Genesis 27-28

GENESIS

A THEOLOGICAL COMMENTARY

DR CHARLES VOGAN JACOB’S TRIP TO HARAN (GENESIS 27:41 – 28:22)

Most modern students take Jacob for a deceiver and scoundrel for most of his life, at least up until the time he returned from Laban’s household and re-entered Canaan (Genesis 32-33). While he was still living in Isaac’s household, he certainly resorted to a deceit to get what he wanted from his father. Forced to flee for his life as a result of his ruse, he left the area to live with his uncle Laban for a while, until his brother’s fury abated. But something happened to him that fundamentally changed his whole outlook on life as he was making this trip: he met Abraham’s God, face to face. We know from the testimonies of other people throughout Scripture that this kind of encounter meant the beginning of a new life, a turning into a new direction, a new calling. From now on, Jacob would be the Lord’s man, and events would reveal this passion more and more as the story continues. There is only one way to read the story of Jacob while he was living with Laban, if we assume that the Lord set Jacob on a new path in life here at Bethel. This causes us to interpret what happened to him after this point in a whole new light – in fact, it’s another foundation stone in the developing doctrine of the Abrahamic Covenant that applies to all Christians.

Esau’s fury – In light of the fact that Rebekah’s strategy – Again we find Esau just received a curse, not a Rebekah stepping into the situation and blessing, from his father Isaac, he was directing Jacob’s actions. In fact, she understandably furious with his brother literally saved her son’s life at this point. Jacob for tricking their father and Upon hearing about Esau’s threat, she cheating him out of his inheritance. sent Jacob to her brother Laban’s house We have to remember, however, that until the situation cooled down. Esau had no regard for the Covenant Rebekah understood the deep given to Abraham and Isaac; we saw that significance of Isaac’s inheritance. It already in the way he despised his was not just about physical property; it birthright and sold it to Jacob for a pot of was about the land, about authority and stew. So it wasn’t the glory and honor preeminence among the nations, about of God that Esau cared about, nor was it the curse of death and the blessing of life the future blessings that would come to – all this would be worked out in detail, Abraham’s descendants because of their as a rich treasure, throughout the history life with their God. Esau only cared of Israel. about the material wealth in the family. Rebekah had nothing but disgust for He therefore had every intention of her eldest son’s crass nature and his killing Jacob once their father Isaac died; apparently godless approach in taking his father’s death would make Esau the local pagan girls for his wives. Even eldest, and with Jacob out of the way he though Jacob may not have been a would become the next in line legally to sterling character himself, he at least had inherit the family estate. Greed would several things in his favor: first, he fuel his hatred for the next twenty years. valued his father’s inheritance; second, he was willing to listen to his mother’s a generation. The Promises were long- counsel; third, he hadn’t yet alienated his range, epochal, history-making, wide- parents with a bad choice in a wife. spread in their influence, significant not So the solution at this point was to only for the nation of Israel but for the send Jacob back to Rebekah’s family whole world. where he would not only be safe for a Both father and son would play a while, but also might come under some major theological role in the unfolding good influences, and at least develop a of the Covenant. What God gave each respect for Abraham’s God (remember man in his own circumstances would lay that Abraham’s family back at Haran a special foundation stone in the doctrine knew about, and had a respect for, his of the Gospel. Each man’s experience of God – see Genesis 24:50). life with God became prescriptive for Isaac’s blessing – Isaac’s command to our faith, for the Jews in the Old Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman Testament era and for Christians in the had the force of authority behind it; after Church. Remember that each Patriarch all, it was in his power to bestow his passed down to his legal heir the inheritance on whichever son he chose. Covenant Promises; what each man So again we see the new heir of the himself received from God in fulfillment Covenant deliberately steered away from of the Covenant became Family property false gods, which was the whole idea for the rest of time. When we, for behind avoiding entanglements with the instance, put our faith in some aspect of Canaanites. Idolatry, and the inevitable the Gospel, it’s like pulling out the immorality that results from it, are not Family jewels first gathered by the options for the people of God. Patriarchs and examining them. But then a blessing followed. Putting Esau’s new wife – Almost