Gen Genesis, chapter Book of Genesis, chapter 28
Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Don't marry a Canaanite woman,” he ordered him. Gen 24:3“Leave right away and go to Paddan-aram, to the home of Bethuel, your mother's father. Find yourself a wife there—a daughter of Laban, your mother's brother. Gen 22:23God Almighty bless you and may your descendants be so numerous that you become the ancestor of many nations. May he grant you and your descendants the same blessing he gave to Abraham, so that you may take over the land where you now live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
So Isaac sent Jacob on his way. He traveled to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.Hos 12:12
Esau found out that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife there, and that when he blessed him he ordered him, “Don't marry a Canaanite woman.” Gen 26:34He also discovered that Jacob had done what his father and mother told him and had left for Paddan-aram. This made Esau realize how much his father disliked Canaanite women. So he went to Ishmael's family and married an additional wife—Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth.Gen 25:13
In the meantime Jacob had set off from Beersheba on his way to Haran. Gen 26:23; Gen 27:43He arrived after sunset at a particular place and stopped there for the night. He picked up a stone, put it under his head, lay down and went to sleep.Gen 35:1; Gen 48:3
He dreamed he saw a stairway that started on earth, and the top reached all the way into heaven. He saw God's angels going up and down on it. Jhn 1:51Then he saw the Lord standing over him,28:13. “Over him”: or, “over it.” who said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I'm giving you and your descendants the land you're lying on. Gen 35:1; Gen 35:7; Gen 48:3Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and will spread out west and east, and north and south. Everyone on earth will be blessed by your descendants. Deu 12:20; Deu 19:8; Gen 26:4Listen! I am with you and will take care of you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this country. I won't leave you because I'm going to do what I've promised you.”Isa 43:2
When Jacob woke up he said to himself, “The Lord is right here, in this place, and I didn't realize it!”28:16. Jacob seems to be surprised that the Lord is present in some random location and not in some regular “sacred place.” He became frightened and said, “This is a scary place! It must be the house of God and the entrance to heaven.”Exo 3:5; Jos 5:15
When Jacob got up in the morning he took the stone he'd put under his head and set it upright as a stone pillar and poured some olive oil on it. Gen 31:13He named the place “Bethel,”28:19. “Bethel” means “house of God.” (previously it was called Luz). Gen 35:6Jacob also made a solemn promise, saying, “God, if you will be with me, and take care of me on my journey, and give me food to eat and clothes to wear 1Ti 6:8so I can return safely to my father's home, then you Lord will be my God. This stone pillar that I've set up will be the house of God,28:22. In other words, a place of worship. and I will give you one tenth of all you give me.”Gen 35:7