Introduction

Good day to all. Let us turn to the 28th chapter of Genesis. I have lectured on this chapter many times, and I listened to my lecture from five years ago, finding it quite satisfactory. At that time, I placed great emphasis on the cost one must pay. This time, while retaining the content on paying the price, I have taken it a step further. The theme of this chapter is: "This is God's House, and This is the Gate of Heaven."

We must examine what Jacob, Esau, Isaac, and Rebekah cared about. What people care about, they will deem as truth. People spend their lives striving for what they believe in, paying the price, even if it means losing face. Some time ago, someone bought a plane ticket to Vancouver and sought out a pastor upon arrival. The stories he told were all about being shot and narrowly escaping death, which sounded terrifying. Some were moved by his stories and willingly welcomed him. Later, he traveled to New Zealand, Canada, and Taiwan, borrowing money and seeking free accommodation and meals everywhere. Recently, he came to Singapore, insisting on finding me. This time, he ran into a brick wall because I knew what he cared about. He cared about taking advantage of people. Unfortunately for him, I would not treat him like others. I wanted to show him what a true Christian is, and not to think he could fool me with mere stories.

When I train pastors among us, I make sure to train them to discern what a person truly cares about. If someone cares deeply about money, one must be cautious. If he becomes an official, he will be a corrupt official; if he is a businessman, he will be a deceitful merchant. You must know that what a person cares about represents his heart. Generally, people cannot help but talk about their profession. A con artist will inevitably reveal his schemes, and one will always talk about what he cares about. For example, when you go to Guangdong, people talk about where to make money during afternoon tea; in Northeast China, no matter what kind of tea you drink, everyone gathers to tell jokes, and even serious stories are taken as jokes. What people care about cannot be hidden.

What Jacob Cared About

By this chapter, Jacob was already 75 years old. For 75 years, he did not date, marry, or do anything else, but only pursued one thing: to obtain God's blessing, God's presence, and God's covenant. What he pursued was different from what ordinary people pursue. If you ask me if this can be eaten, I will tell you that it is better than food. What Jacob pursued sounds strange. God said that his descendants would possess the gates of their enemies. Even if many people heard this, they would say, "His descendants? His life will be over, and that's it. Can God's presence be eaten? What is the use of God's covenant?" If you ask Jacob what he is pursuing and what he wants to do, he may not be able to explain it clearly, but he will say that it is good.

In fact, many people cannot explain why they feel they must make money and make their business stronger and bigger. In Jacob's time, there were few people like Jacob who pursued God's presence. After hearing the stories told by Abraham, Isaac, and Rebekah, what he pursued was no longer like ordinary people; he did not care about enjoying good food and drink.

Jacob pursued God's presence, and he may not have understood what he was pursuing. But we must cultivate a very important concept, which is that living is not very meaningful; we live and then die, and many of the things we care about are not very meaningful. Recently, I have also grown. If someone wants me to minister to them, the question they hear me ask the most is, "Is this important? Is it meaningful?" Actually, it is not very meaningful. If you owe someone money, you owe it. It's not a big deal. Since someone was willing to lend you money in the past, that's fine. Many things are not important. Those things that you think are very important, such as studying for a master's degree, getting a degree, and finding a job, are actually not that important. Just live like that.

The way I live is quite boring, and ordinary people cannot understand it. I do not indulge in eating, drinking, or having fun. I also find traveling meaningless. Playing mahjong and golf are also boring. Other than working and ministering, which are meaningful, I find everything else meaningless. That is why my output is so high because I love to do this. Some people feel that talking to me is too tiring. When I speak, I say that nothing is important. After I finish speaking, they feel uncomfortable when they go home and get caught up in the rat race.

If a person does not understand living, it is really not easy to pursue God and to care about God. The covenant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and being a blessing to others, are not considered important. If God's presence is regarded as God's protection, it seems acceptable. In fact, making a business bigger, stronger, and listed on the stock market is not attractive to me at all. What Jacob cared about was God's temple, the gate of heaven. Everyone must know that if there is no spiritual realm and eternal life, living is even more meaningless. We live and then die, and we do not want to die when we die, but we still have to die. It is a tragedy.

What Jacob pursued was the God in eternity, and he obtained it. What he cared about was becoming a blessing to all nations on earth. Only those who are not worthy of this world need this. Jacob did not cheat Esau out of his father's property. In the end, Jacob did not take a single penny of Isaac's inheritance because he did not care about it. Some people fight to the death over the inheritance when their parents die because they feel they need these things to live. What Jacob cared about was what many people did not care about. I must tell you that Jacob did the right thing, and many people did not do the right thing because they did it in vain. After working hard for a long time, it was all futile.

