Genesis 28:21 - Printer Friendly

ESV: so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,

NIV: so that I return safely to my father's household, then the LORD will be my God

NASB: and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God.

CSB: and if I return safely to my father's family, then the Lord will be my God.

NLT: and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God.

KJV: So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

NKJV: so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.

In a dream, the Lord has appeared to Jacob and promised to be with him and bring him back to the land of promise. Now awake, Jacob is responding to that promise. If the Lord will really be with him, and keep me safe, and provide food and clothing, and, bring him back to his father's household in peace, then the Lord will be his God.

When we think of Jacob's situation, his emphasis on these things makes sense. Jacob was literally running away from his home to spare his life from his brother's fury (Genesis 27:41). He is apparently alone in the wilderness, traveling to find a wife among his mother's relatives (Genesis 28:1–2). Before this visit from the Lord, his future was murky and his path was dangerous. Now, because of God, Jacob has hope that he will be provided for, kept safe, and be able to return home.

It is interesting to note that God has already promised Jacob that He will be with him. The Lord has already made Jacob His man. Jacob doesn't declare the Lord to be his God in hopes that the Lord will take care of him. Jacob makes that declaration in response to God's promises and care. His worship and commitment follows God's gifts of grace, just as our does (Ephesians 2:8–10).

Genesis 28:10–22 describes the Lord's appearance in a dream, given to Jacob while on the road to Haran in Mesopotamia, the region where Rebekah's brother Laban lives. Forced by nightfall to sleep on the ground with a rock for a pillow, Jacob dreams of a ladder, connecting earth to heaven, and full of angels going in both directions. Atop the ladder, the Lord stands and gives to Jacob the very promises He gave to Abraham. He also promises to be with Jacob on his journey from and back to the land of promise. Jacob wakes up and worships the Lord, vowing to make the Lord his God.

Isaac sends Jacob away from his household to find a wife in Mesopotamia, in Paddan-aram, where Rebekah's brother lives. First, though, he gives to Jacob the full blessing of the promises of Abraham. Esau marries one of the daughters of Ishmael to try to please Isaac. The Lord appears to Jacob in a dream, giving to him the promises of Abraham personally, along with the assurance that He will be with Jacob to Mesopotamia and back again. Jacob vows that if the Lord does this, he will make the Lord his God and will worship Him and tithe to Him.

The previous chapter concluded with Rebekah urging Jacob to run for his life to her brother's household in Mesopotamia to escape the wrath of Esau. Now Isaac, too, sends Jacob to Laban, except to find a non-Canaanite wife. Hearing this, Esau marries one of the daughters of Ishmael. On the road to Mesopotamia, the Lord appears to Jacob in a dream. God personally delivers the covenant promises of Abraham and assurances to be with Jacob. In awe and fear, Jacob renames the place Bethel, ''house of God,'' and vows to worship the Lord as his God. In the next chapter, Jacob will get a taste of his own deceptive medicine, as he seeks a wife.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.