And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
20. vowed a vow ] See Gen 31:13. This is the first mention in the O.T. of a religious vow, i.e. a solemn promise, enforced by an adjuration of the Deity, to dedicate, or wholly set apart, some offering or gift.
If God will be with me ] Jacob’s vow is made with special reference to the personal promise in Gen 28:15. Its three conditions are: (1) Divine presence ( with me), (2) Divine preservation ( keep me), (3) Divine restoration ( so that I come again).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 28:20-22
And Jacob vowed a vow
Covenant vows
I.
Let us, in the beginning, consider what is taught us in Gods Word about vows in general, and that will lead the way easily to the examination of those peculiar in the Christian dispensation.
1. The Old Testament is the main source of all profitable information. Indeed it hardly appears necessary to go beyond it. Classic history, however, makes clear the fact that all religions and schemes of faith have encouraged their devotees in the practice of making vows to their deities. Temples of every sort, the world over, are filled with votive offerings, presented by grateful recipients of Divine favour, when they have been delivered from danger, or prospered in difficult enterprises. Even the rituals of heathenism, the wildest and the wisest seem to agree in this. The custom, therefore, has very ancient authority. It was not an original invention of Jacob. Nor was it introduced by Moses, nor was it ever announced from heaven. Its history is as old as the annals of the race. The great law-giver Moses, acting under Divine direction, found this custom when he came to the leadership of Israel, He simply set himself to regulate the practice, and put it under some code of intelligent management.
2. The New Testament doctrine. No precept given; no regulation prescribed. The spirit of the New Testament is one of freedom. Freedom, however, is not lawlessness; liberty is not license. It is possible that there may be found in our churches some persons, or even in our own moods, some moments to which vows could be of service.
II. From these general considerations, it gives us pleasure and relief to turn to the special examination of what we term Christian vows.
1. We mean by this expression to cover a class of covenant engagements which stand in close relationship to the New Testament church. They are represented in the two ordinances of Baptism and the Lords Supper.
2. The reach of these vows is universal. They cover our possessions–our ways–our hearts–our lives.
3. A reach so extensive as this flings over the whole transaction a spirit of profound solemnity. The parties to the covenant are not man and man, but man and God. The witnesses who stand around are the world, the church, angels–and devils. The sanctions of the covenant are expressibly sacred and awful. All the good and evil of this life, all the blessings and the curses of the life to come hang upon the question of our fidelity in keeping the faith we have pledged.
4. Now no mere human being could abide the pressure of engagements of such reach and solemnity, except for the alleviation annexed to them. There is a promise underneath each one of them all. God not only keeps His own covenant, but helps us keep ours.
5. The use which can be made practically of these covenant engagements of ours is threefold. They give us a profitable caution; they furnish ground for fresh hope; they remind us of former experiences of trust and deliverance. The stated, steady repetition of them at periodic times, is of prodigious service. They suddenly arrest us in the midst of daily life, and demand a return of thoughtful surrender. The moment temptation confronts us, a voice seems to speak in the air–Remember thine oath! And if we are intelligent, we are quite glad to remember it; for God covenanted when we did. There is a dowry in every duty, and a promise in every call. Our vows come to be burdens less, and badges more; they are not fetters on our limbs, but rings on our fingers. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
A long look ahead
I. WHAT JACOB SOUGHT.
1. Gods presence.
2. Divine protection.
3. Divine providence.
4. Divine peace.
II. WHAT JACOB PROMISED.
1. To surrender himself, his entire being, to God.
2. To establish a perennial reminder of Divine goodness and mercy on the spot where he had first found it.
3. To consecrate to God a fixed portion of his income for all benevolent and religious use. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
The noble resolve
There were three steps in Gods dealings with this mean and crafty spirit; and in one form or another they have a universal application.
1. To begin with, God revealed Jacob to himself.
2. In the next place, God permitted Jacob to suffer the loss of all earthly friends and goods.
3. Finally, God thrust into Jacobs life a revelation of His love. That ladder symbolized the love of God. All through his life that love had surrounded Jacob with its balmy atmosphere; but he had never realized, or returned, or yielded to it. But now it was gathered up and crystallized into one definite appeal, and thrust upon him; so that he could do no other than behold it. And in that hour of conviction and need, it was as welcome as a ladder put down into a dark and noisome pit, where a man is sinking fast into despair; he quickly hails its seasonable aid, and begins to climb back to daylight. The revelation of Gods love will have five results on the receptive spirit.
I. IT WILL MAKE US QUICK TO DISCOVER GOD. Jacob had been inclined to localize God in his fathers tents: as many localize Him now in chapel, church, or minister; supposing that prayer and worship are more acceptable there than anywhere beside. Now he learned that God was equally in every place–on the moorland waste as well as by Isaacs altar, though his eyes had been too blind to perceive Him. In point of fact, the difference lay not in God, but in himself; the human spirit carries with it everywhere its own atmosphere, through which it may see, or not see, the presence of the Omnipresent. If your spirit is reverent, it will discern God on a moorland waste. If your spirit is thoughtless and careless, it will fail to find Him even in the face of Jesus Christ.
II. IT WILL INSPIRE US WITH GODLY FEAR. He was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! Perfect love casteth out fear–the fear that hath torment; but it begets in us another fear, which is the beginning of wisdom and the foundation of all noble lives; the fear that reveres God, and shudders to grieve Him; and dreads to lose the tiniest chance of doing His holy will. True love is always fearless and fearful. It is fearless with the freedom of undoubting trust; but it is fearful lest it should miss a single grain of-tender affection, or should bring a moments shadow over the face of the beloved.
III. IT WILL CONSTRAIN US TO GIVE OURSELVES TO GOD.
IV. IT WILL PROMPT US TO DEVOTE OUR PROPERTY TO HIM. Of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee. There is no reason to doubt that this became the principle of Jacobs life: and if so, he shames the majority of Christian people–most of whom do not give on principle; and give a very uncertain and meagre percentage of their income.
V. IT WILL FILL US WITH JOY. Then Jacob lifted up his feet (Gen 29:1, marg.). Does not that denote the light-hearted alacrity with which he sped upon his way? His feet were winged with joy, and seemed scarcely to tread the earth. All sorrow had gone from his heart; for he had handed his burdens over to those ascending angels. And this will be our happy lot, if only we will believe the love that God hath to us. We, too, shall lose our burdens at the foot of the Cross; and we shall learn the blessed secret of handing over, as soon as they arise, all worries and fears to our pitiful High Priest. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
Jacobs vow
I. WHAT JACOB DESIRED OF GOD IN REFERENCE TO THIS WORLD.
1. The comfortable presence and favour of God. If God will be with me. When the ancients would express all that seemed beneficial in life, they used this phrase (Gen 39:2-3; Gen 39:21). The wisdom, courage, and success of David is resolved into this; The Lord was with him (1Sa 18:14; 1Sa 18:28; 2Sa 5:10). This administers solid, satisfying comfort to the soul (Psa 4:6-7; Psa 36:7-9; Psa 63:1; Joh 4:14).
2. The guidance of the Divine counsel and the protection of the Divine providence. And will keep me in this way that I go. This is a most sure direction and safe defence. The righteous shall not err in anything of importance, either as to this life or the next; either as to truth or duty. They shall be safe (Pro 18:10; Psa 27:1-6; Psa 32:7).
II. WHAT JACOB PROMISES TO GOD. Then shall the Lord be my God. (J. Benson.)
The vow
I. Notice THE IMPRESSION MADE UPON JACOBS MIND. This vision, which had been vouchsafed to him, was not a mere idle dream, passing confusedly away with the shades of night, and leaving no useful lesson impressed upon the heart. It was a mysterious scene, permitted to pass before the mind of Jacob in his sleep; but it left a real, powerful, and lasting impression behind. The impression produced was rational, powerful, convincing, and influential; it was such an impression as was most desirable under his circumstances, and such as issued in the most becoming and consistent conduct.
1. He was impressed with a sense of the presence and nearness of the invisible God. Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. He had a clear conviction that God had been with him in a very peculiar manner. He inhabiteth eternity. He filleth all in all. He is about our bed, and about our path, and spies out all our ways. If we go up to heaven He is there, if we go down to hell He is there also. In Him we live, and move, and have our being–and He is not far off from any one of us. But the scripture shows us also, that God is particularly present with, and near to His saints. A large portion of the revealed word of God is occupied in showing that the Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him; that if we will draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to us. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath thee are the everlasting arms. The 121st Psalm seems almost to refer to this very event, when it says, Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. There is then, for the first time, a consciousness of Gods existence–of his presence and nearness to the soul–a reality of communion with Him–a living sensibly within the range of His holy influence and dominion–and a bringing this fact to bear continually upon the conduct and the heart. The impression produced on his mind through a vision, was the same as that which is now given through the shining of the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ into the heart. It was the knowledge of God.
2. He felt that the presence of God was awful. He said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! No man can trifle with religious services who is admitted to the reality of religious privileges. The more his religions impressions, convictions, intentions, and enjoyments, assume the character of reality, the more serious will he be in his spirit, and in all his religious feelings and transactions. A becoming seriousness of deportment is always the result of frequent communion with God–of much living in the Divine presence. It will not be irrelevant to notice here that a truly sincere and serious spirit in religion will show itself in an enlightened, but not superstitious, attention to all the decencies and proprieties of the public service of God.
3. Jacob was impressed with the conviction that the place where God communicates with men is the gate of heaven. That communion with God by faith is an opening to the mind of the eternal and invisible world, a realizing of that interior and more elevated scene of Gods dominions, where He reigns unveiled. Faith is the gate of heaven.