I do not want you to get caught up in the rat race with me, but I hope you can relax. But whether you can do what I say depends on your fortune. I encourage you not to get caught up in the rat race for the things of this world all day long. For the things of God, I can give up everything. I have not only said this now, but I have been saying this since the first day I believed in the Lord. The reason is that I find living boring. Do not say, "Teacher, I am the same as you." When I ask you to let go, you are different from me and still cannot let go. At that time, my job was almost gone, but I still ministered. Later, the job was really gone. If it's gone, it's gone. So sometimes what I say sounds like a joke to everyone. Remember a few points if you can, understand if you can, and if you don't understand, forget it.

Anything that cannot kill people is a small matter. People live and then die, which is meaningless. I have sent away many people in recent years. Some time ago, a pastor died of COVID-19. I told his family that I got COVID-19 a year earlier than him. I got the Delta variant, and he got the Omicron variant. The virus I was infected with was much more serious than his, but I am still alive, and he is lying in a coffin. Saying these words may make people feel uncomfortable, but to be honest, I really want to lie in a coffin, but they have not taken me in yet. They really wanted to live, but they did not survive. What people pursue and care about is different.

What Jacob cared about was eternal life, being able to see God's face in eternity, and having God's presence while living. What he cared about was God's temple, the gate of heaven. These are things that make us feel confused, but for this, he paid an extremely heavy price. For seventy-five years, he did not date, marry, or have children. He only thought about one thing every day. Although Jacob was the second son in the family, he wanted to obtain the right to make a covenant with God, obtain God's presence, and become a blessing to all nations on earth. Such a person can suffer losses. Jacob did not care about money. When his father sent him away, he did not give him a few big gold chains or a few boxes of big diamond rings. Jacob had nothing. He left with a staff. It is difficult for us to understand what kind of father this is. It is not like the family has no money. Even giving him a hundred sheep to take with him would not be a problem. But when Jacob went to his uncle Laban's house, Isaac probably did not even give him a sesame seed cake. This is a very magical father and son.

What Isaac Cared About

Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: "You must not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants after you the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham." (Genesis 28:1-4)

We also do not quite understand what Isaac cared about. He did not ask Jacob to wear more clothes and bring more money. He did not give Jacob a Swiss Army knife or a Turkish knife to prevent bandits from robbing him, wolves, jackals, and tigers. If it were the father and son of today, the son would be very unwilling. Brothers and sisters among us, if your father sent you away with a stick and gave you nothing else, you would definitely have opinions. This father is too stingy. He should at least give you a big gold chain from the treasure chest. If people care about these things, it will be troublesome. Do we care about the same things as Isaac? A person who has God's presence is the same whether he has things or not; if he does not have God's presence, it is the same whether he has things or not. What these father and son care about is God's presence. If God is with you, may the Almighty God, the God of Abraham and Isaac, be with you and bless you in the way you go, and you will possess this land.

Many people are Christians, just like the person I mentioned at the beginning, who goes around fooling people, caring about taking advantage of others. If he comes here to take advantage of me, there is no way. He flies everywhere to Vancouver, New Zealand, Singapore, and Taiwan. He is traveling and having a good time as a backpacker. He said that the money was all borrowed. It is quite amazing to be able to borrow so much money, but he does not do anything serious. He thought I would receive him, but he was wrong. Not to mention these things, even those who come to study theology with faith and come here to beg for alms are all sent away by me. If he wants it, I will give him Chinese Mingding Destiny, without spending a penny. Isaac, Jacob, and others all have a very clear idea: with God's presence, it is the same whether you have money or not, because God's presence is more valuable than money. Without God's presence, it is the same whether you have anything or not.

Our spiritual height, views, and vision must surpass Lin Zexu. Lin Zexu said to people, "If his son is not like him, what is the use of giving him money? Giving him money will only ruin him. If his son is like him, he is money himself." Brothers and sisters, if you associate with someone and find that he cares about money, be careful, because he may deceive you at any time, because he cares about money. What I care about is that I can bless one person, I will bless one person, and if I can bless two people, I will bless two people.

Some people say that you did not bless the person you just mentioned who is flying all over the world. That is because I cannot condone his bad habits. If he really wants to change, I will definitely help him change, but I will definitely not be fooled by him before I help him change. That is foolish. I have a clear account in my heart of what people's purpose in coming to church is, and they cannot hide it. Someone can understand his intention after talking to me for three or five sentences. This is what I do. I know it as soon as I hear it.

