Dr. Paul Manuel—2002
Some things in life we do not understand or appreciate until we have a few years behind us.
The Generations of Genesis begin with the history of the heavens and the earth, then proceed to the history of such notables as Noah and the Patriarchs.2 The time between the genealogies are growing shorter, as are the gaps between the people they list. What was several generations and many years following creation and the flood becomes a single generation and only a few years after Abraham, as we see in the brief genealogy of chapter 25 (KJV).
I. The Vision of Jacob
...where...
Although scripture contains numerous accounts of God's interaction with man, they are compressed, often skipping years or decades. We do not usually consider what went through peoples' minds during those intervals. Did they think God's silence meant He was unconcerned about them and uninvolved in their lives? In times of doubt, we can turn to centuries of accumulated experiences and wisdom in the Bible; they had no such record. Jacob's situation may have been even more serious, if he had no communication with God to this point (despite what his father Isaac may have told him).
After traveling some fifty miles along one of the rocky, ridge routes of the central hill country, Jacob is probably exhausted when he stops for the night. Having left his pillow behind,7 he grabs the next most comfortable support for restful sleep—a rock. Apparently, it does not matter, for Jacob dozes off and has a startling dream. Here, he sees God's portal,8 and realizes for himself that...
There is another aspect of the promise God made to Abraham and Isaac, more personal and immediate, that God repeats here as well to Jacob...
The promise of people and land was for the distant future, not even in Jacob's lifetime, so God gives Jacob something that will benefit him now, in his current situation: He has God's presence.12 The way He says it—"I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you"—does not mean "God's protection of Jacob will end some day, but that it will outlast all his journeyings" (Wenham 1994:223). God assures Jacob that He will care for him while Jacob is away from home and that He will see him home again.13 Here, Jacob realizes that...
Jacob heard about God from his father Isaac (Gen 28:3-4). Indeed, parents should pass on their faith to their children. This includes instilling in them the moral code God has given so they can make good decisions, wiser choices than their peers who lack such guidance. Nevertheless, if all children have is a sense of morality without a clear connection to the source of those qualities, their understanding and application of them will be inconsistent. They have what Francis Schaeffer calls "cut flower values,"16 morality that does not have firm grounding in God and, thus, lacks lasting authority. "Behave this way because I say so" may work with children, but it does not necessarily carry into adulthood. There must be a more compelling reason—personal contact with a higher authority.
Jacob receives this promise directly from the LORD. It is the beginning, as far as we can tell, of his own faith. The God of Abraham and Isaac is now his God as well. Each succeeding generation must have this experience. While you may benefit from your parents' relationship with God, you must ultimately establish your own. That is something parents cannot do for their children. Those children—even if they are adults, as Jacob is—must do it for themselves.17
God does not reveal Himself for man's entertainment. God expects a response from man that shows he understands the importance of what he has received. On this occasion, that response is...
II. The Vow of Jacob
...as...
The practice of raising stone pillars was common in the Ancient Near East to designate the successful completion of a contract or to serve as a memorial to some famous person.20 This is the first occurrence in the Bible, though, to commemorate an event of spiritual importance,21 and there are several others after this, as...
Upon awakening from this vision, Jacob marks God's place, and...
How does Jacob express the sincerity of his commitment to the Lord?
In Gen 28, Jacob leaves the land of promise but receives assurance that the God of promise will not leave him.34 It took over forty years before Jacob finally got with God's program, and it took a vivid dream to get his attention. You do not have to wait that long, and you should not expect that kind of wake-up call. The promise of God's presence, though, is the same, whether or not you see "A stairway...reaching to heaven."
