A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
Verſ. 1. ANd Iſaac called Jacob, and bleſſed him.]
Thus the bleſſing, for the better confirming of Jacobs faith, is by his father again ſettled upon him; and indeed Jacob had need of it, conſidering how many ſtraits and difficulties he afterwards went through, wherein, notwithſtanding the Prerogative of the bleſſing, he might think himſelf in a farre vvorſe condition then his brother Eſau.
Verſ. 4. That thou mayest inherit the land, wherein thou art a ſtranger.]
This is added to prevent the weaking of his faith, that he might not think the bleſſing vain, vvhen he ſhould ſpend all his life as a ſtranger and ſojourner in that land, and never come to the poſſ…ſſion of any part of it: It is as if he had ſaid, Tis true, thou ſhalt be as a ſtranger in this land, vvandring here and there; yet, be not diſcouraged, thine it is, and to thy ſeed it ſhall be given.
Verſ. 9. Then went Eſau unto Iſhmael.]
That is, unto the Iſhmaelites: for Iſhmael himſelf vvas already dead. Gen. 25. 17. Theſe are the years of the life of Iſhmael, 137 years, and he gave up the ghost and died.
The ſiſter of Nebajoth, &c.]
Nebajoth vvas, Gen. 25. 13. the firſt born of Iſhmael, and here mentioned, becauſe Eſau had his ſiſter to vvife from him, Iſhmael being now dead: And the ground of Eſaus taking this vvife ſeems to be, that either he might inſinuate himſelf into his fathers affection, and ſo procure that the birthright might be reverſed and ſettled upon him; or at leaſt that by this affinity vvith the Iſhmaelites he might ſtrengthen himſelf againſt his brother Jacob.
Verſ. 11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, becauſe the ſunne was ſet, &c.]
Travelling on foot with his ſtaff in his hand, as is expreſſed chap. 32. 10. he vvas overtaken vvith the night, and could not get to the city Luz, vvhichwhich vvas not farre from this place, ver. 19. and ſo lay all night alone in the field. It may vvell indeed ſeem ſtrange that Jacob ſhould be ſent avvay to procure him a wife amongſt his Mothers kindred in ſo mean a manner, eſpecially if we conſider with what attendance and large proviſion Abraham ſent his ſervant thither about the ſame buſineſſe, Gen. 24. But for this we muſt know, 1. That ſince Abraham left Haran, & was come into the land of Canaan, it was not known to his kindred he left there behind him how God had bleſſed Abraham, and in what ſtate and condition he lived; and therefore it was fit that Abraham ſhould ſend his ſervant in ſuch a manner …as might diſcover how wealthy he was become in Canaan, that ſo they might the more willingly condeſcend to match with his ſonne: But ſince that time doubtleſſe Bethuel and Laban knew well enough in what condition Iſaac and Rebekah lived, and therefore there was no need in this regard to ſend their ſonne Jacob in ſuch a manner. 2. That Abrahams ſervant went to fetch a wife immediately for Iſaac, but Jacob went purpoſely to ſtay and ſojourn with his uncle for a time, till his brothers fury was over, and therefore Rebekah might happely think it inconvenient to ſend any company along with him. 3. That it is moſt likely that Jacob did ſteal away ſecretly, purpoſely that his brother Eſau might not lie in wait for him by the way to do him a miſchief.
Verſ. 12. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder, &c.]
The end of this viſion was doubtleſſe that God might teſtifie unto Jacob that he would take care of him, and ſo might thereby comfort him in this his deſolate condition, and ſtrengthen his faith againſt all thoſe diſcouragements he ſhould meet with in this journey. There can be therefore no queſtion made but that by this Ladder was ſignified the Providence of God in governing the world, and particularly his provident care over Jacob, and that, as it is Pſal. 113. 5, 6. Though God dwelleth on high, yet he humbleth himſelf to behold the things that are in the heaven, and in the earth, and diſpoſeth all things according to his will, and that eſpecially by the miniſtry of his Angels, according to that of David, Pſal. 91. 11, 12. For he ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes; they ſhall bear thee up in their hands, leſt thou daſh thy foot againſt a ſtone. But yet becauſe Chriſt is the onelyonly foundation of that reconciliation that is wrought betwixt God and Man, and of that ſpeciall care which God takes for the welfare of his Church and people, in and through whom they are made the ſonnes of God, and heirs of heaven, and enjoy the miniſtry of the Angels, Heb. 1. 13. Are they not all ministring ſpirits, ſent forth to miniſter for them who ſhall be heirs of ſalvation? therefore alſo queſtionleſſe by this Ladder Chriſt was repreſented, the promiſed ſeed, in whom all the promiſes are yea and amen, 2. Cor. 1. 20. as methinks our Saviour himſelf did intimate in thoſe words of his concerning himſelf, John. 1. 52. Verily, verily I ſay unto you, hereafter ye ſhall ſee heaven open and the Angels of God aſcending and deſcending upon the ſonne of man. In his two natures perſonally united, heaven and earth are as it were joyned together: By him our onelyonly Mediatour is man reconciled to God, and both the things in heaven and the things on earth are reconciled through the bloud of his croſſe, Col. 1. 20. By his onelyonly merit and interceſſion both the miniſtry of the Angels, the gifts of the holy Ghoſt, and all other heavenly bleſſings do deſcend upon us: and by him likewiſe we have acceſſe unto God and entrance into heaven. And thus by this viſion Jacob was aſſured that through the promiſed ſeed, Chriſt, he ſhould enjoy the guard of the holy Angels, and that he ſhould be by them defended both in his going out and returning home.