I do not care about this because I care about what Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob cared about. I do not ask you to wear more clothes. What I care about most is whether you have God's presence. If you do not have God's presence, it does not matter. If you do not have food, I will give you a bowl of rice to eat. It is not a big deal. But the problem is what we care about. Everyone should reflect on it. If you get upset and uncomfortable when you are touched, that is what you care about. I tell everyone that I rarely hear people say that they are sad because God's kingdom is not prosperous and God's kingdom and God's church are desolate. They are sad because customers have been snatched away, their children are not good, and their boss does not give them a raise.

Some time ago, I encountered an even more outrageous thing. The boss gave him a bonus and gave it to other people, and he was unhappy. What does it have to do with him that the boss gave money to others? Why is he sad and unhappy? I feel that people have problems and their brains are not working well. If someone says that this era needs God's blessing and seeing God's glory, and needs to build a glorious church of God, but God's church has no glory of God, no presence of God, and cannot see the gate of heaven, he is so sad that he cannot sleep. I am sad with him, but few people care about such good things. They are always in pain because they care about the wrong things.

What Esau Cared About

Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he had commanded him, "You must not marry a Canaanite woman," and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had. (Genesis 28:6-9)

When Esau heard that his father had asked Jacob to go to his uncle Laban's house to marry a woman from their family, he thought that his father did not like his current wife, so he would marry another daughter of Ishmael. Esau calculated that Ishmael was closer to Abraham than Laban in terms of blood relationship. He thought it would be better to marry someone closer. That was not the point. He was wrong because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob cared about God's temple and the gate of heaven, God's presence, God's blessing, and God's covenant. What Esau cared about was simply too low. He did not understand what he was pursuing until he died. Do you understand? Are you Esau or Jacob? However, Esau had confidence. He patted his head and married a woman from Ishmael's family, thinking it was something to be happy about. But what is there to be happy about? He is a model of being cursed. Even thinking with his heels, he knew he was wrong.

This chapter is about God's temple and the gate of heaven. How can we obtain God's temple and open the gate of heaven? It depends on what you care about. Jacob waited year after year until he was 75 years old, and finally had a dream. God spoke to him. People will not care about the price they pay for what they care about. For example, when an old man dies, the brothers will try their best to rob the old man's inheritance. Some even fight for it, which is simply desperate. They are definitely willing to pay the price. People are not unwilling to pay the price. They may pay the price for becoming a unicorn, listing a company, making more money, or for certain things, which are what they care about.

Many people do not know to care about what Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob cared about. If you care about what Esau cared about, then congratulations and good luck. In fact, when people care about something, they care about God's presence. When they care about other things, they lose God's presence. Let us take a closer look at how many churches are truly God's temple and the gate of heaven. Chinese Mingding Destiny has paid a heavy price to pursue this day. Saying more is just tears.

People Pay the Price for What They Care About and Pursue

Jacob did not date or flirt with girls until he was 75 years old. He only flirted with one person, his brother Esau, in order to obtain the birthright. What have you been pursuing for decades? You know what you care about by what you are sad about. It is easy to talk about it, but it depends on a person's fortune to truly give up and leave everything for God. Sometimes I minister and sigh in my heart that you care about the wrong things. Let me put it this way, what you care about will be ashes in five hundred years. Even without five hundred years, it will probably be ashes in a hundred years. What are you trying to get? Do not let me say, "Silly child, do not do this again." Why can we not regard Jesus Christ as the most precious treasure and regard everything else as dung? Jacob paid the price for this. He left home with a staff, without blaming his parents or his brother Esau. He walked alone in the wilderness. The howling of wolves and tigers echoed in the distant valley. He did not know when a wild beast would come when he lay down to sleep. Even a poisonous snake would be enough to torment him. We feel sad for him when we think about it.

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, because the sun had set, he stopped there for the night. He took one of the stones there and put it under his head and lay down to sleep. (Genesis 28:10-11)

In fact, what Jacob thought was different from what we thought. He only cared about finally obtaining his father's blessing. What was amazing about him was that many people criticize Jacob when they study the Bible, saying that Jacob ruined the relationship between brothers. Jacob and Isaac did not care about this. These things were worthless in their eyes. Some people criticize Jacob for not returning to mourn for Rebekah's death. In fact, Isaac, Jacob, and even Rebekah did not care about this. It was the pastor himself who cared about it. What he cared about was completely on a different channel from what Isaac and Jacob cared about.

Jacob was happy to pay the price for this, and then he called on God before lying down. May God be with him. He had already obtained his father Isaac's blessing. He longed for God to speak to him as he had spoken to Abraham and Isaac. God spoke to him, saying that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and would spread out to the east, west, north, and south, and all peoples on earth would be blessed through him and his offspring. God would be with him and protect him wherever he went, and lead him back to this land, because this land was promised by God to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. It was his turn to take this baton and continue to move forward. His descendants would possess the gates of their enemies, and he and his descendants would be a blessing to all nations on earth.

