Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION
This section is a continuation of the twenty-seventh chapter, which revealed the circumstances of how Jacob received the firstborn blessing instead of Esau, who was the biological firstborn son. The situation resulted in family crises and led to Esau’s rage and plan to kill his brother, Jacob. The chapter ended with Rebekah and Isaac's concern for Jacob’s marriage, knowing that Esau's marriage to women of Heth (Hittites) displeased them.

Today’s study will reveal how Isaac proclaimed the blessing of inheritance on Jacob and the advice about Jacob’s marriage. An important focus of the study will be God’s blessing on Jacob after his vision of angels ascending and descending the earth, which became a turning point for Jacob, and the future of Jews and Gentiles who became partakers of the blessings of Abraham through Jesus Christ.

GENESIS 28: 1 - 22 ANALYSIS AND REFLECTION
1. Genesis 28: 1 Isaac blessed Jacob and advised him not to marry a Canaanite woman.
This was important because Isaac wanted Jacob to be responsible enough to be able to handle the generational blessing that was to be realized on him. We will see in later verses the reason for the advice against Canaanite women.
2. Genesis 28: 2 – 3. Jacob was advised by his father, Isaac, to marry a wife from Paddan-aram in the house of his grandfather, Bethuel, and marry one of his uncle Laban’s daughters.
Paddan-aram is connected to Haran, which was where his father, Isaac, himself his wife. (Genesis 25:20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife). (Genesis 29:4 Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran.
Haran was the Place where Terah (Abraham’s father lived for many years and died (Genesis 11:31-32). Paddan Aram is in the region of Haran (Genesis 12: 1-4) 3. Genesis 28: 3 -4. Isaac prayed the blessing of Abraham on Jacob and his generation.

The focus here was on the spiritual blessing of the firstborn on Jacob, because physically, Esau was the firstborn. Isaac blessed Jacob and affirmed the blessing of the firstborn on him. Isaac did not have to consult Esau or Rebekah, but he realized it was God’s will to bless Jacob.

Why did Isaac release the firstborn blessing to Jacob?

A) He obeyed God by faith: Hebrews 11: 20 “By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come”. You will notice from this text that Hebrews revealed that Jacob’s name was written before Esau, to show the order of the blessing of the firstborn. Hebrews 11: 2-32 – we understand that faith in the context of the patriarch meant obedience to God’s command, which revealed their good report or testimony of God. This means that Isaac eventually obeyed God, realizing it was in God’s order for Jacob to be blessed with the firstborn blessing.

B) Esau never repented but wanted the blessing. Hebrews 12:14-16 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

Reflection in hindsight from Heb 12: 14 – 16.

Please read the entire chapter to understand that God’s agenda was connected to eternal redemption in Christ and not prejudice against Esau.

 Esau did not live in peace with Jacob and his parents (V14)

 Esau did not live a holy life, and without holiness you cannot see the Lord (V14/15)

 Esau was linked in bitterness (V15)

 Esau did not repent for his careless actions and his attitude towards his birthright (V16)

 Esau fell out of God’s grace (V15)

See also, Romans 9:13-15 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Malachi 1:2-4 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. 4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation forever.

4. Genesis 28: 5 – Jacob goes to Padan Aram to live with his uncle (Laban)

5. Genesis 28: 6 -9 (NLT) Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” 7 He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. 8 It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. 9 So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael’s family and married one of Ishmael’s daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife’s name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.
Isaac knew the importance of Jacob getting his marriage right because the seed of Jacob would be a manifestation of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants.
See V 6: Why was Jacob advised by his father against marrying a Canaanite woman?

POSSIBLE MAJOR REASON AMONGST MANY OTHERS:
A) Perversion of Canaanites: This is connected to sexual perversion, idolatry, and lawlessness.
Genesis 10:15-20 revealed that the Canaanites were descendants of Ham, the son of Noah. Ham mocked his father’s nakedness and was cursed. Leviticus 18: 3 - 5 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. 4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the LORD your God. 5 If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the LORD.
B) Esau married wrongly, and it grieved the hearts of his parents (See Gen 28:7-9: Esau first married an Ishmaelite after already having two Hittite (Heth) wives in Gen 26: 34-35) Also, Gen 27:46 revealed Rebekah’s disgust towards Hittite women. “Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.” The Hittees and the Canaanites shared common ancestry – Genesis 10: 15-16 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite.” Heth, the ancestor of the Hittites, is often associated with the biblical “children of Heth.