4. This vision evidently impressed Jacob with a higher notion of the benevolence and kindness of God. It was altogether a revelation of a peculiarly merciful character.
II. We come to notice THE CONDUCT WHICH JACOB IMMEDIATELY ADOPTED. His provision for the external act of worship was but scanty; but whatever, under his straitened circumstances, he could perform, he did.
There was here no idle and specious delay. It would have been easy to have deferred this solemn scene of worship to a more seasonable opportunity, when he would be better provided. But this is not the effect of the gifts of Divine grace. The mercy of God, thus graciously revealed to him, had touched his heart; and it made the religious service, and the religious vow, his delight. He rose early, and while his feelings were yet fresh, and unblemished by the mere natural course of vagrant thought, he addressed himself to this act of piety, that he might perpetuate in his waking hours the enjoyments of his extraordinary dream. What could be more simple and spiritual than this act of worship? All the formalities of official sacrifice are, in the want of means for them, dispensed with. No bleeding sacrifice was there; but in the simple symbol that he was compelled to use, the true spirit of the appointed ceremony was retained. The type of the true Israel, he appears to have out-reached the bounds of knowledge in those earlier days, and to have approached God as a true worshipper, in spirit and in truth.
III. But we shall consider this more particularly as we notice THE VOW WHICH JACOB MADE. There are several circumstances in the language of Jacobs vow which are worthy of remark.
1. His piety, If God will be with me. He does not ask for the advantage of powerful friends, or connections in life. He sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,–counting the lovingkindness of God better than life; and the favour of God more valuable than worldly friends or honours. The love of God is the essential feature of true piety.
2. Observe his moderation. It is the legitimate effect of true religion, to moderato the desires of the heart for everything but spiritual blessings. The land whereupon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed: but he simply limited his prayer to this, If God will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace. In the face of so extensive a promise, he asked only for food and clothing, and a return to his fathers house. It is true, that generally in the outset of life, mens views and wishes are more moderate than they afterwards become; and even ambition is limited in its wishes, by the bounds of apparent probability–so much so, that in looking back upon past life, the moderation of mans early wishes is often a matter of surprise to themselves. But the spirit of Jacob was shown in this, that with the promise of wealth and exaltation before him, he still confined his wish to the needful supply of his daily wants–to food and raiment, and safe return. How few are there who are content with Jacobs portion! I speak of some, of whom there is reason to hope that they have Jacobs God for their God, but with whom there still seems a lingering attachment to the world which they are professing to renounce, and an unjustifiable managing and contriving to obtain, either for themselves or their children, a surer hold upon its dignities and its possessions.
3. Observe, again, Jacobs gratitude. He prayed even for less than God had promised; but he felt that all that he could ever be possessed of was a merciful gift, and he was willing to acknowledge that it was due to him from whom it was received. This stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be Gods house; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will give the tenth unto thee. A zealous contribution of personal exertion, and pecuniary aid, to the cause of God and of truth, had always marked the real servant of the Lord. The worldly man may be benevolent to men, but he is never liberal for God. Again, fix your attention on the event of Jacobs life, and consider how important was the influence which it had upon him. All his life was coloured by this solemn and interesting transaction. How important it is, then, to begin life with God–to set out rightly. Lastly, let the whole tenour of Jacobs conduct on this occasion show you, in illustration of the remark with which we set out, the legitimate effect of Divine mercy. It leads directly to holiness of life. (E. Craig.)
Lessons
1. Gods promises and appearance to His may well require their vows to Him.
2. Vows to God must follow His promises, not precede by conditioning with Him.
3. Gods presence, provision, protection, and safeguarding His own, is just ground of vowing souls to Him.
4. It is just to vow mans self in inward worship to God, as the Lord promiseth Himself to him.
5. It is righteous to vow outward worship to God in time and place, as He desireth.
6. It is mans duty to vow and pay the tenth of all his estate to God for the uses He hath appointed (Gen 28:22). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Jacobs contract with God
This vow has been sneered at–a bargain of Jacobs it is said. And in truth it is not in the highest spirit. But at least there is no affection of superfine piety in the Bible. That is something. What it is, it is. But what is this? Perhaps not a shrewd bargain, but a solemn and creditable contract with God, namely, that Jacob will be faithful to God if God will be faithful to him. Not the highest, certainly–not Jobs Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Jacob would have stood on a far nobler height had he said, I will worship this adorable God, who has shown me His glory as He stooped to my low estate. I will trust and obey Him though He desert me and strip me. Yes; but when shall we have done thinking that our refinements and perfections of view were theirs? An occasional spirit like Abrahams went higher than Jacobs. A spirit like Jobs shot far higher, yet, I think, and anticipated the whole possibility of man. These were splendid anomalies; but Jacob was the true representative of the good man of his time. Remembering this, the contrast was not as bad as it seems, but was natural and even beautiful. He does not ask God for riches, but simply, like a child (for these primitive men were but children), he asks only for protection and support: If the Lord, &c. This, although it has a childs religious inferiority, yet seems so artless and heartless that I think it was, even to the ear of God, a very pleasing speech. And I wish that we would go as far. Suppose now, we say–which of us is ready?–If the Lord will keep me alive for this year, and give me food and raiment, He shall be my God. Let no man sneer at Jacob until he is Jacobs equal. (A. G. Mercer, D. D.)
Of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.
Tithes at the start
The two important matters of notice, in this text, are the early purpose of this young patriarch to give a portion of his wealth to religious ends, and the establishment of a fixed system in presenting it. It seems to be in Scripture history the exact beginning of all that custom of tithing the people which meets us everywhere in the Old Testament. It has arrested my attention, because it is the act of a young man just starting in the new life. It furnishes me with this for a topic–Systematic beneficence: its principle and its measure.
I. THE PRINCIPLE may be stated in one compact sentence: A Christian is to contribute, not on impulse, but by plan. Jacob seems to have understood in the outset that this was to be the practical side of his life.
1. This duty should be taken up early by every young Christian as a matter of study.
2. It will not do to discharge this work all at once. A settled habit of giving is promoted only by a settled exercise of giving.
3. It will not do to leave this duty to a mere impulse of excitement. Christians ought never to wait for fervid appeals or ardent addresses to sympathy,
4. It will not do to perform this duty as a mere mechanical form. We are told, in one familiar verse of the New Testament, that he which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly. This singular word sparingly occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. It means grievingly, regretfully; holding back after the gift, if such an expression may be allowed.
5. This duty is to be discharged only with a diligent comparison of means with ends. System in giving is the secret of all success.
II. THE MEASURE OF CHRISTIAN BENEFICENCE.
1. Give tithes to start with.
2. Tithes, just to start with, will in many cases force a Christian on to increase as he grows in fortune. When life grows easier, and gains more plentiful, the good Lord, whose stewards we are, raises His rates of loan, and expects more liberal returns.
III. CONSIDERATIONS WHICH ENTER INTO THE RECKONING.
1. Think of what has been done in our behalf by God, our Maker and Redeemer. We should measure our gifts in money by our receipts in grace.
2. Remember whence the prosperity came, out of which we give money. God seeks where He has given.
3. Consider the extent of the work which is to be accomplished.
4. Think of the promises which reward the free-giver. The liberal soul shall be made fat.
5. Think of the exigencies arising under the favouring providences of God.
6. Think of the listlessness of others.
Conclusion: He who gives tithes at the start will grow himself as his fortune grows. He that delays will harden. And it should never be forgotten that money is only the measure of manhood when consecrated to Christ. It is ourselves we give to Him, ourselves He demands. (C. S.Robinson, D. D.)
The tenth is Gods
The late Bishop Selwyn used often to quote that motto of John Wesleys, Save all you can and give all you save, and he did not think that charity began until after a tithe had been paid to God. Whatever your income, he wrote once to his son, remember that only nine-tenths of it are at your disposal. (Old Testament Anecdotes.)
Giving a tenth
Heathen nations used to give a tenth for religious objects. Oberlin, a poor French minister, did this in giving his tenth of income, and then God so blessed him in his circumstances, that he used to say he abounded in wealth. One day Oberlin was reading in the Old Testament where God told the Jews that He expected them to give a tithe of all their property to Him, said he to himself, Well, I am sure that I, as a Christian, have three times as many blessings as the Jews had. If it was right for a Jew to give one tenth of his property to God, surely I ought to give at least three times as much as that. So he made up his mind to do this. The Jews called giving the hedge of riches. Perhaps there was never a man more generous than Mr. Wesley. For years, when his yearly income was between 30 and 120, he lived upon 28 a year, and gave away the remainder. It is supposed that during his life he gave away 30,000, and when he died he left little more than was necessary to bury him, and to pay his debts.
A tenth of all
“Take it quick, quick, said a merchant who had promised, like Jacob, to return to the Lord a tenth of all that he should give him, and found that it amounted to so large a sum, that he said, I cannot give so much, and set aside a smaller amount. Then his conscience smote him, and, coming to himself, he said, What I can I be so mean? Because God has thus blessed me that I have this large profit, shall I now rob Him of His portion? And fearing his own selfish nature, he made haste to place it beyond his reach in the treasury of the Lord, coming almost breathless to the pastors house, and holding the money in his outstretched hand.
Helping on the work of God
A widow found pardon and peace in her Saviour in her sixty-ninth year. Her gratitude and love overflowed and often refreshed the hearts of Christians of long experience. The house of God became very dear to her, and she was often seen to drop a gift in the church door box though her income was only 2s. 6d. per week. A fall in her seventy-second year prevented her ever coming out again. A little boy being seen to drop something into the box, was asked what it was. He said, It is Mrs. W–s penny.. He was told to take it back to her, and to say that her good intention was prized, but that her friends could not let her thus reduce her small means, especially as she could not come out to worship. She replied, Boy, why did you let them see you give it? Take it again and put it in when no one sees you. Then weeping, she said, What, and am I not to be allowed to help in the work of God any more because I cant get out?
