The Law · Chapter 28 of 50

Genesis 28

Isaac sends Jacob to Padanaram to find a wife among Rebekah's kin, blessing him with the blessing of Abraham. On the way Jacob sleeps at a certain place and dreams of a ladder joining earth and heaven, with angels ascending and descending. The LORD stands above and renews the covenant promises. Waking in awe, Jacob names the place Bethel, sets up a pillar, and vows to serve God who has met him.

What happens in Genesis 28

Isaac blesses Jacob, forbidding a Canaanite wife and sending him to Padanaram to marry a daughter of Laban, invoking the blessing of Abraham upon him. Seeing this, Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael, hoping to please his parents. Traveling toward Haran, Jacob stops at nightfall, takes a stone for a pillow, and sleeps. He dreams of a ladder set on earth reaching heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending on it, and the LORD standing above.

God promises Jacob the land, descendants as the dust of the earth, blessing to all families through his seed, and His own presence to keep him and bring him home. Jacob awakes in awe, declaring the place the house of God and the gate of heaven. He names it Bethel, sets up his stone pillar with oil, and vows to give God a tenth.

Genesis 28 in context

Fleeing Esau's anger and sent to find a wife, Jacob leaves the promised land alone and afraid, having gained the blessing by deceit. At this low point God meets him unbidden, confirming that the Abrahamic covenant now rests on him.

Bethel, house of God, becomes a place Jacob will return to. This is the first of several personal encounters that will transform the schemer into Israel, and the dream reveals heaven's active connection to earth.

Main themes of Genesis 28

Genesis 28 (KJV)

1And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. 3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; 4And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. 5And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. 6When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; 7And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram; 8And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; 9Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife. 10And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11And 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. 12And 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. 13And, 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 thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14And 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 in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15And, 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. 16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 20And 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, 21So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Verses to carry from Genesis 28

“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.”Genesis 28:12

“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.”Genesis 28:15

“And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”Genesis 28:17

Reflection

God met Jacob in an ordinary place at his lowest, when he least deserved and least expected it. Perhaps your own stone pillow, a lonely or fearful season, is closer to the gate of heaven than you think. Look for God where you assumed He was absent, and answer His unearned promise with worship.

A prayer from Genesis 28