Gen 27-28 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 27:1-40: 27:1-40 Jacob got his father Isaac’s blessing through deception. In this story, an entire family tries to carry out their responsibilities by physical means rather than by faith. Faith would have provided Rebekah and Jacob a more honorable solution to the crisis. Summary for Gen 27:1-4: 27:1-4 The first scene sets up the chapter’s crisis. Isaac knew of God’s oracle (25:22-23 ), yet he thwarted or ignored it by trying to bless Esau. • Isaac was old and turning blind: He was losing his senses, both physically and spiritually.

Summary for Gen 27:1-40: 27:1-40 ^a Jacob got his father Isaac’s blessing through deception. In this story, an entire family tries to carry out their responsibilities by physical means rather than by faith. Faith would have provided Rebekah and Jacob a more honorable solution to the crisis.
Summary for Gen 27:1-4: 27:1-4 ^b The first scene sets up the chapter’s crisis. Isaac knew of God’s oracle (25:22-23 ^c), yet he thwarted or ignored it by trying to bless Esau.

• Isaac was old and turning blind: He was losing his senses, both physically and spiritually.
Summary for Gen 27:3-4: 27:3-4 ^d Like Esau, Isaac allowed his palate to govern his heart (cp. 25:28-34 ^e).
Summary for Gen 27:5-17: 27:5-17 ^f The blessing seemed to be in jeopardy. In scene two, Rebekah and Jacob sought to achieve God’s blessing by deception, without faith or love. Rebekah planned to deceive the old man into thinking that he was blessing Esau when he was actually blessing Jacob. 27:5 ^g Esau agreed to Isaac’s plan, thus breaking the oath he had sworn to Jacob (25:33 ^h).
Summary for Gen 27:11-12: 27:11-12 ⁱ Jacob had no qualms about this deception; he only feared that it might not work and that he would be cursed for trying.
Summary for Gen 27:18-29: 27:18-29 ^j In scene three, Jacob deceives his father and receives the blessing.
Summary for Gen 27:18-20: 27:18-20 ^k Jacob lied about his identity, and then came close to blasphemy by lying about God.
Summary for Gen 27:20-27: 27:20-27 ^l Isaac voiced his suspicion three times but was finally deceived by his senses, which were not functioning well (see study note on 27:1-4).
Summary for Gen 27:30-40: 27:30-40 ^m In scene four, everything is discovered, and the family becomes even more divided.
27:33 ⁿ When he realized what had happened, Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably; he had been tampering with God’s plan, and God had overruled him.
Summary for Gen 27:34-35: 27:34-35 ^o Esau was very bitter, and angry enough to kill (27:41 ^p).
27:36 ^q Esau began to realize Jacob’s true nature, saying he has cheated me (or tripped me up, or deceived me) twice, by taking the birthright (the right of inheritance, Hebrew bekorah; 25:27-34 ^r) and by deceiving their father to receive the blessing (the spoken pronouncement of the inheritance, Hebrew berakah).

• Esau’s assessment of Jacob was correct, but he failed to see his own ungodliness in these transactions (see study note on 27:5; Heb 12:16 ^s).
27:37 ^t There was no going back. Isaac had declared an oracle from God, who had made Jacob to be Esau’s master (see Rom 9:11-13 ^u).
Summary for Gen 27:39-40: 27:39-40 ^v All that remained for Esau was a promise of hardship and struggle (cp. 3:17-19 ^w; 16:11-12 ^x).
Summary for Gen 27:41-45: 27:41-45 ^y Rebekah and Jacob got the blessing but reaped hatred from Esau and separation from one another; there is no indication that Rebekah and Jacob ever saw each other again. They gained nothing that God was not already going to give them, and their methods were costly. Jacob fled from home to escape Esau’s vengeance.
Summary for Gen 27:42-45: 27:42–33:17 ^z Jacob met the Lord on a route that Abraham had taken 125 years earlier. The story recounted in 27:42–33:17 ^aa follows a chiastic structure that centers on Jacob’s exile: A: Jacob flees Esau (27:42–28:9 ^ab) B: Angels of God meet Jacob at Bethel (28:10-22 ^ac) C: Jacob is exiled in Paddan-aram (29:1–31:55 ^ad) B’: Angels of God meet Jacob at Mahanaim (32:1-2 ^ae) A’: Jacob is reconciled to Esau (32:3–33:17 ^af).
27:46 ^ag Rebekah manipulated Isaac into sending Jacob away. Like Isaac, Jacob took a wife from among his relatives in the east.

‏ Genesis 28

Summary for Gen 28:1-2: 28:1-2 ^ah Isaac remained in the land, but Jacob had to leave it. God would deal with Jacob under the hand of Laban, his uncle (see study note on 29:1–31:55).