Abraham: At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do." (Gen 21:22)
Isaac: Now there was a famine in the land.... The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you." (Gen 26:1-3)
Jacob: Come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone. (Gen 35:3)
Moses: Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you." (Exod 3:11-12a)
Israel: I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. (Exod 29:44-46)
Joshua: No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Josh 1:5)
Gideon: "Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." (Judg 6:15-16)
Jehoshaphat: You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, 0 Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. (2 Chr 20:17)
Hezekiah: The LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. (2 Kgs 18:7)
Exiles: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.... Do not be afraid, for I am with you.... (Isa 43:2-3a, 5a)
Returnees: "[B]e strong, O Zerubbabel," declares the LORD. "Be strong, 0 Joshua.... Be strong, all you people of the land," declares the LORD, "and work. For I am with you," declares the LORD Almighty. 5 "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear." (Hag 2:4-5)
Disciples: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt 28:19-20)
Paul: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. (Acts 18:9-11)
Saints: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.... I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will he his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." (Rev 21:1-3)
A certain man was appointed president of a bank while he was still quite young. He approached the venerable Chairman of the Board and asked for advice. The old man came back with just two words: "Right decisions!" "That's really very helpful," the young man replied, "and I appreciate it, but could you be more specific? How do I make right decisions?" This time the Chairman simply responded: "Experience!" Somewhat frustrated, the new president said, "That's the reason I'm here. I don't have the kind of experience I need. How do I get it?" To which the old man replied, "Wrong decisions!" (Adapted from Hodgin 1994:144)This is often our dilemma when facing a new set of challenges or an uncertain future, and not just when we are young. We want to make right decisions but often lack the necessary experience. We may look to those older and wiser for guidance, but in the end the choices, right or wrong, are ours to make. In our text this morning, Jacob is facing a new set of challenges and an uncertain future, and he must make a decision, one he seems to have put off until he sees "A stairway...reaching to heaven."1
The Generations of Genesis begin with the history of the heavens and the earth, then proceed to the history of such notables as Noah and the Patriarchs.2 The time between the genealogies are growing shorter, as are the gaps between the people they list. What was several generations and many years following creation and the flood becomes a single generation and only a few years after Abraham, as we see in the brief genealogy of chapter 25 (KJV).
Gen 25:19b Abraham begat Isaac:Through vision and dream,3 God appeared to the two patriarchs, and accounts of these visitations as well as stories of His deeds became part of the growing oral tradition that parents told their children. Abraham related what he received, coupled with his own experiences, to Isaac, who did the same with Jacob. For at least the first forty years of Jacob's life,4 though, there is no indication he had any personal contact with God. All he knew was what his father had told him. Then Isaac sent him to Haran, whence Abram came, to find a wife from among his distant relatives there. In the course of his journey, Jacob has an encounter with God and learns several things about Him that are good for us to remember as well. The meeting takes place in...
I. The Vision of Jacob
...where...
A. He sees God's portal. (Gen 28:10-12)
Gen 28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night.... Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.As we read these early accounts, keep in mind that revelation is progressive. In other words, what God's people knew about Him developed over the years as He spoke to them and worked with them. The Bible is the result of that process. Consequently, we must not assume that the Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—had any awareness of Jesus or even a detailed understanding of God's character and plan. That information did not come until later, in some cases, much later. So, what did people know at this time? ...They knew that God dwelled not on earth but in heaven.5 and that there was occasional contact between the two regions, as God sent angels to do His bidding.6
Although scripture contains numerous accounts of God's interaction with man, they are compressed, often skipping years or decades. We do not usually consider what went through peoples' minds during those intervals. Did they think God's silence meant He was unconcerned about them and uninvolved in their lives? In times of doubt, we can turn to centuries of accumulated experiences and wisdom in the Bible; they had no such record. Jacob's situation may have been even more serious, if he had no communication with God to this point (despite what his father Isaac may have told him).
After traveling some fifty miles along one of the rocky, ridge routes of the central hill country, Jacob is probably exhausted when he stops for the night. Having left his pillow behind,7 he grabs the next most comfortable support for restful sleep—a rock. Apparently, it does not matter, for Jacob dozes off and has a startling dream. Here, he sees God's portal,8 and realizes for himself that...
We, too, know that God dwells in heaven, and there may be times when we wonder if He is like an absentee landlord, unconcerned about His people and uninvolved in their lives. He may not put our doubts to rest with a dream like Jacob's, but He has given us this account along with others to teach us the same principle He taught Jacob, that God is involved with his creation. Jacob learns even more, as...
- God is involved with His creation.
