Genesis 28:22 - Jacob's vow with God.

This stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

After God blesses Jacob with prosperity and a large family, Jacob remembers his vow with God and returns to this stone and builds an altar (Genesis 35:7).

Genesis 28:17 - On holy ground.

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

This place is holy ground that Jacob was lying on when he dreamt his vision. Just like Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:5-6), Jacob became afraid when he realized that he was in the presence of God. Joshua too found himself standing on holy ground when the captain of the Lord's army appeared before him, just before the fall of Jericho (Joshua 5:15).

Genesis 28:15 - If God said it, He'll do it!

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Just as God said, He brought Jacob back to Luz, the Canaanite city that Jacob renamed Bethel (Genesis 28:19). Jacob returned to where he had the dream and called it Elbethel because there God appeared to him after he had fled from his brother (Genesis 35:7).

Genesis 28:4 - Jacob inherits the blessing of Abraham

And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

The blessing of Abraham is to make his name great by multiplying his seed into a large and great nation and by obtaining its own land possession (Genesis 12:2; 22:17).

Genesis 27:46 - More chicanery by Rebekah.

And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Rebekah is trying to get Isaac to support her idea of having Jacob flee to her homeland in Padanaram (Genesis 27:43). Esau already grieved Isaac by marrying Hittite women (Genesis 26:34, 35) so Rebekah is hoping that Isaac will advise Jacob to follow his own footsteps in finding a wife in Padanaram (Genesis 25:20).

Genesis 27:44 - A case of wishful thinking.

And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

Rebekah was hoping that Jacob would have to disappear for only a short time. However, the few days turned into twenty years (Genesis 31:41) and there's no reference in the Bible that she and her beloved son ever met again.

Genesis 27:40 - The Yoke Of The Edomites

And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Esau had the dominion when Esau and Jacob met for their first time after Jacob fled to Padanaram (Genesis 33:3). In process of time, the Edomites (the descendants of Esau, Genesis 36:1) served the Tribe of Judah but gained their freedom during the time of King Joram (2 Kings 8:20).

Genesis 27:37 - Too late to change.

And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

Isaac initiated the blessing but it's God that fulfills the blessing (The source of all true blessings). Apparently, once the blessing is in God's hands, the blessing is irrevocable. Therefore, there was nothing Isaac could do to change what God had already ordained for Jacob (Genesis 27:28).

Genesis 27:36 - We live by the decisions we make.

And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

Esau has no one to blame but himself for the decision he made in the past (Genesis 25:33). Joseph (meaning to take the place of another) was rightly named because the LORD told Rebekah that the elder shall serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). I don't believe that this was preordained; instead, I believe that God told Rebekah this because God knew that Esau would give away his birthright.

Genesis 27:33 - The source of all true blessings.

And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

After blessing Jacob, Isaac states yea, and he shall be blessed because all true blessings come only from God. Isaac acknowledges the source of all true blessings in Genesis 28:3.

Genesis 27:31 - Too little, too late.

And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

By following his father's instructions (Genesis 27:4), Esau was hoping to regain his birthright as the first-born (Genesis 25:34).

Genesis 27:29 - The blessing of God's chosen.

Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee:This is the blessing that God bestowed upon Abraham, the patriarch of God's chosen family (Genesis 12:3) and it carries through to all the generations of Abraham (Numbers 24:9).

Genesis 27:23 - Bringing good out of evil.

And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

Through the providence of God, this deception (Genesis 27:16) was part of the divine plan (Job 12:16) to preserve Abraham's seed for Esau had sold his birthright and had married strange wives (Genesis 25:34; 26:34). In addition, the LORD told Rebekah that Esau shall serve Jacob, Genesis 25:23.

Genesis 26:5 - The way to pleasing God.

Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

It's not enough to just follow God's laws; to please God, you must also do the will of God by obeying his voice. Abraham obeyed God's voice by showing that he was willing to offer his only son as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:16).

Genesis 25:27 - Favoring the ordinary over the extraordinary.

