Genesis Chapter 28
Jacob Flees from Esau
A. Isaac’s Farewell to Jacob
(Genesis 28:1–2) Instructions to not take a Canaanite wife.
Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.”
Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, demonstrating that he had finally accepted what the LORD had declared before the twins were born, that the older would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). Isaac had once favored Esau out of personal preference, but by this point, he had submitted to God’s sovereign plan and blessed Jacob knowingly. He sent Jacob away with a charge, not merely a suggestion, to obey God’s covenantal purpose.
Isaac commanded Jacob not to take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan, just as Abraham had instructed his servant when seeking a bride for Isaac (Genesis 24:3–4). The Canaanites were a corrupt and idolatrous people, and it was vital that the covenant family not intermingle with them. Jacob was to go to Padan Aram, to the house of his mother’s family, where he would find a wife who shared the same faith heritage. The continuation of the covenant line depended on this obedience, for through Jacob’s descendants the promised Messiah would come.
(Genesis 28:3–5) The all-important transferal of Abraham’s blessing.
“May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples; and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.” So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Isaac blessed Jacob in the name of God Almighty, or El Shaddai, a name that emphasizes God’s sufficiency and power to fulfill His promises. This same title was used when God revealed Himself to Abraham in Genesis 17:1, saying, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” Thus, Isaac was consciously passing along the same divine revelation and covenant knowledge that he himself had received from his father.
The patriarch first pronounced a general blessing of fruitfulness and multiplication, invoking the divine mandate to be fruitful and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). Then Isaac specifically transferred “the blessing of Abraham,” the covenant promise that God had made in Genesis 12:1–3, 15:18–21, and 17:7–8. This included three components: a land, a nation, and a blessing. God had told Abraham, “I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing.” This promise was now being passed to Jacob, establishing him as the heir of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Jacob was promised a land (“that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger”), a nation (“that you may be an assembly of peoples”), and a blessing (“and give you the blessing of Abraham”). Though Jacob was unworthy and deceptive in obtaining the blessing, God’s plan prevailed. The entire situation between Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau revealed human failure at every turn, yet the sovereignty of God triumphed, proving that His purposes are not thwarted by human sin.
Isaac sent Jacob away to the east, toward Haran, where Rebekah’s family lived. The journey was long and uncertain, and Jacob would not see his father again for over two decades, until Isaac was near death. The separation marked a time of testing and divine molding for Jacob, as God would begin transforming him from a schemer into a man of faith.
(Genesis 28:6–9) Esau adds wives.
Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take himself a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan Aram. Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.
Esau noticed that Jacob’s obedience to his parents pleased them and that the Canaanite women he had already married brought grief to his father (Genesis 26:34–35). Trying to regain favor, he sought to imitate Jacob’s obedience externally, though not from genuine repentance or understanding of God’s covenant plan. His act was another expression of human reasoning apart from divine guidance.
Esau went to his uncle Ishmael’s family and married Mahalath, hoping that because Ishmael was Abraham’s son, this union would please Isaac. Yet Ishmael himself was not a child of the covenant, for God had clearly said to Abraham, “In Isaac your seed shall be called” (Genesis 21:12). Thus, Esau’s effort, though seemingly spiritual, only deepened his departure from God’s chosen line. His decision represented the futility of fleshly attempts to secure divine favor without true faith.
B. Jacob Meets God at Bethel
(Genesis 28:10–12) Jacob’s Dream of a Ladder
Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
Jacob departed from Beersheba, traveling toward Haran, the land of his forefathers. This journey marked the beginning of a long season of separation, trial, and growth. He was leaving behind his home, his family, and every sense of familiarity to venture toward the unknown. His destination was the same land from which Abraham had come (Genesis 11:31–32) and where his mother Rebekah’s family lived (Genesis 24:3–4).
As night fell, Jacob found himself alone in the wilderness. The description of his lodging—using a stone for a pillow—emphasizes the harshness of his situation. His act of resting upon a stone symbolically foreshadows the cornerstone of faith that God would establish in his heart through this divine encounter. In his sleep, Jacob dreamed, and God reached into his lonely, fearful heart with revelation and comfort.