as a parting the business about the deceit behind him, shot, just to let us know the real heir Isaac once more reinforced what he whom God had chosen in this story, desired for his son the heir. He has Esau did something incredibly stupid accepted the way God had arranged the that further revealed the state of his situation for him. heart. Hearing of his parent’s disgust over his Canaanite wives, he added to Only the father could give this his family one of the daughters of blessing. It was Isaac’s by legal right, Ishmael, his disinherited uncle. This and he here transferred full rights to the move did nothing to placate his parents! entire Covenant to Jacob. And it It only proved his complete ignorance of involved much more than simply the real issues involved: Ishmael had physical property: he mentioned two of been cut off from the family, and had no the promises given to Abraham – that rights to the Covenant (see Genesis 21). the Lord might increase Jacob’s family Just because Ishmael was part of the into a great nation, and that they might biological family of Abraham didn’t one day posses the entire land of make Esau’s scheme effective. If Canaan. This hadn’t happened yet in anyone had doubts about the inheritance Isaac’s day, and he probably knew well going to Jacob instead of Esau, this enough that it wouldn’t happen in marriage put all doubts to rest. Jacob’s day either; nations, for example, don’t appear overnight – or even across Jacob’s dream – Along the way to important that was going on between the Laban’s household, Jacob had a dream two worlds. Jacob may not have in which he saw God. This event understood the full implications of what defined the rest of his life. the angels were doing at this point, but First, it wasn’t unique to him. Both later on his descendants would come to Abraham and Isaac had met their God learn that angels were God’s messengers either face to face, or by visions, or they and workers (see Hebrews 1) as they heard the Word of the Lord. True faith brought about God’s Kingdom on earth starts with an encounter with the real – especially working out the Promises of God. the Covenant among God’s people. People generally don’t know why things Second, this encounter was necessary. happen to them – why nations prosper The Heir of the Covenant Promises and then fall apart, why problems fill needed to experience the God who made their lives, why circumstances seem so those Promises. Jacob wasn’t following stable and peaceful one day and then are a theological idea, or a religious threatened and destroyed the next. tradition. This God promised to do Philosophers and historians and the news amazing things for Jacob and his media all have their opinions on the descendants, involving miracles, and reasons for change and the flow of great works, the raising up of nations historical events, but none of them have and tearing others down for the sake of the perspective that God gives his own Israel. This God revealed himself – people. Unknown to the world, but clear none other, and no less – as their goal, to believers, is the hand of God directing the goodness they were looking for, the all events in this world, for both pagans resources from outside the world that and believers: “He made from one man they would need to depend upon. This every nation of mankind to live on all God would be their King, their Lord, the the face of the earth, having determined Jealous God whom they must learn to allotted periods and the boundaries of fear and obey, and follow closely as he their dwelling place.” (Acts 17:26) would lead them through this world into “Nation was crushed by nation and city a new spiritual world. All of these by city, for God troubled them with things that God had in mind for Jacob every sort of distress.” (2 Chronicles and his family required a certainty, an 15:6) assurance, the sure knowledge of the reality of God. “Now faith is the Fourth, notice that at no point did God assurance of things hoped for, the condemn Jacob for his past, or take him conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews to task for his recent deceitful activity in 11:1) Here is the heart of the difference his family. Not that a rebuke wouldn’t between the religion of the Jews and all have been deserved (Jacob was just as the other religions in the world: their much a sinner as anyone else), but it God was real, and they knew it – they shows something about the way God experienced him personally. works out the terms of his Covenant: in spite of our ignorance and sin, when God Third, Jacob saw a great deal of decides to pick someone up and turn him angelic activity between Heaven and in a new direction, his past doesn’t earth. In fact, God was deliberately matter to God anymore. Things would showing the Covenant Heir something be different from now on. The old life was in the past, and from now on Jacob truth. Being able to discern what was would do things God’s way. In fact, the really happening in this story will lack of a rebuke – and the encouraging profoundly affect the way we understand