• Believers in any age must remain spiritually pure by marrying other believers (2 Cor 6:14-18 ^ai). The Canaanite people incorporated dozens of groups and clans into their society and religion by wars, treaties, and marriages (see Gen 34:20-23 ^aj). Abraham’s family was to resist such mixing (cp. 24:3 ^ak; ch 34 ^al); they were to marry within their clan to maintain the purity of the line and of the faith that identified them as the chosen seed. The surest way to lose their distinctiveness was to intermarry with people of other tribal backgrounds and beliefs (see Ezra 9–10 ^am; Neh 13:23-29 ^an).
Summary for Gen 28:3-5: 28:3-5 ^ao Before Jacob departed, Isaac gave him a pure, legitimate blessing. He did not hold back, because he now knew what God wanted him to do. Isaac clearly passed on the blessing God Almighty (Hebrew El-Shaddai; see 17:1 ^ap) had given to Abraham and to him regarding prosperity and the land (cp. 15:5 ^aq, 18-20 ^ar).
Summary for Gen 28:6-9: 28:6-9 ^as Esau, the unchosen son still trying to please his father, married a woman from the unchosen line of Ishmael, which he thought would be more acceptable. He did not understand the uniqueness of the covenant family.
Summary for Gen 28:10-22: 28:10-22 ^at Despite Jacob’s previous means of securing the blessing, God assured him of protection and provision. The God of Abraham and Isaac was also the God of Jacob. The revelation dramatically changed Jacob’s outlook and brought faith into clearer focus.
28:11 ^au The good place where Jacob set up camp was apparently a protected area at the foot of a hill. The stone to rest his head against was probably large, more for protection than for a pillow.
Summary for Gen 28:12-15: 28:12-15 ^av The point of the vision was that God and his angels were with Jacob on his journey. God reiterated to Jacob the covenant promises made to Abraham and Isaac, promising him land, descendants numerous as the dust (cp. 13:16 ^aw; 22:17 ^ax), and universal blessing through him (cp. 12:2-3 ^ay; 15:5 ^az, 18 ^ba; 17:3-8 ^bb; 22:15-18 ^bc; 35:11-12 ^bd). God also promised to be with Jacob and watch over him until he returned.
Summary for Gen 28:12-13: 28:12-13 ^be stairway (traditionally ladder): This word occurs nowhere else in Scripture. The imagery probably reminded readers of a staircase or ramp up the front of a ziggurat that signified communication between heaven and earth (see study note on 11:4). God initiated a divine communication between heaven and earth to guide and protect Jacob, the steward of his covenant (28:13-15 ^bf; see Ps 91:11-15 ^bg).

• Jesus said that he himself is the stairway between heaven and earth (John 1:51 ^bh).
28:14 ^bi Jacob inherited Abraham’s entire covenant (see 22:17 ^bj), which confirmed Isaac’s blessing (28:3-4 ^bk) and stipulated a temporary exile (28:15 ^bl; see 15:12-16 ^bm).
28:15 ^bn I am with you: The promise of God’s presence meant that God would protect and provide for Jacob in a special way. God’s promise to be with his people is repeated throughout Scripture (see also 26:24 ^bo), prompting a response of worship and confidence in those who have faith (28:16-22 ^bp).
Summary for Gen 28:16-22: 28:16-22 ^bq The second half of the passage gives Jacob’s response to the revelation. He felt reverential fear and awe in the Lord’s presence, and his acts of devotion became archetypes of Israel’s worship. When God graciously visits his people and promises to be with them and make them a blessing to the world, his people respond in faith with reverential fear, worship, offerings, and vows. They preserve their faith in memory for future worshipers.
28:18 ^br Anointing with oil became a way of setting something apart for divine use in Israel’s worship (Exod 29:1-7 ^bs; 40:9 ^bt; Lev 2:1 ^bu; 1 Sam 10:1 ^bv).
28:19 ^bw Bethel later became a holy site for Israel (see Judg 20:18-27 ^bx; 1 Sam 7:16 ^by; 10:3 ^bz; 1 Kgs 12:26–13:10 ^ca; 2 Kgs 2:2-3 ^cb).
Summary for Gen 28:20-22: 28:20-22 ^cc In view of what God would do for him, Jacob vowed to do certain things for God. He believed the Lord’s words and responded in gratitude. Jacob’s vow influenced Israel’s way of making commitments to God in worship.
28:22 ^cd I will present to God a tenth: By paying a tithe (a tenth) as an act of worship, a person acknowledges that everything is a gift from God and belongs to God (see 14:19-20 ^ce; Num 18:21-32 ^cf; Deut 14:22-29 ^cg; 2 Chr 31:5-6 ^ch; Mal 3:7-12 ^ci; Matt 23:23 ^cj).