Substance consecrated to God
John Crossley, the founder of the firm of the Crossleys of Halifax, married a Yorkshire farmers daughter, a woman of genuine piety and strong common sense. Crossley was frugal and thrifty. He got on well, laid by his earnings, and at length was able to rent a wool-mill and dwelling-house. When the couple were about entering their new quarters a holy purpose of consecration took possession of the young wife. On the day of entering the house she rose at four oclock in the morning and went into the door-yard. There in the early twilight, before entering the house, she kneeled on the ground and gave her life anew to God. She vowed most solemnly in these words, If the Lord does bless me at this place the poor shall have a share of it. That grand act of consecration was the germ of a life of marvellous nobility. (F. G.Clarke, D. D.)
.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 20. Vowed a vow] A vow is a solemn, holy promise, by which a man bound himself to do certain things in a particular way, time, c., and for power to accomplish which he depended on God hence all vows were made with prayer.
If God will be with me, c.] Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Ge 28:13-15 for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land. If, then, God shall fulfil these promises, he binds his posterity to build God a house, and to devote for the maintenance of his worship the tenth of all their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God; and so thoroughly had he been instructed in the knowledge of Jehovah, that we may rest satisfied no reverses of fortune could have induced him to apostatize: but as his taking refuge with Laban was probably typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt, his persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban, the bad treatment of his posterity by the Egyptians, his rescue from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in his own country, &c., were all typical of the exodus of his descendants, their travels in the desert, and establishment in the promised land, where they built a house to God, and where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship of God, they gave to the priests and Levites the tenth of all their worldly produce. If all this be understood as referring to Jacob only, the Scripture gives us no information how he performed his vow.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Jacob vowed a vow, i.e. bound himself by a solemn promise or obligation. Compare Gen 14:22; Ecc 5:4.
If God will be with me. He speaks not thus as if he doubted of the truth of Gods promises, or would, like a mercenary person, make a bargain with God, but rather supposeth that God will do this for him, as he had in effect promised, Gen 28:15, and thereupon obligeth himself to a grateful return to God for this mercy:
If God will be with me, & c., as he hath just now assured me he will; or, Seeing God will be with me, & c., for the Hebrew im doth not always imply a doubt, but rather a supposition, and is oft rendered seeing that, as Exo 20:25; Num 36:4; 1Sa 15:17; Amo 7:2. And so the Greek particle answering to the Hebrew im is used, Mat 6:22; Luk 11:34.
Bread; food convenient, as it is called, Pro 30:8, which is oft signified by the name of
bread. See Gen 3:19.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20. Jacob vowed a vowHiswords are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less asstating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself toGod. Let “if” be changed into “since,” and thelanguage will appear a proper expression of Jacob’s faithanevidence of his having truly embraced the promise. How edifying oftento meditate on Jacob at Beth-el.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Jacob vowed a vow,…. Which is the first vow we read of in Scripture:
saying, if God will be with me; the word if is not a sign of doubting, but is either an adverb of time, and may be rendered, “when God shall be with me” t; or as a supposition, expressive of an inference or conclusion drawn, “seeing God will be with me” u; which he had the utmost reason to believe he would, since he had not only promised it, but had so lately granted him his presence in a very singular and remarkable manner, referring to the promise of God, Ge 28:15:
and will keep me in this way that I go; as he had said he would, and as hitherto he had, and for the future he had reason to believe he still would:
and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on; which is included in that clause, “I will not leave thee”, c. Ge 28:15, even not without food and raiment which is all men can desire or use, and therefore with them should be content.
t “quum”, Junius Tremellius so Ainsworth. u Quandoquidem, Tigurine version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Lastly, Jacob made a vow: that if God would give him the promised protection on his journey, and bring him back in safety to his father’s house, Jehovah should be his God ( in Gen 28:21 commences the apodosis), the stone which he had set up should be a house of God, and Jehovah should receive a tenth of all that He gave to him. It is to be noticed here, that Elohim is used in the protasis instead of Jehovah, as constituting the essence of the vow: if Jehovah, who had appeared to him, proved Himself to be God by fulfilling His promise, then he would acknowledge and worship Him as his God, by making the stone thus set up into a house of God, i.e., a place of sacrifice, and by tithing all his possessions. With regard to the fulfilment of this vow, we learn from Gen 35:7 that Jacob built an altar, and probably also dedicated the tenth to God, i.e., offered it to Jehovah; or, as some have supposed, applied it partly to the erection and preservation of the altar, and partly to burnt and thank-offerings combined with sacrificial meals, according to the analogy of Deu 14:28-29 (cf. Gen 31:54; Gen 46:1).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
20. And Jacob vowed a vow. The design of this vow was, that Jacob would manifest his gratitude, if God should prove favorable unto him. Thus they offered peace-offerings under the law, to testify their gratitude; and since thanksgiving is a sacrifice of a sweet odour, the Lord declares vows of this nature to be acceptable to him; and therefore we must also have respect to this point, when we are asked what and how it is lawful to vow to God; for some are too fastidious, who would utterly condemn all vows rather than open the door to superstitions. But if the rashness of those persons is perverse, who indiscriminately pour forth their vows, we must also beware lest we become like those on the opposite side, who disallow all vows without exception. Now, in order that a vow may be lawful and pleasing to God, it is first necessary that it should tend to a right end; and next, that men should devote nothing by a vow but what is in itself approved by God, and what he has placed within their own power. When the separate parts of this vow are examined, we shall see holy Jacob so regulating his conduct as to omit none of these things which I have mentioned. In the first place, he has nothing else in his mind than to testify his gratitude. Secondly, he confines whatever he is about to do, to the lawful worship of God. Inthe third place, he does not proudly promise what he had not the power to perform, but devotes the tithe of his goods as a sacred oblation. Wherefore, the folly of the Papists is easily refuted; who, in order to justify their own confused farrago of vows, catch at one or another vow, soberly conceived, as a precedent, when in the meantime their own license exceeds all bounds. Whatever comes uppermost they are not ashamed to obtrude upon God. One man makes his worship to consist in abstinence from flesh, another in pilgrimages, a third in sanctifyingcertain days by the use of sackcloth, or by other things of the same kind; and not to God only do they make their vows, but also admit any dead person they please into a participation of this honor. They arrogate to themselves the choice of perpetual celibacy. What do they find in the example of Jacob which has any similitude or affinity to such rashness, that they should hence catch at such a covering for themselves? But, for the purpose of bringing all these things clearly to light, we must first enter upon an explanation of the words. It may seem absurd that Jacob here makes a covenant with God, to be his worshipper, if he will give him what he desires; as if truly he did not intend to worship God for nothing. I answer, that, by interposing this condition, Jacob did not by any means act from distrust, as if he doubted of God’s continual protection; but that in this manner made provision against his own infirmity, in preparing himself to celebrate the divine goodness by a vow previously made. (61) The superstitious deal with God just as they do with mortal man; they try to soothe him with their allurements. The design of Jacob was far different; namely, that he might the more effectually stimulate himself to the duties of religion. He had often heard from the mouth of God, I will be always with thee; and he annexes his vow as an appendage to that promise. He seems indeed, at first sight, like a mercenary, acting in a servile manner; but since he depends entirely upon the promises given unto him, and forms both his language and his affections in accordance with them, he aims at nothing but the confirmation of his faith, and gathers together those aids which he knows to be suitable to his infirmity. When, therefore, he speaks of food and clothing, we must not, on that account, accuse him of solicitude respecting this earthly life alone; whereas he rather contends, like a valiant champion, against violent temptations. He found himself in want of all things; hunger and nakedness were continually threatening him with death, not to mention his other innumerable dangers: therefore he arms himself with confidence, that he might proceed through all difficulties and obstacles, being fully assured that every kind of assistance was laid up for him in the grace of God: for he confesses himself to be in extreme destitution, when he says, If the Lord will supply me with food and raiment. It may nevertheless be asked, since his grandfather Abraham had sent his servant with a splendid retinue, with camels and precious ornaments; why does Isaac now send away his son without a single companion, and almost without provisions? It is possible that he was thus dismissed, that the mind of cruel Esau might be moved to tenderness by a spectacle so miserable. Yet, in my judgment, another reason was of greater weight; for Abraham, fearing lest his son Isaac should remain with his relatives, took an oath from his servant that he would not suffer his son to go into Mesopotamia. But now, since necessity compels holy Isaac to determine differently for his son Jacob; he, at least, takes care not to do anything which might retard his return. He therefore supplies him with no wealth, and with no delicacies which might ensnare his mind, but purposely sends him away poor and empty, that he might be the more ready to return. Thus we see that Jacob preferred his father’s house to all kingdoms, and had no desire of settled repose elsewhere.