And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

As a man of the field, Esau relied on his extraordinary hunting skills to provide as needed; on the contrary, as a tent dweller, Jacob was an ordinary shepherd (Genesis 46:34) having the faith that God would provide as needed. Jacob's way of life was like that of Isaac, the heir of God's promise to Abraham (Hebrews 11:9).

Genesis 24:56 - Business before pleasure.

And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

An angle was sent forth with Eliezer to accomplish God's will of finding a wife for Abraham's son, Isaac (Genesis 24:40). Eliezer said Hinder me not because he was putting God's business before the pleasure that he was enjoying as Laban's guest of honor.

Genesis 24:45 - While they were yet speaking.

And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

Just as Eliezer found Isaac's wife, Joseph also found his wife by a well while on his way to Padamaram to find a wife of the daughters of Laban. And just as Rebekah appeared, Rachel also appeared at the same time she was being spoke of (Genesis 29:9).

And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear, Isaiah 65:24.

Genesis 24:17, 44 - A stranger in need is a friend indeed.

And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher... And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son.

Remember to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing (Hebrews 13:2). In a similar situation, the stranger requesting the drink was Jesus Christ (John 4:7).

Genesis 24:15, 45 - Before the prayer was finished.

And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

Notice how fast Eliezer's prayer was answered. God will answer your prayers just as fast (Isaiah 65:24) if you depart from evil, do good, and continually seek for peace (Psalm 34:14).

Genesis 24:14 - A wife appointed by God.

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

This is Eliezer's prayer to determine the wife for Isaac. let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac: indicates that Eliezer was cognizant of the fact that a prudent wife is a wife that is appointed by God (Proverbs 19:14).

Genesis 24:7 - Abraham's decision making process.

The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

which took me from emphasizes Abraham's decision making process. God didn't force Abraham to leave his father's house, it was God's command (Genesis 12:1). But for Abraham, evidently, there was no alternative but to follow God's command.

Genesis 24:4 - Staying within the family.

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

In following God's command, Abraham lived in Canaan outside the country of his homeland (Genesis 12:1). And just as Abraham sought a wife for his son Isaac from the country of his kindred, Isaac also instructed Jacob to find his wife from the same place, from Padanaram (Genesis 28:2).

Genesis 24:2 - In the name of God's covenant with Abraham.

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh This form of binding an solemn oath is only mentioned twice in the bible, initiated both times by Abraham (Genesis 24:2; 47:29). This oath binding ceremony has been found to used by the Babylonians. However, given area of where the hand is placed, some believe that the oath has relevance to the covenant of circumcision regarding the promised seed of the patriarch, Abraham.

Genesis 23:20 - To make sure the possession of land.

And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.

A more detailed example of how land was purchased and made sure is given in Jeremiah 32:10:

And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

And I subscribed the evidence is the writing of the deed to record the details of the transaction. and sealed it the deed was rolled, tied and sealed to be kept as the permanent record. and took witnesses refers to those that witness the negotiations of the transaction; in the case of Abraham's purchase, they were the sons of Heth. And weighed him the money in the balances because coined money was not yet used, the silver was weighted out on a scale.

Genesis 23:17 - The cave of Machpelah.

And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure

This cave within the field of Machpelah was purchased by Abraham as a family sepulchre. It is the resting place for Abraham and his wife Sarah, his son Isaac and his wife Rebekah, his grandson Jacob and his wife Leah (Genesis 25:9; 49:31; 50:13), and perhaps others. The location of the cave is believed to be below the Haram el Khalil mosque, also called Abraham's mosque.

Genesis 23:11 - Beware of gifts, for nothing is free.

Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.

Abraham was interested in only buying the cave of Machpelah; however, Ephron the Hittite offered to give him the cave, plus the field as well. Likewise, Araunah the Jebusite offered King David more than what he wanted to buy, all at no cost (2 Samuel 24:22). Both Abraham and King David refused to accept the gift and paid the fair market value of the offer. Solomon addresses the evils of gifts with the following proverbs:

• He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live, Proverbs 15:27.
• Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him gifs, Proverbs 19:6.
• The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it, Proverbs 29:4.

Genesis 23:6 - Abraham's success in Canaan.

Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: indicates how great Abraham was in the land of Canaan, for God blessed Abraham with both riches and honor (1 Chronicles 29:12). Abraham was very rich in cattle, precious metals and servants (Genesis 13:2, 24:35); and although Abraham did not own land, he was given his choice of sepulchres to bury his dead because he was highly respected.

Genesis 22:12 - Why God favored Abraham.

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

What does the LORD require of thee? Abraham is the perfect example of what the LORD expects. God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac as commanded because Abraham proved that he would obey God's commandments at any cost, even if it required killing is only son (Genesis 26:5).

Genesis 22:1 - Temped by God.

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

To "tempt" generally implies the means used to persuade or entice someone to sin. However, God uses temptation to try or prove a person's character. God temped Abraham to try his faith (Hebrews 11:17).

Genesis 21:15 - When all hope is lost.

And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

Apparently, Ishmael was overcome with fatigue and thirst and Hagar was preparing for his death. In her despair, Hagar forgot about God's promise to multiply Ishmael seed (Genesis 16:10). Likewise, when the Israelites became overcome with fatigue and thirst in Kadesh, they also forgot about God's promises (Numbers 20:5). In both cases, when all hope was lost and despair had settled in, God came to their rescue.

Genesis 19:27 - Where Abraham communed with the LORD.

And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

And Abraham gat up early shows how eager Abraham was to see the result of Sodom and Gomorrah. the place where he stood before the LORD refers to the place where Abraham communed with the LORD the preceding day just after the angles left to overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis 18:22.

Genesis 19:12 - Delivered on behalf of another.

And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

Just as Noah's family was spared from the destruction of The Flood (Genesis 7:1) and Rahab's family was saved during the invasion of Jericho (Joshua 6:22), Lot's family was offered deliverance from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is good thing being akin to those that God favors. The only reason Lot was rescued was because God remembered Abraham (Genesis 19:29).

Genesis 18:17- Revelations

And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant, Psalm 25:14.

Genesis 18:9 - The tent of the Mother of Nations.

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

the tent is referring to Sarah's tent, the home of the Mother of Nations (Genesis 17: 15, 16). After Sarah dies, Rebekah successfully takes over the duties and responsibilities as the Mother of Nations (Genesis 24:67).

Genesis 17: 26-27 - Note the command of Abraham.

In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Within one day, Abraham was able to order and carry out the circumcision of all the males of his household exactly as God commanded. Being able to command with such authority, Abraham was able to keep the way of the LORD for his household, to do justice and judgment (parallel passage Genesis 18:19).

Genesis 17:20 - Blessed without Knowing.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

I have heard thee refers to Abraham's intercessory prayer for his thirteen year old son, Ishmael. However, even before Ishmael was born, God had already blessed his seed to multiply exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude (Genesis 16: 10).

Genesis 17:19 - Laugh but Isaac's no joke.

And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

This establishes with certainty of whom the heir of the everlasting covenant. Before this confirmation, Abraham already had a son named Ishmael with his second wife Hagar and he laughed at the thought of Sarah bearing a child at such an old age. This confirmation, however, clearly states that Sarah should bear the child and that the child's name should be called Isaac.

The importance of knowing that Sarah would bear the promised seed was exemplified when tree angels took time out before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah to confirm with Abraham that Sarah would bear a son, Genesis 18:10.

Genesis 14:10 - Lot's Obsession

And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

Lot also escaped the slimepits but only because the kings kidnapped him and fled into the mountains. When the time came for Lot his family to flee into the mountains (Genesis 19:17), Lot questioned God's command by requesting one of Sodom and Gomorrah's neighboring cities as a safe haven.

Genesis 13:10 - Don't judge a book by it's cover.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Lot chose the land that seemed best for the grazing of his livestock. However, he lost everything when Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. The land looked appealing to the eyes but it was destroyed for the wickedness that it was within it (Psalms 104:37).

Genesis 13:9 - What goes around comes around.

Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

This unselfish act came back around to Abraham in the time of his need. While Abraham and his wife were faced with a dilemma in a foreign county, God intervened causing the king to act kindly in an unselfish manner toward Abraham.

And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee, Genesis 20:15.