Jacob’s trickery forced him to flee his brother’s wrath and put many miles between himself and Esau. Once again, Rebekah used a devious excuse to cool the situation.
Genesis 27:41-46 NLT
[41] “From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.” [42] But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. [43] So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. [44] Stay there with him until your brother cools off. [45] When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” [46] 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.”
Genesis 28:1-5 NLT
[1] “So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. [2] Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. [3] May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! [4] May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.” [5] So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.”
Jacob set off, knowing nothing of the tortuous road ahead of him. Instead of condemning him for his wickedness, God had an encounter with Jacob on his first night away from home that changed the direction of his life, adding the dimension of God to his thinking that seems to have been missing up to this time.
Genesis 28:10-15 NIV
[10] “Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. [11] When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. 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. [13] There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I 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. [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.”
One wonders how much Isaac taught his sons about their grandfather, Abraham’s faith in the God who had made such awesome promises to him and his descendants. Was Abraham active in his grandson’s lives? Although he died at the age of 175, there is no mention of Isaac’s children until after Abraham’s death.
So, in Jacob’s first encounter with God in a dream, God includes him in the promises He made to Abraham and Isaac. From then on, Jacob, despite his dismal track record, becomes the third revered patriarch of the nation of Israel yet to be born.
Such is the nature of God and His promises that He is never hindered by the failures of those to whom His promises are given.
So said the Apostle Paul,
Romans 2:4 NLT
[4] “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”
Genesis 28:16-22 NIV
[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. [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 household, then the Lord will be my God [22] and 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.”
Armed with the memory of his dream and the promises of favour and blessing on his life, Jacob continued his journey to Haran where he, like his grandfather’s servant, Eliezer, was divinely led to meet his father’s family and his future wives, Leah and Rachel. In the household of Laban, his mother’s brother, he would deceive and be deceived until his life became intolerable in the atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust.
To be continued…