After Jacob lies to his father, Isaac, stealing Esau’s blessing, Esau is a bit miffed and is ready to kill Jacob. So Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, hustles Jacob off to her family to find a wife (see Genesis 27.41 – 28.5).

The first night on the road, Jacob has his famous “Jacob’s Ladder” dream in which God reconfirms the covenant:

And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28.12 – 15, ESV)

Two things are important here: the first is that the covenant must be confirmed to each generation. It’s not enough that God said he would bless Abraham (beginning with Genesis 12.1 – 3), then Isaac (Genesis 26.1 – 4). Jacob must have his own encounter with God – just like each of us.

Second, I can’t help but notice that God’s promise to Jacob has no “if” clauses. Compare God’s encounter with Abram in Genesis 15. On the other hand, Jacob’s response is one big “if” clause:

Then Jacob made a vow, saying,

• “If God will be with me and
• will keep me in this way that I go, and
• will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
• so that I come again to my father’s house in peace,

Then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” (Genesis 28.20 – 22, ESV emphasis mine, bulleted for clarity)

Jacob has a lot to learn, it seems. Don’t we all?