B. He receives God's promise. (Gen 28:13-14)
Gen 28:13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "1 am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.A glimpse of the LORD is a rare privilege and always portends a significant event.9 So Jacob would have no doubt who this individual is, He identifies Himself as the God of Jacob's father and grandfather. Notice that He does not identify Himself as the God of Jacob. That is a decision Jacob has yet to make. Nevertheless, he receives God's promise, confirmation that the pledge He made with Abraham and Isaac remains in effect through Jacob:10
- The promise of land,
- The promise of people, and
- The promise of blessing.
How do we know that someone is trustworthy, that what he says he will do? Such confidence comes primarily as we see proof, not just once, but enough times to establish a credible pattern. God may not assure us directly, as He did Jacob, but He has done the next best thing by providing a record of His faithfulness we can review. In it is account after account establishing a pattern of behavior that proves, whatever the delay, God is faithful to His word.
- God is faithful to His word.
There is another aspect of the promise God made to Abraham and Isaac, more personal and immediate, that God repeats here as well to Jacob...
C. He has God's presence. (Gen 28:15)11
Gen 28:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."Jacob had been living at home, yet conflict with his brother Esau necessitated that he move out. The search for a wife provides a rationale and some direction, but there is considerable uncertainty and anxiety about the future. Sleeping under the stars with a rock for a pillow is not his idea of a good time. "Esau [was] a man of the open country, [but] Jacob [preferred] staying among the tents" (Gen 25:27). Here, Jacob has left the security and comfort of those tents. He is alone, bound for a strange place several hundred miles away to live with people he has never met, and there is no guarantee he will even get there, let alone ever be able to return.
The promise of people and land was for the distant future, not even in Jacob's lifetime, so God gives Jacob something that will benefit him now, in his current situation: He has God's presence.12 The way He says it—"I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you"—does not mean "God's protection of Jacob will end some day, but that it will outlast all his journeyings" (Wenham 1994:223). God assures Jacob that He will care for him while Jacob is away from home and that He will see him home again.13 Here, Jacob realizes that...
Why should the Creator of the universe spend time with creatures that are farther below Him than the ant is to us? Why should He offer to watch over and care for those who disagree with Him and disobey Him? As David asks,14
- God is concerned for His people.
Ps 8:4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?What should ever astonish us is that God is aware of us and does care for us.15 We may not see it or feel it or even think about it, but the consistent testimony of scripture, here and elsewhere, is that God is concerned for His people.
Jacob heard about God from his father Isaac (Gen 28:3-4). Indeed, parents should pass on their faith to their children. This includes instilling in them the moral code God has given so they can make good decisions, wiser choices than their peers who lack such guidance. Nevertheless, if all children have is a sense of morality without a clear connection to the source of those qualities, their understanding and application of them will be inconsistent. They have what Francis Schaeffer calls "cut flower values,"16 morality that does not have firm grounding in God and, thus, lacks lasting authority. "Behave this way because I say so" may work with children, but it does not necessarily carry into adulthood. There must be a more compelling reason—personal contact with a higher authority.
Jacob receives this promise directly from the LORD. It is the beginning, as far as we can tell, of his own faith. The God of Abraham and Isaac is now his God as well. Each succeeding generation must have this experience. While you may benefit from your parents' relationship with God, you must ultimately establish your own. That is something parents cannot do for their children. Those children—even if they are adults, as Jacob is—must do it for themselves.17
God does not reveal Himself for man's entertainment. God expects a response from man that shows he understands the importance of what he has received. On this occasion, that response is...
II. The Vow of Jacob
...as...
A. He marks God's place. (Gen 28:16-19)
Gen 28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.Jacob realizes this was no ordinary dream, the result of indigestion from a late-night snack. The place he chose to rest held a significance he had never imagined. "This is the house of God."18 To commemorate the event, he marks God's place by erecting a pillar.19
The practice of raising stone pillars was common in the Ancient Near East to designate the successful completion of a contract or to serve as a memorial to some famous person.20 This is the first occurrence in the Bible, though, to commemorate an event of spiritual importance,21 and there are several others after this, as...