Jacob did not complain about not getting money. He did not care about suddenly becoming a poor man from a rich young man. If it were you, would you care if you suddenly became a poor man? Living is a very simple thing. With God's presence, it is not a problem whether you have money or not. Jesus Christ paid the price of his life and joyfully welcomed the coming of the day of glory. People with such a heart will live a different life and achieve an immeasurable and eternal glory. Until God is clearly with me, beyond my imagination. But this is what I long for and what I pursue. The price I pay is also what I am willing to pay, my choice, because I do not have much interest in these things in the world.

Brothers and sisters, start thinking about why you pay the price. Are those things you pay the price for meaningful? Jacob did not feel sad when he reached this point. He joyfully welcomed the glory of the future. He welcomed the day when God spoke to him, and ran forward with hope, even if he was tired and thirsty, and the howling of wolves and tigers was nothing to him.

It is normal for people to pay the price for what they pursue, just like those who pay the price for the college entrance examination. At that moment, they are really desperate. But can they pay such a price for God? You care about what you pay the price for. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If you really care about the glory in eternity, really care about God's presence, and understand how precious God's presence is, you will pay the price of your life, let alone pay some time.

Jacob Finally Receives God's Appearance in a Dream

Jacob took a stone and lay down to sleep on it, praying as he fell asleep. He prayed to God that although he was leaving this land, one day God would lead him back to this land, the land promised to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, and God would also promise it to him! Remarkable, he became one of those whom the world was not worthy of with this longing. According to the logic of the world, you would find that he suffered a great loss, but according to the divine logic of the spiritual realm, he gained everything. God appeared to him in a dream. In fact, the dreams he usually had were all nonsense, full of murky thoughts. But this time he was serious, and what God showed him in the dream was quite divine.

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:12-15)

If God appeared to us and said these words, what would your reaction be? I must teach everyone that if God says these words to you, the matters of this life and even those of eternity are settled. You must know that there are many incorrect and absurd interpretations of the Bible. In reality, this dream is God's approval of Jacob. If God approves of Jacob's actions, approves of what Jacob cares about and what he pursues, what right do we have to be picky? Some people are used to criticizing Jacob, but Chinese Mingding Destiny holds Jacob in high regard. In fact, God in the Bible holds him in very high esteem. Jacob can open the gates of heaven, and the place where he lies is God's house. This means that as long as you have Jacob's aspirations, that is God's house, and that place is the gate of heaven.

I have many characteristics of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph because I live according to their ways. It's just a pity that I haven't had such a dream yet. Brothers and sisters, do you know? How much I want to dream that God also declares the same words to me, but I must tell you the truth, it hasn't happened yet. But in my faith, I know that building God's glorious church is God's house and the gate of heaven. This is what I care about. The church is not a group of people who want to take advantage, but a group of people like Jacob gathered together, and the gates of heaven will be opened for us. Some people say that you haven't had this dream, but I open my eyes, as if God has said these words to me. I am still longing to obtain what Jacob obtained. Although God has not given me such a dream, God is clearly with me, so what else should I pursue?

Do not be misled by incorrect interpretations of the Bible. Those people do not know God's will and do not know that God likes Jacob. I tell you, no one can curse Jacob. Those who curse Jacob will be cursed, and those who curse Abraham will also be cursed. They are all remarkable figures. What he had dreamed of day and night for 75 years finally appeared in Jacob's dream. After he woke up, he did not complain; this is what he pursued. Anyone who has the same pursuit as Jacob, longing to build God's glorious house, that is the gate of heaven, and the angels of God will ascend and descend. If you ask me why there are so many miracles and wonders here, it is because this is God's house, the gate of heaven. Here is a group of people like Jacob and the Apostle Paul, willing to offer their lives to build God's glorious church. Paying a little price is nothing.

Jacob's Understanding: This is God's House, the Gate of Heaven

After Jacob woke up and thought about this dream, he was very excited, excited to the point of fear.

He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:17)

He thought it was the place that inspired awe, but I think Jacob should understand this matter. This place is where Abraham offered Isaac. This place has a foreshadowing: Whoever offers themselves like Isaac and has aspirations like Jacob, that is God's house. Then can you open the gates of heaven? In the New Testament, it says:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)

If you read it in English, you will find that the keys are plural, a whole bunch of keys, and those keys are to open the gates of heaven! So you must obtain your Mingding Destiny and become someone who builds God's glorious church, God's house! Like Moses, who built God's glorious church, that is the gate of heaven; David and Solomon, who built God's house, that is the gate of heaven. Jesus Christ is God's house, the gate of heaven. In the name of Jesus, we build God's glorious church, which is God's house, the gate of heaven. The keys to the kingdom of heaven will be given to us. I think there may still be a whole bunch of keys that we haven't received yet, so we must not stop pursuing and continue to run forward!