Joshua 3: 10 “And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.” The Ishmaelites originated from Ishmael (Abraham’s son from Hagar, the bondwoman). We will later notice that they became the enemies of Israel – Psalm 83: 4 -6 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes.

6. Genesis 28: 10 Jacob leaves his parents in Beersheba and relocates to Haran.
Beersheba was the place where Isaac and his family lived (Genesis 26: 23- 32). This was the place where God blessed Isaac after the Rehoboth experience in the previous verse.
This means at this point Jacob finally left his parent to go to Haran (Paddan-aram) to his uncle Laban.

7. Genesis 28: 11. Jacob’s Encounter in the Dream and God’s Promise
A) At sundown (in the evening), Jacob found a good place to rest. He was possibly tired and wanted to rest or sleep. As he slept, he had a vision of a ladder that went from the earth to heaven and angels descending and ascending the ladder. This was symbolic to show that there was evidence of a spiritual connection between heaven and earth. The angels Jacob saw were actively commuting between heaven and earth and attending to the various needs as instructed by God as ministering spirits. (Hebrews 1: 13-14 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?)

8. Jacob’s dream (Gen 28: 12). He saw the Lord at the top of the stairway or ladder, and God introduced Himself as God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The description of God that Jacob saw was in the form of His Lordship (This is called theophany - a visible manifestation to humankind of God). This is why God could manifest Himself as a man. Theophany was common in the Old Testament when God would manifest His presence in various forms to the people of Israel.

For instance, Isaiah 6: 1-2 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 This made it possible for Christ to also come in human form (Isaiah 9: 5-8).

1Kings 19:11-12 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

9. God’s Promise (Jacob is blessed by God). Gen 28: 13 – 14. - God blessed Jacob and his seed to be innumerable in the earth. This means the nation of Israel will be God’s prototype nation through which His promise of salvation will be made manifest upon the earth, and through Christ all nations will take of this same inheritance (Galatians 3: 28-29 There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus, 29. And if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.) - All the families of the earth will be blessed through this convenant of God's blessings upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Galatians 3:16-17 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

God’s promise also included the protection of Jacob and his generation (Gen 28: 15 A) - God also promised Jacob’s seed (Israel) that they would return to the land (Gen 28 15 B), this land was promised to Abraham (Genesis 17: 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God).

10. Jacob woke up from sleep and didn’t realize that God was there and referred to the location “the gate of heaven” (Gen 28: 16 – 17). This was because he was in a vision, and had not previously experienced such a vision before. Jacob was in fear of God’s presence (This was holy fear) – Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

11. Gen 28:18 – 19, Jacob built an altar for God in the place as a memorial with the STONE he used as a headrest and called the place – BETHEL (The house of God), previously called Luz.

Joshua 16: 1- 2The lot fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan, by Jericho, to the waters of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho through the mountains to Bethel, 2 then went out from Bethel to Luz, passed along to the border of the Archites at Ataroth.

Abram in Genesis 12: 5-8 pitched his tent in Bethel, built an altar, and called on the name of the Lord when he arrived in Canaan. Bethel in the time of Abram was a PHYSICAL LOCATION, but Abram’s altar added a spiritual connotation; for Jacob, BETHEL was an altar “SPIRITUAL HOUSE OF GOD”.

12. Gen 28:20 – 21. Jacob made a vow to God, asking God to protect him on the journey, provide me with food and clothing, that God would guarantee his safety to return to his father’s house. THEN THE LORD WILL CERTAINLY BE HIS GOD. 13. Gen 28:22. Jacob promised to honour God in return: - That Bethel became a place Jacob mapped out to worship God as a memorial. - That Jacob promised to give a tenth of whatever God gives him back to God.

CONCLUSION

It is our responsibility to seek God faithfully and connect to Him to be able to partake of our inheritance in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 19 reminds God supplies our blessings according to His riches in Christ Jesus). So the first precondition is to find out the mind of Christ concerning our destiny and be diligent to align with it. Our inheritance in God has already been settled in Him, and is complete in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1: 20-21 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God.) So just like Jacob, let’s find out the mind of God concerning our lives and cultivate Zion as our daily experience, as great a Bethel is, it could be fixated on an event or sometimes one-off, but Zion is a deliberate spiritual encounter with God based on daily work with God. This is not rocket science, but willingness is involved, but we need to ask for God’s grace to enable our determination in honouring Him with our lives.