Jacob’s Journey and a Shift in the Narrative

Genesis 28:1–5 (NASB95) 

1So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2“Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3“May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4“May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.” 5Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. 

Isaac called Jacob and gave him clear instructions. He told Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman, unlike the actions of his brother Esau. Instead, Jacob was to travel to Paddan Aram and find a wife from the family of Laban, Rebekah’s brother. Isaac’s command reflected a deep concern for preserving the faith and identity of Abraham’s descendants. Marrying within the covenant community would protect the family’s spiritual heritage and keep them set apart for God’s purposes. 

Isaac then blessed Jacob in a way that differed from the earlier blessing Jacob received through deception. This time, Isaac called upon the name El Shaddai, God Almighty. He prayed that God would make Jacob fruitful and multiply his descendants into a gathering of tribes. Isaac requested that the blessing given to Abraham now rest on Jacob and his offspring. He spoke of the land God promised to Abraham, reaffirming that Jacob was the chosen heir of the covenant. This moment sets the stage for the formal transfer of the Abrahamic promises to Jacob. Isaac’s words showed goodwill and acceptance, making it clear that Jacob would be the next patriarch in the line of promise. 

Jacob’s journey to Paddan Aram started with obedience to his parents and to God’s standards. The story shifts from family conflict to a new chapter in God’s plan. The frequent use of the word “bless” in these verses emphasizes the importance of God’s favor and validates Jacob’s calling. 

We are now at another turning point in the story. Genesis devoted several chapters to Abraham and Sarah’s story, only a few chapters to Isaac and Rebekah’s story, and now we are shifting to Jacob as the next patriarch. Who will be the matriarch? How will God’s promise of restoration continue through them? How does Jacob’s story point us forward to Christ? 

We will answer these questions as the narrative unfolds.