Brothers and sisters, do you really care about what I am saying? If you really care, then the questions you ask will no longer be problems and will all go into the urn with you. What I am saying is the truth. In the future, we will all be the same and will all be assimilated into the blue sky. But this momentary and light affliction will achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. I was born for this, I live for this, and I will die for this. Although when you are with me, you will find that I also laugh and joke, often telling jokes together to make everyone happy. But my heart is in heaven, I long for God's presence, God's glorious church. I long to be able to open the gates of heaven. In the future, I may be able to bring tickets to the gates of heaven, which would be amazing. The gates of heaven are opened because of a group of people with Mingding Destiny. God's stairway stands among us, and the angels of God ascend and descend.

What exactly is our pursuit? All the problems are because we do not pursue the gates of heaven. The things we pursue and care about have no value. Some worry about their children, business, and family not being well, and as a result, they make themselves unwell. This really needs to be transformed. If we truly become the gate of heaven, these will not be problems. Even when Jacob was shepherding for his uncle Laban, those sheep could prosper. All problems are related to the gate of heaven and whether you are truly Jacob. Are you really willing to pay the price and give up everything for this? Everyone may not be able to listen to what I am saying, and some may even feel a little hurt. But if you truly understand God's word, you will know that I am speaking from the bottom of my heart. What Jacob understood was God's house, the gate of heaven.

Making a Vow Represents What People Seek and Care About

If you are going to make a vow, make a vow concerning the gate of heaven, God's house! God, if you will be with me and make me God's house, the gate of heaven, then I will take you as my God! The things people vow for are very interesting. Some people vow that if God gives them ten million, they will donate five million. Later, they thought about it and said that God should keep the donated five million, as long as he gives them the five million. This is a very clear calculation. Later, they regretted it and thought that it would have been better to ask for one hundred million, and God could keep fifty million. How embarrassing are the things they care about!

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” (Genesis 28:20-22)

Jacob asked for food to eat and clothes to wear, not for great wealth or fame, because he didn't care about those things. As for whether it was wild game or good food, that was not important either. What was important was that he wanted to receive God's blessing. He longed to have God with him while he was still alive in this world. What he ate and drank was not important, as long as he had it. Can you understand this kind of person? Look at what our brothers and sisters are asking for. It's a good thing you don't want me to know, or I would have to scold you.

I really hope that brothers and sisters can understand that Jacob was a remarkable person. Jacob's faith surpassed Isaac's faith, Isaac's faith surpassed Abraham's faith, and later Joseph's faith surpassed Jacob's faith. Your faith and my faith must surpass the faith of Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. Of course, it's not that we don't care, so we don't eat or drink. We eat and drink what God gives us. I don't care for what people pursue, such as Chanel and Hermes. Wearing a Hermes suit and thinking you are remarkable, but with a stomach full of excrement. People are not honored by their clothes, but by what is inside. I don't need Hermes or Chanel, just ordinary clothes are enough.

What I pursue is God's glory, may God's glory fill the whole earth, may the church be filled with God's glory, and may God's will be satisfied. What we eat and drink is not important, even where we live is not important, God's presence is the most important. The place where God is present is God's house, which is the gate of heaven. God's angels will come and go among us, constantly bringing down heavenly power and heavenly treasures, so that we can trample on the devil and the enemy in the world and become like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom the world is not worthy of. Suffering a little is nothing. May this momentary and light affliction on earth achieve God's eternal glory that far outweighs them all, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through us. This is called Mingding Destiny. Wherever we go, we bring God's presence there. Whoever we serve, we bring them into Jacob's Mingding Destiny, so that they can become part of God's house. This is my longing. May God be gracious to me, have mercy on me, remember me, and be with me. Wherever I go, may I be able to open the gates of heaven and be a blessing to many people.

Brothers and sisters, let us begin to constantly learn Jacob's character. There is still much to learn. May God bless everyone!

Genesis Chapter 28

28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.
28:2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
28:3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples.
28:4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
28:5 Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
28:6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman,”
28:7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram.
28:8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac;
28:9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.
28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran.
28:11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep.
28:12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
28:13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.
28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
28:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”
28:17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
28:18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.
28:19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear
28:21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord will be my God
28:22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”