Genesis 28:10 Commentary and Bible Study

The Book of Genesis gives us a historical account of the lives of the patriarchs, but the remarkable thing is that God has overruled their histories to teach us deep spiritual lessons. What now happens to Jacob parallels the conversion of every true believer. His life includes meeting with God spiritually. This is astonishing to many today. The background to this event is found in the previous chapters and lies in the antagonism between the two brothers. Jacob’s brother Esau was the firstborn, and therefore by rights would receive the place of honour in the family, and yet while the children were still in the womb Rebekah had been told by God that the older would serve the younger. Esau was something of an extravert, a powerful man, courageous, and most of the time easy going, but when aroused could display murderous instincts. He lived for the here and now, for what he could taste and feel. He is called in Hebrews a profane man, literally ‘accessible’, ‘that which may be entered by anyone’. Anyone could march into the house of his soul. He could be easily swayed by the fashions of the day. Jacob on the other hand was, before his conversion, an unpleasant man: shrewd, ambitious, calculating, always looking for the advantage. He was a quiet man, an indoor person, a hypocrite in religious things. On two significant occasions they had clashed. Esau had, over a trivial issue sold to Jacob his right to the double portion of inheritance. Yet he thought little of it, for later expected to receive the blessing anyway. It was a special family, a family singled out by God, but it didn’t seem to matter to Esau. He had no time for deeper things. He was prepared to sell his birthright, so coming in hungry one day, he said, ‘Give me a swallow full of that red stuff.’ Jacob a cunning man, always looking for an opportunity, answered, ‘Not unless you sell your birthright with an oath.’ He was a superficial man: ‘I will sell my birthright. What good is it to me? I am at the point of death.’ Death? He was exaggerating enormously, but it showed how he could throw away precious things for a moment’s gratification. He quipped away eternal things. That illustrates all those who live for the present world and its pleasures. The second occasion involved Jacob deceitfully lying to his father, and pretending to be his brother, Esau, and so obtaining his father’s blessing. It was this last act of deceit that triggered Esau’s murderous instincts and caused Jacob to need to flee. He did not waste time but sets off quickly in order to escape his brother’s murderous anger. His mother told him it would just be for a few days, but that turned into 21 years. As he cheated, he was cheated. Circumstances just picked him up. Our schemes often don’t work out as we plan. He heads for Padanaram in the region of Haran, where his mother’s family lives. Beersheba was in the south of Canaan and Jacob’s route lay to the north through Canaan and then around the fertile crescent. He begins the journey, but on the way something momentous occurs which is totally unexpected to him.