midst of Jacob's story, either, 1. To show the influence of a good example. Esau, though the greater man, now begins to think Jacob the better man, and disdains not to take him for his pattern in this particular instance of marrying with a daughter of Abraham. The elder children should give to the younger an example of tractableness and obedience; it is bad, if they do not; but it is some alleviation, if they take the example of it from them, as Esau here did from Jacob. Or, 2. To show the folly of an after-wit; Esau did well, but he did it when it was too late. He saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not his father, and he might have seen that long ago, if he had consulted his father's judgment as much as he did his palate. And how did he now mend the matter. Why truly, so as, to make bad worse. (1.) He married a daughter of Ishmael, the son of the bond-woman, who was cast out, and was not to inherit with Isaac and his seed; thus joining with a family which God had rejected, and seeking to strengthen his own pretensions by the aids of another pretender. (2.) He took a third wife, while, for aught that appears, his other two were neither dead nor divorced. (3.) He did it only to please his father, not to please God; now that Jacob was sent into a far country, Esau would be all in all at home, and he hoped so to humour his father, as to prevail with him to make a new will, and entail the promise upon him, revoking the settlement lately made upon Jacob. And thus, [1.] He was wise when it was too late, like Israel that would venture when the decree was gone forth against them, Numb. 14. 40. and the foolish virgins, Matt. 25. 10. [2.] He rested in a partial reformation, and thought by pleasing his parents in one thing, to atone for all his other miscarriages. It is not said, that when he saw how obedient Jacob was, and how willing to please his parents, he repented of his malicious design against him; no, it appeared afterward that he persisted in that, and retained his malice. Note, Carnal hearts are apt to think themselves as good as they should be, because perhaps, in some one particular instance, they are not so bad as they have been. Thus Micah retains his idols, but thinks himself happy in having a Levite to be his priest, Judg. 17. 13.
10. And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. 11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12. And he dreamed, and, behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13. And, behold, the Lord stood above it; and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. 14. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15. 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.
We have here Jacob upon his journey toward Syria, in a very desolate condition, like one that was sent to seek his fortune; but we find, that though he was alone, yet he was not alone, for the Father was with him, John 16. 32. If what is here recorded, happened (as it should seem it did) the first night, he had made a long day's journey from Beer-sheba to Bethel, above forty miles. Providence brought him to a convenient place, probably shaded with trees, to rest him in that night; and there he had,
I. A hard lodging; (v. 11.) the stones for his pillows, and the heavens for his canopy and curtains. As the usage then was, perhaps this was not so bad as it seems now to us; but we should think, 1. He lay very cold; the cold ground for his bed, and, which, one would suppose, made the matter worse, a cold stone for his pillow, and in the cold air. 2. Very uneasy; if his bones were sore with his day's journey, his night's rest would but make them sorer. 3. Very much exposed: he forgot that he was fleeing for his life; for had his brother, in his rage, pursued, or sent a murderer after him, here he lay ready to be sacrificed, and destitute of shelter and defence: we cannot think it was by reason of his poverty that he was so ill accommodated, but, (1.) It was owing to the plainness and simplicity of those times, when men did not take so much state, and consult their ease, so much as in these later times of softness and effeminacy. (2.) Jacob had been particularly used to hardships, as a plain man dwelling in tents; and, designing now to go to service, he was the more willing to inure himself to it; as it proved it was well, ch. 31. 40. (3.) His comfort in the divine blessing, and his confidence in the divine protection, made him easy, even then when he lay thus exposed; being sure that his God made him to dwell in safety, he could lie down and sleep upon a stone.
II. In his hard lodging, he had a pleasant dream; any Israelite indeed would be willing to take up with Jacob's pillow, provided he might have but Jacob's dream. Then and there, he heard the words of God, and saw the visions of the Almighty: it was the best night's sleep he ever had in his life. Note, God's time to visit his people with his comforts, is, when they are most destitute of other comforts, and other comforters; when afflictions in the way of duty (as these here were) do abound, then shall consolations so much the more abound. Now observe here,
1. The encouraging vision Jacob saw, v. 12. He saw a ladder which reached from earth to heaven, the angels ascending and descending upon it, and God himself at the head of it. Now this represents the two things that are very comfortable to good people at all times, and in all conditions.
(1.) The providence of God, by which there is a constant correspondence kept up between heaven and earth. The counsels of heaven are executed on earth, and the actions and affairs of this earth are all known in heaven, and judged there. Providence does its work gradually, and by steps; angels are employed as ministering spirits, to serve all the purposes and designs of Providence, and the wisdom of God is at the upper end of the ladder, directing all the motions of second causes to the glory of the First Cause. The angels are active spirits, continually ascending and descending; they rest not day, nor night, from service, according to the posts assigned them. They ascend, to give account of what they have done, and to receive orders; and then descend to execute the orders they have received. Thus we should always abound in the work of the Lord, that we may do it as the angels do it, Ps. 103, 20,