This is not a practice many follow today. When you ask someone about his spiritual pilgrimage, the response rarely includes a tour of his rock garden. Might we benefit, though, from some physical record of the unusual or significant things God does in our lives, something to remind us and to tell others about His great goodness? It may be an object we keep on our desk or a note we write in our Bible. Whatever the form, it is appropriate that God's people mark their meetings with Him.
- God's people mark their meetings with Him.
Upon awakening from this vision, Jacob marks God's place, and...
B. He requests God's provision. (Gen 28:20-21)
Gen 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God.Jacob recognizes that when God promises to be with him, it means more than keeping Jacob company as he travels. God's presence ("be with me") includes His protection ("watch over me") and His provision ("give [to] me") as well, the meeting of Jacob's needs along the way.22 If he left in such haste that he did not even bring something on which to rest his head at night, then he probably left without other things as well.23 He will need help, and he requests God's provision. Moreover, Jacob's response to this promise is a promise of his own, a vow of devotion:24 "[T]he LORD will be my God."25 Jacob has other options, pagan deities he could serve instead,26 yet here he rejects all but the true God.27 This is what the LORD expects, that rejecting all others...
Relying on God does not mean that we should never ask our boss for a raise or should keep other believers from knowing our financial difficulties. God rained manna from heaven, but He does not rain money, and He often works through people to help us. Jacob would receive considerable help from Laban, his father-in-law, but he remembered and relied on the LORD as the source of his supply.28 So it is with us that God's people request their needs from Him.
- God's people request their needs from Him.
How does Jacob express the sincerity of his commitment to the Lord?
C. He returns God's portion. (Gen 28:22)
Gen 28:22 This stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.Jacob also understood that his promise of devotion should have tangible manifestation. For commitment to God to be more than lip service, it must affect how one lives. Usually we think of that devotion in terms of obedience to His commands, yet Jacob employs another way of demonstrating devotion. He returns God's portion, a tenth of what God has given Jacob.29 This is an appropriate response to the divine blessing and eventually became a requirement for Jacob's descendants, that...
This is also one way to show your devotion, and the example of Jacob provides three principles for giving to God. You can remember them by the acronym VIP, which is of course what God is, a Very Important Person.30
- God's people return their tithes to Him.
- First, giving to God is voluntary. No one is forcing Jacob to do this, and God has not made it a prerequisite to the promise of His presence. It is entirely Jacob's decision.31
- Second, giving to God is inclusive. The question sometimes arises whether the tithe should be from our gross or from our net. Jacob said his offering would come from "all that you give me," not from what might be left after expenses. This is consistent with what we read elsewhere in scripture.32
- Third, giving to God is proportional. Jacob does not promise a flat amount but a percentage, a tenth. This was a common figure in that day to render to a deity or king (Wischnitzer 1972 15:1156-1157),33 and it has remained so among God's people.
In Gen 28, Jacob leaves the land of promise but receives assurance that the God of promise will not leave him.34 It took over forty years before Jacob finally got with God's program, and it took a vivid dream to get his attention. You do not have to wait that long, and you should not expect that kind of wake-up call. The promise of God's presence, though, is the same, whether or not you see "A stairway...reaching to heaven."
Appendix: Others Who Have Experienced God's Presence
Abraham: At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do." (Gen 21:22)
Isaac: Now there was a famine in the land.... The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you." (Gen 26:1-3)
Jacob: Come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone. (Gen 35:3)
Moses: Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you." (Exod 3:11-12a)
Israel: I will consecrate the Tent of Meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. (Exod 29:44-46)
Joshua: No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Josh 1:5)
Gideon: "Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." (Judg 6:15-16)
Jehoshaphat: You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, 0 Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you. (2 Chr 20:17)
Hezekiah: The LORD was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. (2 Kgs 18:7)
Exiles: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.... Do not be afraid, for I am with you.... (Isa 43:2-3a, 5a)
Returnees: "[B]e strong, O Zerubbabel," declares the LORD. "Be strong, 0 Joshua.... Be strong, all you people of the land," declares the LORD, "and work. For I am with you," declares the LORD Almighty. 5 "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear." (Hag 2:4-5)
Disciples: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt 28:19-20)
Paul: One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. (Acts 18:9-11)
Saints: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.... I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will he his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." (Rev 21:1-3)
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
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Jim Skaggs