promise of God’s presence – confirms the rest of Jacob’s story. If he wasn’t our view that the episode of Isaac’s converted, then the events that transpired blessing, based on Jacob’s deceit, was between him and Laban, and later God’s doing. between him and Esau, could only (and Fifth, the Lord repeated the Covenant wrongly) be interpreted as further terms to Jacob. But what’s significant examples of Jacob’s scheming and about that is that God himself had to tell deceitful nature in trying to get ahead in Jacob that he’s the Heir before it would the world. But what God said in this be legal. Jacob had to hear it from passage doesn’t support that idea at all. God’s own mouth. The inheritance God promised that he would be “with” comes from God, not from man; the Jacob, that he would “watch over” Jacob Father himself has to give it directly to and richly bless him, and that he would the Son. bring Jacob back to the land he had promised him. In other words, from With this transaction God wrote Jacob then on God was going to take care of into the Family line – he was now the Jacob; he didn’t have to worry about third Patriarch following Abraham and trying to get ahead anymore. In that Isaac. What they were given was now light, when we read the rest of the story Jacob’s. And God promised Jacob the we see that’s precisely what happened: full terms of the Covenant: the Nation, while Jacob stood back and watched, the Blessing to the nations, the Land, God worked everything out for Jacob’s and the heirs from his own body who good, even when others tried to make would then inherit the Covenant from things difficult for him. him. Here is the perfect description of a Since whatever God said to someone, Christian’s conversion. especially someone in the Family, was special revelation, we can assume that So Jacob sets out on the rest of his Jacob now understood the full journey with a different kind of mindset significance of what he had inherited – in fact, with faith in his forefathers’ from his father Isaac. It wasn’t just the God. Life would be different for him family estate – it was a special work of from then on, because he was walking God upon earth, world-wide, continuing with God. It was going to be blessings all through history and affecting millions upon blessings from the good hand of with the spiritual realities of Heaven. his God. When God moves on earth, it involves House of God – Another reason we can more than just property; it isn’t just a know for certain that Jacob was changed short-term project. This was the was the statement he made when he beginning of something great which woke up from the dream. “Surely the millions (not just Jacob) would benefit LORD is in this place, and I did not know from. it.” He was now aware of the presence In other words, Jacob was converted. of God. “The fear of the LORD is the It’s not clear to me why modern beginning of wisdom, and the commentators don’t like to admit this knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10) And he was also seeing faith identifying himself with the God some things that we mortals have no who graciously came to him and took direct knowledge of. him under his care – a great solace when First, he knew that he was seeing his own family wouldn’t have him. God’s House. To expand on this idea as At this point Jacob wasn’t even it deserves would demand a commentary expecting great things; he was looking on the rest of the Bible! God’s House is forward to the simple things of life, the where God lives, where his fullness is, essentials, while he wandered between where his full glory shines, from where branches of the family as a “stranger and his wisdom and his will and his decrees alien” with no established home. What go forth to accomplish his purposes in he was in awe over, however, was this the world. Though no one man can see new opportunity to walk with God. He or know God in his fullness, God in his set up a memorial stone to commemorate mercy has come near to man and opened his encounter with God and the his fullness to his heirs, the privileged beginning of his new life with God. The few among mankind. memorial reflected his living in the Second, he saw that this place where presence of God – he called it “the he had slept was the gate to Heaven – in House of God” for that reason. other words, it was a definite geographic The Point – Here are all the essentials of locality, in the middle of Abraham’s what we now know as Christian inheritance, and not duplicated in other conversion. nations. The world was not going to see First, a conversion is a clean break this path to Heaven for quite some time; from the past. Instead of finding our the nations would live in darkness and own way through life – at whatever the despair until the age of the Church when cost and pain to others, and the danger the Way to God was made open and and suffering to ourselves that this will available to “whoever will come” result in – we now follow the Lord and through the only Son. But for the time head in a different direction. We no being this