In the dream, a ladder stood upon the earth with its top reaching into heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending upon it. This image signifies a bridge between heaven and earth, revealing that God’s presence and activity were not distant but very near. Through this vision, Jacob learned that the God of Abraham and Isaac was actively involved in the affairs of men. There was divine access and communication between heaven and earth.
Charles Spurgeon commented, “The God of Bethel is a God who does concern Himself with the things of earth, not a God who shuts Himself up in heaven, but a God who hath a ladder fixed between heaven and earth.” This ladder, in its prophetic fulfillment, pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself revealed in John 1:51, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Christ is the true and living ladder. He is the mediator between God and man, the only means of reconciliation and access to the Father.
Furthermore, in John 14:6, Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Christ does not merely show the way; He is the way. The ladder of Jacob’s dream finds its fulfillment in the Son of God, who bridges the infinite gap between a holy God and fallen mankind. Through Him alone, heaven is opened, and divine fellowship is restored.
(Genesis 28:13–15) God Speaks to Jacob
And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 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 spoken to you.”
In this vision, Jacob heard the voice of God for the first time. The LORD introduced Himself not merely as the God of his fathers but now as the God who would personally enter covenant relationship with Jacob. The words, “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac,” confirmed divine continuity and personal commitment. Though Jacob had heard of this God all his life, this was the moment of personal revelation and encounter—a true turning point in his spiritual journey.
The promise that “the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants” provided Jacob with profound reassurance. God was reaffirming the covenant first given to Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3) and then renewed with Isaac (Genesis 26:2–5). This covenant included three foundational elements: land, descendants, and blessing. God promised Jacob that his descendants would be as numerous “as the dust of the earth,” that they would spread in every direction, and that through his seed all families of the earth would be blessed. This blessing, of course, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the promised Seed through whom salvation would come to all nations.
Before this encounter, Jacob had only his father’s word that the blessing was his (Genesis 28:3–4). Now, the very voice of God confirmed it directly. This revelation gave Jacob assurance that his future, though uncertain in human terms, was fully secure in divine providence.
God’s final words in this vision display extraordinary tenderness and faithfulness: “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 spoken to you.” This promise mirrors the assurance later expressed in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Spurgeon insightfully remarked, “That God should give to Jacob bread to eat and raiment to put on was much, but it is nothing compared with ‘I am with thee.’ That God should send His angel with Jacob to protect him would have been much; but it is nothing compared with, ‘I am with thee.’ This includes countless blessings, but it is in itself a great deal more than all the blessings we can conceive of.”
God’s abiding presence with Jacob became the hallmark of his life. Scripture highlights this presence repeatedly:
“Behold, I am with you” (Genesis 28:15) — God’s immediate presence and blessing in the present moment.
“I will be with you” (Genesis 31:3) — God’s promise of future guidance and protection.
“The God of my fathers has been with me” (Genesis 31:5) — Jacob’s testimony of God’s enduring faithfulness.
“God will be with you” (Genesis 48:21) — Jacob passing this covenant assurance to the next generation.
These repeated affirmations reveal a consistent truth: God’s faithfulness does not waver, and His covenant presence remains unbroken. Jacob’s dream at Bethel was the beginning of his transformation, as the God of his fathers became his own God.
B. Jacob Meets God at Bethel (Continued)
(Genesis 28:16–19) Jacob Worships God, Naming the Place Bethel (House of God)
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he 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!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
When Jacob awoke, the weight of his vision immediately impressed upon him the reality of God’s nearness. He declared, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” Though Jacob’s understanding was still developing, his words reveal a dawning awareness that God’s presence was not limited by geography. The LORD was not confined to Beersheba, nor to his father’s tent, but was with him even in the wilderness.
Jacob’s statement reflected both awe and ignorance. He was correct in recognizing that the LORD’s presence filled that place, but he erred in assuming that God’s presence was tied to a specific location. King David later understood the omnipresence of God, declaring in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” The truth Jacob was beginning to grasp is that God is not bound to any physical space. His presence fills all creation, and He meets His people wherever they are.