Verſ. 16. Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.]
Being awaked he perceived that God had appeared to him, and therefore admires, and extolls this goodneſſe of God towards him: as if he had ſaid, I thought God had onelyonly in this manner revealed himſelf in my fathers houſe, I looked not for ſuch an Apparition in this place; but now I find that God who is every where doth alſo in this place by theſe ſpeciall teſtimonies of his preſence manifeſt himſelf.
Verſ. 17. And he was afraid, &c.]
Stricken with a reverent fear of the majeſtie of God.
This is none other but the houſe of God.]
This is ſpoken becauſe God had manifeſted himſelf there unto him in his glory.
Verſ. 18. And ſet it up for a pillar, and poured oyl upon the top of it.]
The ſtone which Jacob had laid under his head all night, he ſet up for a pillar, as a memoriall of that viſion, and then poured oyl upon the top of it, ei…her to conſecrate thereby that place and ſtone to a holy and religious uſe, as afterward for the ſame cauſe Moſes was commanded to anoynt with oyl the Tabernacle, and all that vvas therein; or elſe rather as an offering to God: Having no other ſacrifice at hand, of the oyl, which he had about him either for food, or to anoynt his body in his travell, he poures forth an offering of thankſgiving unto God, as David, 2. Sam. 23. 16. poured out the water to God, which his three worthies had fetched for him from the well of Bethlehem not without extreme perill to their lives.
Verſ. 20. And Jacob vowed a vow, ſaying, If God will be with me, &c.]
Jacob being much affected with Gods gratious goodneſſe to him in the glorious viſion he had ſeen, and the many precious promiſes therein made to him, doth here, by way of thankfulneſſe, vow a vow unto God, not onelyonly in generall, verſ. 21. that then the Lord ſhould be his God, that is, he would then for ever acknowledge the Lord God of his Fathers to be the Authour of his welfare and ſalvation, love, worſhip, and ſerve him, yea and him onelyonly; but alſo particularly verſ. 22. 1. that the ſtone which he had now ſet up for a pillar ſhould be Gods houſe, that is, he would account that ſtone or pillar, or that place where that ſtone was erected (for both are included figuratively) a holy place, conſecrated to Gods worſhip and ſervice, and would there perform the duties of his worſhip (which part of his vow he made good, Gen. 35. 6, 7. when at his return out of Meſopotamia he built there an altar and offered thereon ſacrifices to the Lord) and 2. that of all that God ſhould give him, he would give the tenth unto God, that is, that he would ſet it apart for Gods ſpeciall ſervice, as by imploying it in building altars, and ſacrifices, and relieving the poore upon any occaſion. Indeed concerning the firſt of theſe ſome doubt may ariſe in our minds, How Jacob could vow that upon ſuch & ſuch conditions, then the Lord ſhould be his God, which may imply a reſolution on the contrary that in caſe ſuch conditions were not performed, or did not come to paſſe, then the Lord ſhould not be his God. But to this I anſwer, 1. That men that wait in expectation of receiving ſome ſpeciall bleſſing from God, may vow upon the obtaining hereof to perform their duty to God, which otherwiſe by covenant they are bound to perform, and yet not intend that in caſe they fail of this they deſire, then they will not; onelyonly thereby they profeſſe that this ſhall be a new ingagement to bind them to perform their duty herein, and to make them the more ſolicitouſly carefull to carry themſelves herein as they ought to do: and 2. That with a conditionall vow ſomething may be, and is uſually added, which ſhall not depend upon the premiſed conditions, but is onelyonly annexed as a neceſſary concomitant of the vow; as if a man ſhould vow, if God ſhould bleſſe him according to his hopes in a voyage he is to undertake, that then he would for ever honour his poore parents, and give them ſuch a yearly maintenance; the paying of this yearly maintenance is the thing conditionally vowed, and that clau…e of honouring his parents is onelyonly annexed as that which muſt neceſſarily go along with his vowed maintenance: and ſo it is here, that which is vowed by Jacob conditionally is that the ſtone which he had now ſet …p for a pillar ſhould be Gods houſe, and that of all that God ſhould give him, he would give the tenth unto God, and this clauſe, Then ſhall the Lord b… my God, is onelyonly annex…d as a neceſſary adjunct, and the ground of his yielding this honour unto God.