(61) See desposant a celebrer la bonnet de Dieu, en se vouant expressement a luy. Preparing himself to celebrate the goodness of God, in devoting himself expressly to him. — Fr. Tr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
JACOBOR A MODEL VOW FOR A YOUNG MAN
Gen 28:20-22
THOSE of you who have been in attendance upon our Sunday morning services, have recently had your memory of Jacobs life freshened by a special study of the chapters containing his personal history. It is the history of one who began life dominated by one evil passion, namely, that of taking advantage of his fellows. It came to him as an inheritance from his mothers nature; it manifested itself in the natal hour and gave rise to the name of Jacob or Supplanter. It led him to wrong his brother Esau. It incited him to deceive his old father Isaac. It made him more than a match for his shrewd father-in-law Laban, and it proved that Jacob was possessed of abilities which, when he was converted, would make him a man of power. The text of this evening found occasion when Jacob was on his way to the home of his forefathers in search of a wife. Dwelling as he had been in the midst of an idolatrous people he must, like Esau, bring sorrow to the heart of his father and weariness to his mother by wedding one of the daughters of Heth, or else thread his way from southern Palestine to Padanaram and take a wife from the daughters of Laban, his mothers brother.
Now Jacob was a man who, while dominated by the passion for gain, nevertheless kept in high regard the religious convictions of his fathers, and was ready at once to act upon the suggestion of visiting the house of Betheul in search of a wife. It was while on this journey of many days that, being weary, he lay down to sleep and rested his head upon a stone. It is no wonder that he dreamed; the marvel is that his dream was so blessed, bringing to him the vision of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with the angels of God ascending and descending upon it. And behold the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac. And it was upon waking to this sense of the Divine Presence, and to the realization of Gods beneficent will that Jacob called the place Bethel and took the vow of this nights text.
It occurred to me, therefore, that these words contained a model vow for every young man, for the time comes when one is leaving his fathers house and is going forth in search of station and success, purposing to establish himself and build up a house of his own. It would seem indeed that God would be interested in us at that particular juncture of life, and would reveal Himself to us as a beneficent friend, and would be ready to form with us a covenant just such as that which he made with the young man Jacob.
I am quite confident also that the wise young man will never launch out into that wider and more responsible life which comes when we leave home and begin our careers upon a more independent basis, without realizing his need of God. It is a good time then to commune with Him, to enter into covenant with Him, and take upon ones self vows unto Him, and I hold this pledge of Jacobs, aside from its selfishness, to be a model one in many respects.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone which I have set for a pillar, shall be Gods house, and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.
Jacob regarded God as
THE ALL-SUFFICIENT GUIDE.
He recognized his need of Gods presence.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me.
Perhaps no one has better expressed the thought of benefit from a holy presence than Drummond does in The Changed Life. You remember he says, There are some men, and some women, in whose company we are always at our best. While with them we cannot think mean thoughts or speak ungenerous words, their mere presence is elevation, purification, sanctity. All the best stops in our nature are drawn out by their intercourse and we find music in our souls that was never there before. Now if it be true that the friendship of a good man tends to godly living, how much more the fellowship of the Father Himself? I dont wonder that Enoch was a good manEnoch walked with God. I dont wonder that Moses was a good man, God walked with him. And I dont wonder that Jacob came to be a good man, for in our text Jacob pleads with God to become his companion. It is not when God is with us that we go wrong, it is only when we have turned our backs upon Him.
There are some sons who dont want the father with them when they go into the streets at even time because his presence would prevent their evil practices. And any man who goes his way though this world without God gives a practical testimony to the fact that he prefers sin to sacred communion. And every man who begins his day by pleading with God to come and walk with him evidences in that fact his sense of need and his disposition to do right and to be right.
Jacobs vow also presents another thought, namely, his conscious need of Gods preserving power.
Jacob vowed a vow saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go.
No man ever outgrows his nursery rhyme, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. In fact the older one grows the greater his need of being kept. The increase in his temptations necessitates the constant presence of a preserving God. Especially when one has come away from home, away from fathers counsel, away from the holy atmosphere of a mothers love, away from all the restraining influences felt in every well-regulated house; then it is indeed he needs to be preserved by an infinite power. When one is thrown into society where invitations to break his total abstinence habits, to begin gambling on the small scale of the social game, to go into theaters where the whole atmosphere tends to take away the enamel of high moral living; then one needs to be preserved by a higher power. If he doesnt have God to keep him at this time of life, and under these circumstances of temptation, he will soon be the subject of angels pity.
There are some men that never see this necessity. They hold themselves and their own abilities in such esteem that they half scorn the suggestion of help from a higher power. They have no vows to make to God and no favors to ask from God. All the pet vices of society find in them defenders. They hold in contempt the young churchmen who frankly confess their fear of the tempter and who rejoice that in the hour of trial they can turn for help to Him who holdeth the worlds in His hands.
If Jacob had belonged to the company of those who bent not the knee to God, nor made any appeal to His preserving power, he would never have been heard from. Or, if his memory had remained, it would have been like Esaus, stained by a cheap selling-out of material and spiritual interests. But Jacob was wise. He plead with God to keep him in the way, and every man who does that ought to remember the Psalmists words and be comforted, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Mr. Moody once said, I suppose if Queen Victoria had to take care of the crown of England, some thief might attempt to get access to it, but it is put away in the tower of London and guarded night and day by soldiers. The whole English army would, if necessary, be called out to protect it. But every man who will have it so has better protection still in the infinite power of Jacobs preserving God. Despite Satans cunning and his superhuman ability, God encourages His own by speaking through Isaiah, Fear not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Gen 41:10).
Paul also says, I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him. While Jude, out of a rich experience of fellowship with the Father, makes Him to say, I am able to keep you from falling.
Jacob also realized his need of Divine guidance.
And will keep me in the way that I go.
Jacob was not one of those men who believed that he could choose the path of life for himself. He had seen many another, apparently as wise as he, make shipwreck of it and he didnt propose to follow in the wake of their folly by disregarding God.
I had in one of my meetings a young man who spent the entire time smirking at his comrades and at some silly girls, and it was evident that nothing said was having the least effect upon him. So soon as the after-meeting was begun I went down and asked him if he wouldnt like to be a Christian, and he answered me, Well, we dont all believe alike, you know. Then I inquired, What do you believe?. He hesitated, as if it was difficult to formulate his faith, and I asked, Do you believe the Bible?. He answered that he didnt know that he did. Then I inquired, When did you read it last?. After some confusion he confessed he hadnt seen one for years. No guidance for him from God. He didnt think he needed any. It would be difficult for one to be more certain of making failure and shipwreck of life than that young man is certain of making. The man who doesnt see his need of Divine guidance is extremely short-sighted, is indeed blind to all of the most serious facts of life.
A visitor at the White House during the days of the Civil War said, I had been spending three weeks in the White House with Mr. Lincoln as his guest. One nightit was just after the battle of Bull RunI was restless and could not sleep. It was coming near to the dawn when I heard low tones proceeding from a private room where the President slept. The door was partly open. I instinctively walked in and there I saw a sight which I shall never forget. It was the President kneeling before an open Bible. The light was turned low in the room. His back was turned toward me. I shall never forget his tones, so pitiful and so sorrowful, Oh, Thou God that heard Solomon in the night when he prayed for wisdom, hear me! I cannot lead this people, I cannot guide the affairs of this nation without help. I am poor and weak and sinful. Oh, God, Thou who didst hear Solomon when he cried for wisdom, hear me and save this nation! It is an indication of Lincolns greatness that he realized so deeply his need of Divine guidance. Who doubts that God heard and answered that agonizing cry and gave the president wisdom? If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.
Jacob also regarded God as
THE GIVER OF ALL GOOD.
He appeals to Him for food and raiment.
If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on.
The Lords prayer contains no more important petition than this, Give us this day our daily bread, and no man has realized his true dependence upon Gods bounty until he can pray that prayer, knowing that it must be answered or he will go hungry. No matter how shrewd he may be, nor how full of energy, it is not within the power of man to make bread or to create raiment. Every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights. When one realizes that fact he is likely to follow Jacobs example and ask only for the necessities of life, not its luxuries. It has long been a matter of interest to me to see how the man of Jacobic spirit, the man who is content with and even grateful for the common blessings, comes often into possession of the greatest means or reaches unto the highest attainments. Jacob now asks only for bread and raiment, but follow him and you find that God gives him great riches. I have been interested in seeing how George Mueller, when he began his great work for orphans, did not think of a tremendous enterprise, but only of a modest one. His first prayer was for a thousand pounds and some suitable persons to take care of children. The first answer to that petition was in the form of a single shilling from a poor missionary and a sister who offered her services for the work. By and by Mueller rented a house and arranged for the reception of thirty orphan girls. At the time that seemed to him a great beginning. A few years, and lo, God had put into his hands six magnificent institutions, a hundred and eighty-nine missionaries, about a hundred schools, with nine thousand scholars in them, and a large tract society to be supported in addition to the hundreds of little ones who looked to him for every crumb that satisfied their hunger. And lo, God raised up contributors to keep all this wonderful work going. He asked for food and raiment for a few waifs. God answered with such grace as to make him a father to thousands and the founder of one of the most wonderful institutions of the century.
Jacob also depended upon God for a successful journey. He wanted to go to the house of Bethuel in Padan-aram, and bring back a wife to the house of Isaac and Rebecca. His heart was set on the round trip. He seems to have appreciated his fathers house and to have felt that true prosperity would mean his being returned to that place, there to live and die.
Few young men feel so when first they are quitting the house of youth. Many entertain the opinion that almost any place is preferable to that of their childish experiences. But the rule is as men grow older their hearts turn again to the home of childhood and many a man has an abiding ambition to go back to the scenes of childhood and there spend his last days. The longer one remains away from the home of his youth the more blessed and beautiful that home seems to him, and the more he marvels at the poor appreciation he had of it when, in the early time, all of its attractions entered into his experience. Goldsmith has beautifully expressed this thought in his poem, The Deserted Village by saying,
In all my wandrings round this world of care,
In all my griefsand God has given my share
I still had hopes, my latest hours to crown,
Amidst these humble bowers to lay me down;
To husband out lifes taper at the close,
And keep the flame from wasting, by repose;
I still had hopesfor pride attends us still
Amidst the swains to show my book-learnd skill,
Around my fire an evening group to draw,
And tell of all I felt and all I saw;
And as a hare, whom hounds and horns pursue,
Pants to the place from whence at first she flew,
I still had hopes, my long vexations past,
Here to returnand die at home at last.