Way was closed to all except longer want this world; rather it’s the to Jacob and his heirs, the Israelites who Promises of the Covenant that we are would expand and take over the now passionate about. We aren’t known Promised Land. This is why the vision as children of this world (taking on all of happened in the middle of Canaan – only its ways and values), but as children of here would God dwell among his people, Abraham, living by faith in Abraham’s and any who wished to see this God had God and blessed by him with the to come “from all the ends of the earth” Treasures of Heaven. We now have a to Jerusalem and to the House of Israel’s purpose, a Mission, a Family. God. The principle was established with Jacob’s dream. Second, becoming an Heir of the Covenant must involve the encounter Jacob’s vow – Jacob was not setting with the real God. This is not a conditions for God here; he was philosophical exercise, nor following the repeating what the Lord told him. If traditions of our forefathers, or carrying indeed these were the things that the out certain religious ceremonies. We are Lord would do for him … then he would called to live with God on a daily basis. be the Lord’s man. It’s simply an act of The unconverted won’t understand the real motive power behind our new lives, privilege and advantage; this gives the but then they themselves can’t see God consolation and rest that a home and they can’t explain the spiritual provides. There is no reason to feel changes that occur during a conversion. alone anymore. “I will never leave you There are new interests and values in a or forsake you.” person’s life when someone is following Seventh, all this wonderful life and a God that others can’t see. privilege is only open to those who enter Third, it happened “in the wilderness.” through a specific Gate – and Jacob here Neither family nor friends – nor even learned where it is. It’s not open to organizations – can bring about this those who follow other religions, it’s not conversion. In the middle of nowhere, open to the mind of man in general, nor with no outside helps or through particular cultures or encouragements, apart from all worldly governments. This Gate is marked by organizations, powers and influences, the portal that Jacob set up and named God comes to his people and reveals Bethel, on the border to the Promised himself to them. Land. And the descendant of Jacob, the Fourth, God forgets the past great Heir through whom all the other completely. It really is true that the heirs of Abraham would inherit their greatest of sinners can become fortune, would one day come and claim Christians. God forgives and forgets; we entrance to that Gate, indeed become would naturally expect a Father to be that Gate, so that all who wish to see and gracious and forgiving to his own son experience his God must come through and daughter! He has taken care of their him and no other way. (John 10:7) It’s past in his own way, and from that point a very exclusive point of entry into on their lives will be different. The only God’s presence. requirement that he makes is that they Lastly (and this is the really dynamic follow him in faith from this point on. aspect of this story which sets the stage Fifth, this spiritual skill of faith is the for the future Israel), by bringing the key to living with God. God will House of God to earth, and opening the provide all things needful now; faith sees door for Jacob to see in, God was setting that. God brings his children into his the stage for the high priest who alone presence to live with him in his House; could enter into the Temple of God, into faith sees that. God has all resources, the Holy of Holies (the very presence of and all power and wisdom, at their God), with the full rights and privileges disposal for all of their needs; faith sees accorded only to God’s Son. Temple that. God’s children can see that they access (as we will learn in the book of are now heirs to the infinite treasures of Exodus) would only be open to the Heaven. Levites, who in turn represented the entire nation of Israel – “Israel is my Sixth, a Christian – no matter where Firstborn son.” (Exodus 4:22) And of he/she may find themselves in this world course we know that this prefigured the of trouble and darkness – is always in eternal Son of God who entered into the presence of God. In fact, they live in the House of God no matter where they are. They are Family now, with full access to the Father. This gives Heaven to represent all his brothers and sisters before the Father.1 As you can see, Jacob entered into no minor relationship with his God. It was a high calling and prescriptive for all of his descendants. He had finally found “the source of all good things.” And through him, our great High Priest in the House of God, we also enter that same rest.

1 See Before the Throne of God (Ravenbrook, 2015) for a full development of this theme.

Scripture quotations (unless otherwise noted) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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