Commentary on Genesis 28:10-19a

This story both reveals God’s grace to someone who doesn’t deserve it and challenges the dominant empire’s logic.

A story of grace

Most of us have had moments when we feel like we have no business being a Christian. We don’t feel worthy of the calling God has put on our lives. We know we’ve often made things worse, rather than better.

One of the best things we can do is become friends with Jacob. Early in his story, he’s a villain. When his brother Esau is so hungry that he’s near death, Jacob offers food only if Esau gives up his inheritance (Genesis 25:29–34). When their dad Isaac is blind and appears ready to die, Jacob deceives Isaac to rob Esau of their dad’s blessing (27:1–45).

Facing the fallout of these actions, Jacob is forced to travel 285 miles (410 km) north, away from his family and all that’s familiar. He has nothing more than his staff (32:10). When he gets to his destination, he’ll have to deal with an uncle who is more deceptive and manipulative than he is (29:15–30; 31:28–42).

Even though Jacob has made a mess of his life, and even though he has to face the bitter consequences of his actions, God still shows up. God is determined to work with him, come what may. God promises land (28:13), offspring (28:14), blessings (28:14), protection (28:15), return (28:15), and presence (28:15). Jacob has done nothing to deserve any of it.

In fact, even after encountering God, Jacob still appears to have questionable character: He promises that the Lord will be his God, but only if God first fulfills a lengthy list of requirements (28:20–21):

1. if God really is with him,
2. if God actually protects him,
3. if God does give him food,
4. if God keeps him clothed, and
5. if God brings him back home in peace.

It’s an incredibly selfish prayer, as if God—who’s already promised most of these things—needs to somehow earn Jacob’s approval. In this moment and many others, Jacob isn’t exactly a saint. He’s all too human. He’s stumbling through life, unaware of how good he really has it. He’s focused on himself and doubts that things will turn out okay in the end.

But God’s promises go marching on to fulfillment in spite of Jacob and his self-centeredness.

The rest of Jacob’s story shows that he continues to know his share of drama. He gets what’s coming to him. He lives with his uncle Laban, who treats him just as badly as Jacob treated his family. His children experience great suffering.

But in the end, Jacob’s story is ultimately one of redemption. Though he’s empty-handed here, he’ll eventually return with enormous wealth and a huge family. He’ll give Esau back what he stole, showering him with hundreds of animals—the ancient equivalent of a fortune. Jacob has so many blessings in his life that others around him experience blessings as well. Like all of us—and all of our ancestors—Jacob is far from perfect. But over time he gains wisdom, experiences God’s blessings, and becomes a better person.

Perhaps the person Jacob most resembles is the prodigal son in Jesus’s parable (Luke 15:11–32):

1. They’re both the younger of two brothers (Genesis 25:26; Luke 15:12).
2. They each get their inheritances in unorthodox ways (Jacob gains his brother’s birthright by exploiting him in Genesis 25:31–33; the prodigal son gets his inheritance early in Luke 15:12).
3. They both travel to faraway lands (Genesis 28:10; Luke 15:13).
4. They each return home after facing difficulties in those lands (Genesis 31:28–42; Luke 15:14–17).
5. They each come back with humility and repentance (Genesis 32–33; Luke 15:21).
6. As they approach home, a close family member runs out and greets them with hugs and kisses (Esau with Jacob in Genesis 33:4; the father with the son in Luke 15:20). They each find undeserved grace.

A story challenging the empire

When the Bible was written, people hadn’t yet invented italicized, underlined, bold, or capitalized text. To drive a point home, writers would use key words over and over. Like a flashing light, these words let readers know what deserves attention.

One of the most important words in this passage is “place,” which shows up six times (Genesis 28:11 [x3], 16–17, 19). The reason for repeating this word is revealed in 28:17, where Jacob realizes with awe that “this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

In Hebrew, the words “the house of God” are similar to the name of that place, “Bethel” (28:19). Bethel is a city of immense importance. The Bible mentions it more than any other city except Jerusalem. It’s in the center of Israel. At one point, it’s home to the ark of the covenant (Judges 20:26–27). Important people have connections to Bethel, including Deborah (Judges 4:5), Samuel (1 Samuel 7:16), Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:29–33), Elijah (2 Kings 2:2–3), Elisha (2 Kings 2:23), and Amos (Amos 5:6).¹ It was an important worship site for the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12:26–30). Prophets often denounced it (2 Kings 23:15–18; Jeremiah 48:13; Amos 3:14; 4:4; 5:5–6; Hosea 10:15), even though Genesis portrays the location quite favorably.

Early audiences of Genesis likely included people the Babylonians had conquered and sent to live in exile in Babylonia. There, the exiles would have heard that Marduk is the supreme God and that Babylon is the place where heaven and earth meet. “Babylon” even means “gate of god,” and it was home to a massive pyramid-like structure called a ziggurat covered with staircases. Inhabitants of that city assumed that divine beings traveled up and down these staircases, moving from heaven to earth and back.

Genesis denounces Babylon’s imperial propaganda. “Babel” is the ordinary Hebrew word for Babylon, meaning the familiar story in Genesis 11:1–9 undermines many claims about Babylon’s greatness. It’s not in the empire’s capital of Babylon, Genesis insists, that God is found and heaven and earth meet. It’s in a small town in the middle of Israel. That’s where God’s angels ascend and descend a stairway to heaven. That’s where heaven and earth kiss.

If you want to find God, do not listen to the empires of this age or their propaganda. Don’t assume that might makes right. Don’t fall for the lie that God’s power aligns with human power. Look for God in the small, the ordinary, the unexpected places that the world misses. Whether it’s at Bethel, a manger, or a cross, God shows up.

Notes

1. See also Robert T. Anderson, “Bethel (Place),” Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000), 170.