It was that desire that Jacob voiced in his prayer, and no man can read this petition without realizing that in a few sentences Jacob laid before God the essential blessings and begged them.
But to his pleading Jacob added his pledge. He promised God
A PERSONAL ALLEGIANCE.
If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be Gods house, and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.
Here is a definite pledge to three things.
First of all he promised himself. Then shall the Lord be my God. Jacob meant by that sentence that out of all the gods that are asking for worshippers in this idol-ridden land I give myself to Jehovah. That is the gift that God desires above all others. Christ didnt die for our possessions, He died for us, and Gods first requirement from man is not a contribution of his means but an offer of his being upon the altar of love. Oh, that men might realize this! There are those who imagine that to make a great money offering to some righteous cause would be most acceptable to the Lord. But those who have money to offer realize that with God their gifts of silver and gold are of secondary moment. Helen Gould Shepherd, that Christian woman who is making a name to be universally loved and honored, is reported to have said recently that those who give their lives to bless their needy fellows made an offering far more acceptable to God than any mere contribution of money can be, and she was right.
Wendell Phillips was brought up in a wealthy house and had he desired to do so might have satisfied a sort of conscience by contributing silver and gold to good causes, while keeping himself from the altar. But one day he heard Lyman Beecher preach and when the sermon was over he went to his room and threw himself upon the floor and cried, Oh, God, I belong to Thee, take what is Thine!. That was the best contribution he ever made to Gods causehimself.
Do you remember Mr. Moodys story of the man who went to California in the early fifties, and who, by gold-digging, was rapidly making a fortune, and every month or so sent back to his wife an increasing amount of money? When this had been going on for a good while she grew sick of it all and sent him a letter saying, Husband, come home, it is not money that we want, we want you!. That is what God wants, first and foremost, you and me. Jacob pleased him best when he promised his personal allegiance.
Jacob pledged him worship.
This stone which 1 have set up for a pillar shall be Gods house.
There are so many people nowadays who seem to think that Christianity consists in making such a credible confession of faith as will secure ones admission into the church. Once in they are at ease in Zion and troubled by no convictions of duty. Religion with them is like the old womans umbrella. Charles Spurgeon says, A youth was leaving his aunts house and as he stepped from the door he found the rain falling. Turning back into the hall he caught up an umbrella which was snugly standing in a corner and was proceeding to open it when the old lady took note of his purpose and springing toward him, said, No, No! that you never shall, I have had that umbrella twenty-three years and it has never been wetted yet, and I am sure it shant be wetted now. Then Mr. Spurgeon moralizes, saying that it is so with some folks religion, it is none the worse for wear!
But when Jacob gave himself to God, he deliberately planned to worship God. He proposed to erect an altar to God and there bow the knee until the very place had become one of Gods habitation. Oh, I think I see in this pledge one of the most important promises a man can make. Few things are more difficult than to give God His rightful place in the family; few things more difficult than to keep the altar fires burning; few things more difficult than so to conduct yourself at your own home, daily, as to make it a fit habitation for the Holy One; few things more difficult than to keep in that close communion with Him that leaves ones soul without self-condemnation; few things so difficult as to live our lives in whatsoever place, and under whatsoever circumstances we may have to live it, in such a way that God can approve of it, and God can employ it to His praise. The man or the woman who does that has accomplished the mightiest triumph, has achieved the most marvelous victory! He who pleases God need not care whether he win the applause of men; he who pleases God can be alike indifferent to the commendation of friends or the defamation of foes. Truly, as Henry Van Dyke says, There is One that seeth in secret, and followeth the soul in all its struggles, the great Kingwhose approval is honor, whose love is happiness. To please Him is success and victory and peace!.
Then Jacob proposed a tithe.
And, of all that Thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.
Unconverted Jacob was a better Christian in behavior than many a modern who is a church-member. There is no truer test of a mans religion than is found in his disposition of his means. This test applies not alone to those who are millionaires but to the humblest among us as well. Do you remember how Dwight Hillis in his book, The Investment of Influence, says, Working among the poor of London, an English author searched out the life career of an apple-woman. Her story makes the history of kings and queens contemptible! Events had appointed her to poverty, hunger, cold and two rooms in a tenement. But there were three orphan boys sleeping in an ashbox whose lot was harder. She dedicated her heart and life to the little waifs. During two and forty years she mothered and reared some twenty orphans, gave them home and bed and food, taught them all she knew, helped some to obtain a scant knowledge of the trades, helped others off to Canada and America. The author says, She had misshapen features, but that an exquisite smile was on the dead face. It must have been so, she had a beautiful soul, as Emerson said of Longfellow. Poverty disfigured the apple-womans garret, and want made it wretched, nevertheless Gods most beautiful angels hovered over her humble home. Like a broken vase the perfume of her being will sweeten literature and society a thousand years after we are gone.
That is what God wants, your soul first of all, an altar kindled with the flame of your affections, and a sense of stewardship which shall make it a privilege to share prosperity with its Author.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
8. The Vow, Gen. 28:20-22.
Gen. 28:20A vow is a solemn promise made to God, by which we bind ourselves more strictly to necessary duty, or what indifferent things are calculated to promote it (Psa. 76:11; Psa. 119:106; Isa. 19:21; Isa. 44:4-5; Isa. 45:23; 2Co. 8:5; Deu. 5:2-3; Deu. 29:1; Deu. 29:12-13; Jos. 24:25; 2Ki. 11:17; 2Ch. 29:10, 2Ch. 34:31-33; Ezr. 10:3; Neh. 9:10; Act. 18:18; Act. 21:23-24), and that either in thankfulness for some mercy received (Jon. 1:16), or for obtaining some special benefit (Num. 21:1-2; Jdg. 11:30; 2Sa. 1:11; Pro. 31:2) (SIBG, 260). This vow has often been presented in a light injurious to the character of Jacob, as indicating that his mind was so wholly engrossed with his present state and necessities that he felt no interest in the temporal blessings guaranteed to his posterity, or in the spiritual good which, through their medium, would be conveyed in remote ages to the world at large; and that, so far from having exalted views of the providential government of God, he confined his thoughts exclusively to his personal affairs and his immediate protection, as well as suspended his devotedness to the Divine service on condition of Gods pledges being redeemed. But it should be borne in mind that it was in consequence of the vision, and of the promises made to him during the night, in the most unexpected manner, by the Divine Being, that he vowed his vow the next morninga view indicative of his profound feelings of gratitude, as well as of reverence, and intended to be simply responsive to the terms in which the grace of his heavenly Benefactor and Guardian was tendered. Nay, so far is he from betraying a selfish and worldly spirit, the moderation of his desires is remarkable; and the vow, when placed in a just light, will be seen to evince the simplicity and piety of Jacobs mind. Our translators have given rise to the mistaken impressions that so generally prevail in regard to Jacobs vow, by the insertion of the word then in Gen. 28:21. But the apodosis properly begins in the verse followingthen shall this stone, etc. (It should be noted that the versification is clarified in the ARV). The words of Jacob are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let if be changed into since, and the language will appear a proper expression of Jacobs faithan evidence of his having truly embraced the promise. And the vow as recorded should stand thus: If (since) God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace; and if (since) the Lord shall be my God, then this stone which I have set up for a pillar, shall be Gods house, where I shall erect an altar and worship Him (Jamieson, CECG, 201). Note that the conditions correspond with the Divine promise; that is, they are not really conditions at all, but a reiteration of the elements of the promise: (1) the presence of God, (2) Divine protection, (3) a safe return to his fathers house, which naturally includes the provision of food and raiment. If God will be with me. This is not the condition on which Jacob will accept God in a mercenary spirit. It is merely the echo and the thankful acknowledgement of the divine assurance, I am with thee, which was given immediately before. It is the response of the son to the assurance of the father: Wilt thou indeed be with me? Thou shalt be my God (Murphy, MG, 388). Gen. 28:21 aowned and worshipped by me and my family, as the author of our whole happiness, and as our valuable and everlasting portion (SIBG, 260; cf. Exo. 15:2, Psa. 118:27-29). It should be noted again that Jacob said, How awe-inspiring is this placenot this stone Gen. 28:17. Indeed, this stone, said Jacob in reply, shall be Gods house, that is, a monument of the presence of God among His people, and a symbol of the indwelling of his Spirit in their hearts (MG, 388). In enumerating protection, food, clothing and safe return Jacob is not displaying a mind ignorant of higher values but merely unfolding the potentialities of Gods promise (Gen. 28:15), I will keep thee and bring thee again, etc. When he said, If Yahweh will be God to me, he is paraphrasing the promise (Gen. 28:15): I am with thee. Consequently, in all this Jacob is not betraying a cheap, mercenary spirit, bargaining with God for food and drink and saying, If I get these, then Yahweh shall be my God. That would be about the cheapest case of arrogant bargaining with God recorded anywhere. . . . The Lord was his God. Jacob was not an unconverted man still debating whether or not to be on the Lords side and here making an advantageous bargain out of the case. They who postpone his conversion to a time twenty years later at the river Jabbock completely misunderstand Jacob. Not only does the construction of the Hebrew allow for our interpretation, it even suggests it. The if clauses of the protasis all run along after the same pattern as converted perfectsfuture: if he will, etc., if Yahweh will be, or prove Himself, God to me. Then to make the beginning of the apodosis prominent comes a new construction: noun first, then adjective clause, then verb (Leupold, EG, 780). (Gen. 28:20-21 form the protasis and Gen. 28:22 the apodosis). By the phrase, house of God, evidently Jacob does not indicate a temple but a sacred spot, a sanctuary, which he proposes to establish and perpetuate. Just how Jacob carried out his vow is reported in Gen. 35:1-7 : here, we are told, he built an altar to Yahweh on this spot, this place (Gen. 28:17). Nothing is reported in ch. 35 about the tithe, perhaps because that is presupposed as the condition upon which the maintenance of the sanctuary depended. The silence of the Scriptures on, this latter point by no means indicates that it was neglected (EG, 781).
