things! And Jacob responds in worship! But, as he worships, his words seem a little worrisome. It seems like Jacob is getting it, but also doesn’t get it. It seems like he’s thinking transactionally— “If the LORD does X for me, I will do Y for him.”
“If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I havee set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
Jacob has had a genuine encounter with God here, and this moment signifies a real turning point in his life! He’s really in awe of the awesome God who appeared to him. Perhaps his faith is real, but still immature. Perhaps his theology of God is growing, but not formed. The deceiver has just met the living God, and now he’s beginning the lifelong process of being formed by God.
Church, please do not miss the comfort that should be found here.
As important as theology is, God didn’t wait for Jacob to develop a perfect theology before he blessed him. Instead, God met him in his weakness and received his small and imperfect faith. And over time God will shape him into the man he was intended to be!
The same is true of us.
In our brokenness, God has chose us, called us, and revealed himself to us. And we then respond in faith and worship. And over the years, God will patiently grow us through his faithfulness.
Young Christian, Please understand the importance of right doctrine. We want to know truth! But, please do not be crushed by the pressure of feeling like you have to say the right thing all the time. There is grace for flawed theology. And, over time, God will correct the flawed theology of his people!
God doesn’t simply save sinners; he faithfully grows and sanctifies them until he completes the work that he began in them!
Now, as we close, I want to draw our attention to a New Testament parallel between Jesus and this encounter.
In John 1, we see Jesus say to Nathanael, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.”
This was an illusion back to Jacob here. Jacob was a deceiver, as we saw in last week’s passage, and his name will later change to Israel. But, Jesus is saying, “Behold, an Israelite indeed (a descendant of Jacob), in whom there is no deceit.” So, he saying that Nathanael was honest, unlike Jacob.
Why he said this? We’re unsure. But, we are sure that this response caught Nathanael’s attention. To which he responds, “How do you know me?” And Jesus responds, “before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Again this shook Nathanael, which led to him saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Now, we don’t know what Nathaniel was doing at this point of time. But, we do know that Jesus’ response caught Nathaniels attention. It could have been that he was resting or studying, it could have been that he was praying, or it could have been that he was meditating on Jacob’s ladder here.
I tend to lean toward the latter. I think Nathanael was under the fig tree wrestling over the encounter between Jacob and God here in Genesis 28. I think he was praying over this passage.
And then look at how Jesus responds, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Do we see what Jesus is doing? He’s taking the imagery of Jacob’s dream and applying it to Himself. Jacob saw a stairway connecting heaven and earth. Jesus says, “I am that stairway.” Jacob saw angels ascending and descending between God and man. Jesus says, “That connection is now found in Me.” Jesus is saying that he is the place where heaven touches earth. In Genesis 28, God came down to a weary sinner sleeping in the wilderness with nothing in his pockets. In Jesus, God has come down to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the true and better ladder between heaven and earth. He is the one in whom sinners gain access to the Father. We do not climb our way to God. We do not build towers to heaven. We do not earn our way into His presence. God has come down to us. The heavens have opened, and the Son of God has stepped into our world. And through His life, death, and resurrection, He has made a way for sinful people to be reconciled to a holy God. Jacob looked up and saw a stairway, and we look to Christ and see its fulfillment. In Jesus, the distance between heaven and earth has been bridged forever.