Jacob continued, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” His response revealed reverence, though it was expressed through a limited and somewhat superstitious perspective. To him, the site appeared to be a literal “gateway” between heaven and earth. Yet, in truth, the vision was meant to teach Jacob that heaven and earth are connected through God Himself, not through a physical location.
In an act of worship and memorial, Jacob rose early, took the stone that had served as his pillow, set it upright as a pillar, and poured oil upon it. This anointing was a gesture of consecration, marking the spot as holy unto the LORD. He named the place “Bethel,” which means “House of God.” The city had previously been called Luz, but Jacob renamed it in acknowledgment of God’s revelation to him there.
The city of Bethel would later become significant in Israel’s history, mentioned frequently throughout the Old Testament. Though second only to Jerusalem in scriptural references, its later legacy was mixed. God would later say to Jacob, “I am the God of Bethel” (Genesis 31:13), reminding him of this sacred encounter. Yet, centuries later, Bethel became a center of idolatry under Jeroboam, who set up golden calves there for worship (1 Kings 13:32; Hosea 10:15; Amos 4:4). What began as a holy site of revelation tragically degenerated into a symbol of Israel’s unfaithfulness.
This moment at Bethel marked the first genuine stirring of Jacob’s spiritual awakening. For the first time, he recognized that God was personal, near, and active in his life. It was the beginning of his transformation from a scheming man of the flesh into a man who would one day wrestle with God and prevail by faith.
(Genesis 28:20–22) Jacob’s Vow unto God
Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
Jacob’s immediate response to this divine revelation was to make a vow, but his words reveal both immaturity and a conditional faith. He said, “If God will be with me,” rather than simply believing that God would fulfill what He had already promised. The phrase may also be translated “since God will be with me,” yet the context suggests that Jacob was indeed bargaining with God. His faith had not yet matured to trust God’s word without visible proof.
This attitude of conditional obedience mirrors how many believers struggle with trusting the unseen. God had already declared, “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15), but Jacob demanded that God first prove Himself faithful. Likewise, modern believers often fall into the same pattern, seeking confirmation of divine promises instead of resting in them. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this assurance in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” and in Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him.”
Jacob further specified, “Keep me in the way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on.” Here, he attempted to define the terms of the covenant relationship as if it were a negotiation. He desired material provision and personal safety, showing concern for his basic needs rather than the spiritual depth of God’s promise. His focus was still largely on survival and comfort, not yet on surrender and worship.
This pattern would not remain unaddressed. God, in His providence, placed Jacob under the hand of his uncle Laban, where he would experience deception, hardship, and delay. Through those years of adversity, God refined Jacob’s character, teaching him humility and submission to divine authority.
Jacob’s vow highlights a clear contrast between divine promise and human response. God’s promise to Jacob was entirely centered on Himself:
“I am the LORD God.”
“I will give to you.”
“I am with you.”
“I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken.” (Genesis 28:13–15)
But Jacob’s vow, in contrast, was self-centered and conditional:
“If God will be with me.”
“And keep me in this way that I am going.”
“And give me bread to eat and clothing to put on.”
“So that I come back to my father’s house in peace.”
It would have been far better for Jacob to respond in faith, saying, “Because You have promised to be with me and to keep me and to provide for my needs, I will be completely Yours, O God.” Nevertheless, despite Jacob’s flawed response, God did not revoke His covenant. His faithfulness was not dependent on Jacob’s perfection but on His own unchanging nature.
Centuries later, God would still identify Himself as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). This title forever enshrines divine grace, showing that God works with imperfect people, transforming their weakness into testimony.
Jacob’s vow also included a commitment to tithing: “Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” This act was not a condition for God’s favor but an acknowledgment of it. Even in his immaturity, Jacob recognized that every blessing he received came from God’s hand. This principle of stewardship and gratitude continues throughout Scripture, reminding believers that all we have belongs to the Lord.
Through this encounter at Bethel, Jacob experienced both revelation and awakening. Though his faith was still developing, this event marked the beginning of his journey toward becoming Israel—the one who would prevail with God.