The second part of Jacobs vow was that of the tithe: Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee (Gen. 28:22). Some authorities tell us that the case of Jacob affords another proof that the practice of voluntary tithing was known and observed antecedent to the time of Moses. Still and all, it is interesting to note that in Jacobs vow we have only the second Scripture reference to the voluntary tithe. The first reference occurs in Gen. 14:20, where we are told that Abraham paid the King priest Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils (goods) he brought back from his victory over the invading kings from the East. (Incidentally, the fact that this is one of the only two references to the tithe in the book of Genesis, enhances the mystery of the identity of this King-Priest, does it not?) The number ten being the one that concludes the prime numbers, expresses the idea of completion, of some whole thing. Almost all nations, in paying tithes of all their income, and frequently, indeed, as a sacred revenue, thus wished to testify that their whole property belonged to God, and thus to have a sanctified use and enjoyment of what was left. The idea of Jacobs ladder, of the protecting hosts of angels, of the house of God and its sublime terrors, of the gate of heaven, of the symbolical significance of the oil, of the vow, and of the tithesall these constitute a blessing of this consecrated night of Jacobs life (Lange, CDHCG, 523)., The appropriation of this proportion of income or produce for pious or charitable purposes seems to have been a primitive practice, and hence Jacob vowed to give a tenth of whatever gains he might acquire through the blessing of Providence (ch. Gen. 14:20). It was continued under the, Mosaic economy, with this difference, that what had been in patriarchal times a free-will offering, was made a kind of tax, a regular impost for supporting the consecrated tribe of Levi (Jamieson, CECG, 201). I will surely give the tenth unto Thee. In the form of sacrifices (SC, 167). With regard to the fulfilment of this vow, we learn from chap. 3.Gen. 5:7 that Jacob built an altar, and probably also dedicated the tenth to God, i.e., offered it to Jehovah; or, as some have supposed, applied it partly to the erection and preservation of the altar, and partly to burnt and thank-offerings combined with sacrificial meals, according to the analogy of Deu. 14:28-29 (cf. chap. Gen. 31:54, Gen. 46:1) (BCOTP, 283). A tenth I will surely give unto thee. The honored guest is treated as one of the family. Ten is the whole: a tenth is a share of the whole. The Lord of all receives one share as an acknowledgment of his sovereign right to all, Here it is represented as the full share given to the king who condescends to dwell with his subjects. Thus Jacob opens his heart, his home, and his treasure to God. These are the simple elements of a theocracy, a national establishment of the true religion. The spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, has begun to reign to Jacob. As the Father is prominently manifested in regenerate Abraham, and the Son in Isaac, so also is the Spirit in Jacob (Murphy, MG, 388). (For the involuntarylegaltithes required under the Mosaic economy, see the following: Lev. 27:30 ff.; Num. 18:21-28; Deu. 12:5-18; Deu. 14:22-29; Deu. 26:12-14; 2Ch. 31:5; 2Ch. 31:12; 2Ch. 31:19; Neh. 12:44; Amo. 4:4; Mat. 23:23; Luk. 11:42; Luk. 18:12; Heb. 7:5-8, etc. (See also especially Ungers Bible Dictionary, UBD, under tithe, p. 1103).
9. Summarizations
1. With respect to Jacobs pillar: The custom of the sacred pillar (matzeba) is one of the central foundations of the patriarchal beliefs, and many of them have been discovered. They are usually small rectangles, flat and thin, more like small and humble grave-stones of today. They appear to have been erected chiefly to commemorate a theophany, a vow or sacred covenant rite, or even an ancestor or important official. The recent excavations at Hazor and other ancient sites have produced sacred slabs of this sort (Cornfeld, AtD, 82). It should be noted, of course, that these sacred pillars are not to be interpreted as fetishes (i.e., as having magical powers), but as memorials. It is important that we keep this fact in mind. (Cf. the tendency to corrupt the significance of the Lords Supper in this way by theshall I say, magical?dogma of transubstantiation).
2. With respect to Jacobs vow, note the following clarifying comment in Gen. 28:20-22 : Jacob here was not expressing doubt as to whether God would keep His promise of Gen. 28:13-15; he used the particle if in the sense of on the basis of the fact that (cf. Rom. 8:31 : If God is for us). Nor was he necessarily making a bargain with God, as if he would bribe Him to keep His word. He was simply specifying in the form of a vow the particular expression he would give to his gratitude for Gods surprising and wholly undeserved favor. This became a customary type of thanksgiving in Israelite practice and was of ten solemnized by a votive offering (HSB, 47).
3. With respect to the dream-vision: The dream vision is a comprehensive summary of the history of the Old Covenant. As Jacob is now at the starting-point of his independent development, Jehovah now stands above the ladder, appears in the beginning of his descent, and since the end of the ladder is by Jacob, it is clear that Jehovah descends to him, the ancestor and representative of the chosen people. But the whole history of the Old Covenant is nothing else than, on the one side, the history of the successive descending of God, to the incarnation in the seed of Jacob, and on the other, the successive steps of progress in Jacob and his seed towards the preparation to receive the personal fulness of the divine nature into itself. The vision reaches its fulfilment and goal in the sinking of the personal fulness of God into the helpless and weak human nature in the incarnation of Christ (Gosman, CDHCG, 522).
4. On Jacobs response to the Divine Promise. If God is to me Jehovah, then Jehovah shall be to me God. If the Lord of the angels and the world proves himself to me a covenant God, then will I glorify in my covenant God, the Lord of the whole world. There is clear evidence that Jacob was now a child of God. He takes God to be his God in covenant, with whom he will live. He goes out in reliance upon the divine promise, and yields himself to the divine control, rendering to God the homage of a loving and grateful heart. But what a progress there is between Bethel and Peniel. Grace reigns within him, but not without a conflict. The powers and tendencies of evil are still at work. He yields too readily to their urgent solicitation. Still, grace and the principles of a renewed man, gain a stronger hold, and become more and more controlling. Under the loving but faithful discipline of God, he is gaining in his faith, until, in the great crisis of his life, Mahanaim and Peniel, and the new revelation then given to him, it receives a large and sudden increase. He is thenceforth trusting, serene, and established, strengthened and settled, and passes into the quiet life of the triumphant believer (Gosman, ibid., 523).
5. With respect to Jacobs character, most commentators hold that the experience at Bethel was the turning-point in his religious life. Hear the surprise in Jacobs cry as he awakened from his sleep. . . . What less likely place and timeso it had seemed to himcould there be for God to manifest himself? He had come to one of the bleakest and most forbidding spots a man could have chanced upon. It was no pleasant meadow, no green oasis, no sheltered valley. It was a hilltop of barren rock; and its barrenness seemed to represent at that moment Jacobs claim on life. He was a fugitive, and he was afraid. His mother had told him to go off for a few days, and then she would send and bring him home. But Jacob may have had a better idea of the truth: that it would be no few days but a long time of punishing exile before he could ever dare to return. There was good reason to feel that he was alone with emptiness. When he had lain down to sleep, he was a long way off from the place of his clever and successful schemes. There was nothing to measure his own little soul against except the silent and dreadful immensities he saw from the height of Bethel: the empty earth, the sky, the stars. Yet the strange fact was that there existed in Jacobs soul something to which God could speak. Unprepossessing though he was, he was capable of response to more than the things of flesh and sense. He had not despised or ignored his inheritance. He knew that it was faith in God that had given dignity to Abraham and Isaac, and he had a hungereven if mixed with basenessto get his own life into touch with God. When such a man is confronted in his solitariness with the sublimity of the hills and the awful mystery of the marching stars, he may be capable of great conceptions which begin to take shape in his subconscious, In his dreams he sees not only nature, but the gates of heaven. Yet how many there are who fall short of Jacob in thismen in whom solitariness produces nothing, who will fall asleep but will not dream, who when they are forced to be alone are either bored or. frightened. Out of the aloneness they dread they get nothing, because they have not kept the seed of religion that in their hour of need and crisis might have quickened their souls (IB, 690).
He made a solemn vow upon this occasion, Gen. 28:20-22. When God ratifies his promises to us, it is proper for us to repeat our promises to him. Now in this vow, observe, 1. Jacobs faith. God had said (Gen. 28:15), I am with thee, and will keep thee. Jacob takes hold of this, and infers, I depend upon it. 2. Jacobs modesty and great moderation in his desires. He will cheerfully content himself with bread to eat, and raiment to put on. Nature is content with a little, and grace with less. 3. Jacobs piety, and his regard to God, which appear here (1) in what he desired, that God would be with him, and keep him (2) In what he designed. His resolution is: (1) In general, to cleave to the Lord, as his God in covenant, Then shall the Lord be my God. (2) In particular, that he would perform some special acts of devotion, in token of his gratitude. First, This pillar shall keep possession here till I come back in peace, and then an altar shall be erected here to the honor of God. Secondly, The house of God shall not be unfurnished, nor his altar without a sacrifice: Of all that thou shall give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee, to be spent either upon Gods altars or upon his poor, both which are his receivers in the world (M. Henry, CWB, 49).
With reference to Jacobs spiritual condition at Bethel, the other side of the coin, so to speak, is presented by the well-known commentator on the Pentateuch, C. H. Mackintosh, as follows: Now this vision of Jacobs is a very blessed disclosure of divine grace to Israel. We have been led to see something of Jacobs real character, something, too, of his real condition; both were evidently such as to show that it should either be divine grace for him, or nothing. By birth he had no claim; nor yet by character. Esau might have put forward some claim on both these grounds (i.e., provided Gods prerogatives were set aside), but Jacob had no claim whatsoever; and hence, while Esau could only stand upon the exclusion of Gods prerogative, Jacob could only stand upon the introduction and establishment thereof. Jacob was such a sinner, and so utterly divested of all claim, both by birth and by practice, that he had nothing whatever to rest upon save Gods purpose of pure, free, and sovereign grace. Hence, in the revelation which the Lord makes to His chosen servant in the passage just quoted, it is a simple record or prediction of what He Himself would yet do. I am . . . I will give . . . I will keep . . . I will bring . . . I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. It was all Himself. There is no condition whateverno if or but; for when grace acts, there can be no such thing. Where there is an if, it cannot possibly be grace. Not that God cannot put man into a position of responsibility, in which He must needs address him with an if. We know He can; but Jacob asleep on a pillow of stone was not in a position of responsibility, but of the deepest helplessness and need; and therefore he was in a position to receive a revelation of the fullest, richest, and most unconditional grace. Now, we cannot but own the blessedness of being in such a condition that we have nothing to rest upon save God Himself; and, moreover, that it is in the most perfect establishment of Gods own character and prerogative that we obtain all our true joy and blessing. According to this principle, it would be an irreparable loss to us to have any ground of our own to stand upon; for in that case, God should address us on the ground of responsibility, and failure then would be inevitable. Jacob was so bad, that none but God Himself could do for him (C.H.M., NG, 284285). Again: We . . . shall now close our meditations upon this chapter with a brief notice of Jacobs bargain with God, so truly characteristic of him, and so demonstrative of the truth of the statement with respect to the shallowness of his knowledge of the divine character. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which I have set up for a pillar shall be Gods house, and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee. Observe, If God will be with me. Now the Lord had just said, emphatically, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land, etc. And yet poor Jacobs heart cannot get beyond an if, nor in its thoughts of Gods goodness, can it rise higher than bread to eat and raiment to put on. Such were the thoughts of one who had just seen the magnificent vision of the ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with the Lord standing above, and promising an innumerable seed and an everlasting possession, Jacob was evidently Unable to enter into the reality and fullness of Gods thoughts. He measured God by himself, and thus utterly failed to apprehend Him. In short, Jacob had not yet really got to the end of himself; and hence he had not really begun with God (C.H.M., ibid., 287288). (May I explain again here that Gods election of Jacob was not arbitrary, but the consequence of His foreknowledge of the basic superiority of Jacobs character over that of Esau: a fact certainly borne out by what they did in the later years of their lives and by the acts of their respective progenies. (For a study of the Scriptures, Rom. 9:12-13, Mal. 1:2-3, 2Sa. 8:14, Gen. 32:3, Gen., ch. 36, Num. 20:14-21, Isa. 34:5, see my Genesis, Vol. II pp. 241243). Gods grace is indeed extended to man fully and freely, but the application of its benefits is conditional on mans acceptance. One may try to give his friend a thousand dollars, but the gift is of no value unless and until it is accepted (cf. Joh. 3:16-17; Joh. 5:40; Joh. 14:17; Mat. 7:24-27, etc.).
REVIEW QUESTIONS ON PART FORTY
1.
How reconcile the motive which is said to have prompted Rebekah with that which is said to have prompted Isaac to send Jacob away from home?
2.
To what place did they send him and why did they send him there?
3.
State the details of the blessing which Isaac pronounced on Jacob. Why is this designated the blessing of Abraham?
4.
What prompted Esau to take another wife? Who was she, and from what parentage? Why was she chosen?
5.
How many wives did Esau have? What is suggested by their names? What further demonstration of Esaus profanity was demonstrated by his marriages?
6.
One commentator writes that Esau did not do exactly what God required but only something like it. What reasons are given for this criticism?
7.
Can Jacob be regarded as a fugitive? Explain your answer.
8.
What does the term, the place, that is, where Jacob rested, probably signify?
9.
What reasons can we give for not regarding this as a cult-place?
10.
What function did the stone pillow serve on which Jacob rested his head?
11.
Is there any reason that we should look upon this as a charmed stone?
12.
Would not such an interpretation be importing superstition into this story?
13.
What is the commonsense interpretation of this use of a stone for a head place?
14.
What did Jacob see in his dream-vision?
15.
What physical conditions probably directed the course of Jacobs dream?
16.
What dream-image does the word ladder suggest?
17.
What spiritual truths are indicated by the ladder and by the angels ascending and descending on it?
18.
In what way was the ladder a type of Messiah?
19.
Where in the New Testament do we find this truth stated?
20.
Whom did Jacob find standing by him?
21.
What three general promises were renewed by Yahweh at this time?
22.
What was the renewed promise with respect to Jacobs seed?
23.
What did Yahweh promise with regard to Jacob personally?
24.
Recapitulate all the elements of the Divine Promise. Explain how it was a renewal of the Abrahamic Promise.
25.
What was Jacobs emotion on awakening from his dream?
26.
What is indicated by his exclamation, How dreadful is this place!
27.
What is indicated by his outcry, Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I knew it not?
28.
What is indicated by his two statements, This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven?
29.
Does the alleged dreadfulness of the place necessarily suggest any magical significance?
30.
What does the word suggest as to the being of the Deity?
31.
What did Jacob do with the stone head-place when he awakened?
32.
Did Jacob design that this pillar be an object of worship or simply a memorial of his experience there? Give reasons for your answer.
33.
What do we know about the worship of sacred stones among the ancient pagans?
34.
What significance is there in the fact that Jacob exclaimed, How dreadful is this place! rather than this stone?
35.
What was Jacobs purpose in pouring oil on the stone-pillar?
36.
What, according to Lange, is the distinction between using the stone for a pillar and anointing the stone-pillar with oil?
37.
For what various purposes was oil used among ancient peoples? From what tree did the oil come?
38.
What did the anointing with oil signify generally as a religious act?
39.
What did the use of the holy anointing oil in Old Testament times signify?
40.
When and where was it used for the first time for this purpose?
41.
What three classes of leaders were formally inducted into their respective offices by the ritual of the holy anointing oil?
42.
What did this ritual point forward to with respect to the title, Christ. What does this title signify?
43.
Why do we say that Christ is an authoritarian title, and not a mystical one?
44.
What name did Jacob give to this place? What does the name signify?
45.
How is the use of the related names, Luz and Bethel, to be explained?
46.
Give instances for a twofold meaning of a place-name. How is this to be accounted for?
47.
How does Dr. Speiser explain the problem of Luz and Bethel?
48.
What is Dr. Skinners view of the problem?
49.
What is Greens appraisal of the sanctuary notion?
50.
How is Bethel associated with the name of Abraham, with the children of Joseph, and with the acts, respectively, of Jeroboam and Josiah?
51.
How does Lange account for the meaning of the name Bethel}
52.
What is a vow as the term is used in Scripture. Give examples.
53.
What were the two parts of Jacobs vow in this case?
54.
How does Murphy explain the if in each of Jacobs statements?
55.
How does Jamieson explain it?
56.
How does Leupold interpret it?
57.
What are the only two instances of the voluntary tithe prior to the time of Moses?
58.
What numerological import was attached to the number ten in ancient times?
59.
What legal (involuntary) tithes were required under the Mosaic economy?
60.
What does Cornfeld tell us about the sacred pillar in patriarchal belief and practice?
61.
What is the commonsense view of the purpose of Jacobs pillar?
62.
Explain how Jacobs dream-vision is a comprehensive summary of the history of the Old Covenant.
63.
What reasons are offered for the view that Jacobs experience at Bethel was the turning-point in his life spiritually?
64.
What reason does C.H.M. give for his view that Jacob, by his vow, was trying to bargain with God? What is your conclusion in regard to the motive back of this vow?
65.
What reason have we for saying that Jacobs election to the Messianic Line was not arbitrary on Gods part?
66.
What is the derivation of the word holiness?
67.
What do we mean by the attributes of God?
68.
Where is the only Scripture in which the title Holy Father occurs, and to whom does it refer?
69.
What does Jesus have to say about calling any man father in a spiritual sense? Where is His statement found in Scripture?
70.
What are some of the titles which churchmen have arrogated to themselves for the purpose of clothing themselves with priestly and doctoral dignity?
71.
What attributes does the Holiness of God include?
72.
Why do we say that Absolute Justice is the over-all attribute of God to which even His love is subordinated? How does the doctrine of the Atonement prove this to be true?
73.
Explain Ottos teaching with respect to the dread-fulness of God. What Scripture passages support this view?
74.
Why do we say that in God absolute justice and holiness are practically identical?
75.
What are the religious lessons to be learned from the story of Jacobs ladder?
76.
What truths does this story reveal to us regarding the life and ministry of Christ?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(20-22) Then shall the Lord (Jehovah) be my God.This is a false translation, and gives a wrong sense. Jacob, in his vow, which implies no doubt on his part, but is his acceptance of the terms of the covenant, says: If Elohim will be with me, and will protect me on this journey that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and if I come again in peace to my fathers house, and Jehovah will be my Elohim, then this stone which I have set up as a pillar shall be Beth-Elohiin; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely pay thee tithes. Gen. 28:20-21 are a recapitulation of the mercies of which he was to be the recipient, while in Gen. 28:22 Jacob states what shall be his vow of gratitude.
But what was a Beth-Elohim? It has been supposed that it was a sort of cromlech, set up to be itself an object of adoration. Attention has also been called to the Baitylia, or stones possessed of a soul, which the Phnicians are said by Eusebius (Praep. Evang. i. 10) to have worshipped; and it has been thought, with some probability, that the word is a corrupt form of the Hebrew Beth-Elohim. These Baitylia. however, were meteoric stones, and their sanctity arose from their having fallen from heaven. Stones, moreover, set up at first simply as memorials may in time have been worshipped, and hence the prohibition in Lev. 26:1, Deu. 16:22; but there is no trace of any such idolatrous tendency here. Jacob apparently meant by a Beth-Elohim a place where prayer and offerings would be acceptable, because God ad manifested Himself there; and His vow signified that if, preserved by Jehovahs care, he was permitted to visit the place again, he would consecrate it to Jehovahs service, and spend there in sacrifice, or in some other way to His honour, the tithe of whatever property he might have acquired.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Vowed a vow A becoming thing to do after such revelation and promise .
If God will be with me The if does not imply doubt in God’s promise, but is the natural form of his taking God at his word: If God is going to do so much for me, then will I do something for him .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 28:20. Jacob vowed a vow, &c. This is the first time we find mention made of a vow, which was allowed then, and in after-ages, to be a part of religion, and no doubt had been inculcated upon Jacob as such by his pious ancestors. See Psa 50:14; Psa 65:1; Psa 65:13. The plain meaning of Jacob’s vow is this: “If God shall be pleased to preserve me, that I may return again to this place, then will I glorify him here in a public and remarkable manner, by adhering stedfastly to the true religion in the midst of this land of idolaters; and this place where I have set up a pillar, will I mark as my most solemn place of public worship, ch. Gen 35:3. and the tythe of all that I get before my return will I consecrate to God, either by applying it to the maintenance of the poor, or for other pious uses.” From which explication it appears that the vow has no particular and immediate reference to that internal worship of God, which is our indispensable duty at all times and in all places, otherwise we might well suppose that Jacob intended to forsake the God of his fathers during the interval; but that it refers only to special acts of gratitude and religion. Jacob’s moderation in requesting only the necessaries of life, food and raiment, shews his character in an amiable view.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 46
JACOBS VOW
Gen 28:20-22. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my fathers house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be Gods house: and of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
IT is thought by many, that it is wrong to make any kind of vows. But the propriety of making them depends on the manner in which they are made. If, for instance, we make them in our own strength; or hope that by them we can induce God to do for us what he is otherwise unwilling to perform; or imagine that the services which we stipulate to render unto God will be any compensation to him for the mercies he vouchsafes to us; we are guilty of very great presumption and folly. Vows are not intended to have the force of a bargain or compact, so as to involve the Deity in obligations of any kind; but merely to bind ourselves to the performance of something which was before indifferent, or to impress our minds more strongly with the necessity of executing some acknowledged duty. Of the former kind was Hannahs vow, that if God would graciously give unto her a man-child, she would dedicate him entirely, and for ever, to his immediate service [Note: 1Sa 1:11.]. Independently of her vow, there was no necessity that she should consecrate him to the service of the tabernacle: but she greatly desired to bear a son; and determined, that if God heard her prayer, she would testify her gratitude to him in that way. Of the latter kind was the vow which Israel made to destroy both the Canaanites and their cities, if God would but deliver them into their hands [Note: Num 21:2.]. God had before enjoined them to do this; and therefore it was their bounden duty to do it: and their vow was only a solemn engagement to execute that command; which however they could not execute, unless he should be pleased to prosper their endeavours. That such vows were not displeasing to God, we are sure; because God himself gave special directions relative to the making of them, and the rites to be observed in carrying them into execution [Note: Num 6:2; Num 6:21.]. Even under the New-Testament dispensation we find Aquila vowing a vow in Cenchrea [Note: Act 18:18.] ; and St. Paul himself uniting with others in the services, which the law prescribed to those who had the vows of Nazariteship upon them [Note: Act 21:23-24.].
The first vow of which we read, is that contained in our text: and extremely instructive it is. It shews us,
I.
Our legitimate desires
Man, as compounded of soul and body, has wants and necessities that are proper to both: and whatsoever is necessary for them both, he may reasonably and lawfully desire. We may desire,
1.
The presence and protection of God
[The Israelites in their journeys from Egypt to the promised land passed through a great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water [Note: Deu 8:15.]: and such is this world wherein we sojourn. Dangers encompass us all around: and, if left to ourselves, we never can reach in safety the land to which we go. Well therefore may we adopt the language of Moses, when Jehovah threatened to withdraw from Israel his own immediate guardianship, and to commit them to the superintendence of an angel; If thou go not up with us, carry us not up hence [Note: Exo 33:1-3; Exo 33:12-15.]. It is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps [Note: Jer 10:23.]: nor will any created aid suffice for him: his help is, and must be, in God alone. If God guide us not, we must err; if He uphold us not, we must fall; if He keep us not, we must perish. We may therefore desire Gods presence with us, and so desire it, as never to rest satisfied one moment without it. As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, says David, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God [Note: Psa 42:1-2.]. And, when he had reason to doubt whether God was with him or not, his anguish was extreme: I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they daily say unto me, Where is thy God [Note: Psa 42:9-10.] ? This was the language of the man after Gods own heart; and it should be the language also of our souls.]
2.
A competent measure of earthly comforts
[These also are necessary in this vale of tears. Food we must have to nourish our bodies, and raiment to cover us from the inclemencies of the weather: these therefore we may ask of God: beyond these we should have no desire: Having food and raiment we should be therewith content [Note: 1Ti 6:8.]. To wish for more than these is neither wise [Note: Pro 30:8-9.], nor lawfull [Note: Jer 45:5.]. Nor even for these should we be over-anxious. We should rather, like the fowls of the air, subsist on the providence of God, and leave it to Him to supply our wants in the way and measure that he shall see fit [Note: Mat 6:25-26.]. Yet it is proper that we make it a part of our daily supplications; Give us this day our daily bread.]
3.
The final possession of the promised land
[Canaan was desired by Jacob not merely as an earthly inheritance, but chiefly as an earnest of that better land which it shadowed forth. None of the patriarchs regarded it as their home: they dwelt in it as sojourners, and looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God [Note: Heb 11:9-10; Heb 11:13-16.]. There is for us also a rest which that land typified [Note: Heb 4:8-9.], and to which we should look as the end of all our labours [Note: Heb 11:26.], and the consummation of all our hopes [Note: 2Ti 4:8.]. It is the inheritance to which we are begotten [Note: 1Pe 1:3-4.], and the grace which shall surely be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ [Note: 1Pe 1:13.]. To be waiting for it with an assured confidence, and an eager desire [Note: 1Co 1:8; Php 1:23.], is the attainment to which we should continually aspire; yea, we should be looking for it and hasting to it with a kind of holy impatience [Note: 2Pe 3:12.], groaning within ourselves for it, and travailing as it were in pain, till the period for our complete possession of it shall arrive [Note: Rom 8:22-23.].]
All these things God had previously promised to Jacob [Note: 5.]: and he could not err, whilst making Gods promises the rule and measure of his desires. The engagement which he entered into, and to which he bound himself in this vow, shews us further,
II.
Our bounden duties
Though the particular engagement then made by Jacob is not binding upon us, yet the spirit of it is of universal obligation
1.
We must acknowledge God as our God
[Other lords have had dominion over us: but they are all to be cast down as usurpers; and God alone is to be seated on the throne of our hearts [Note: Isa 26:13.]. No rival is to be suffered to remain within us: idols, of whatever kind they be, are to be cast to the moles and to the bats. We must avouch the Lord to be our only, our rightful, Sovereign, whom we are to love and serve with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength. Nor is it sufficient to submit to him merely as a Being whom we are unable to oppose: we must claim him with holy triumph as our God and portion, saying with David, O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee [Note: Psa 63:1.]. It is remarkable that this very state of mind, which was yet more conspicuous in Jacob in his dying hour, is represented as characterizing the people of God under the Christian dispensation: It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him; we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation [Note: Isa 25:9 with Gen 49:18.].]
2.
To glorify him as God
[The two particulars which Jacob mentions, namely, the building of an altar to the Lord on that very spot where God had visited him, and the consecrating to his especial service a tenth of all that God in his providence should give unto him, were optional, till he by this vow had made them his bounden duty. With those particulars we have nothing to do: but there are duties of a similar nature incumbent on us all. We must maintain in our families, and promote to the utmost in the world, the worship of God; and must regard our property as his, and, after we have laboured with all our might to serve him with it, must say, All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given thee [Note: 1Ch 29:2; 1Ch 29:14.]. There must be one question ever uppermost in the mind; What can I do for God; and what can I render to him for all the benefits that he hath done unto me? Can I call the attention of others to him, so as to make him better known in the world? If I can, it shall be no obstacle to me that I am surrounded with heathens; nor will I be intimidated because I stand almost alone in the world: I will confess him openly before men: I will follow my Lord and Saviour without the camp, bearing his reproach: I will esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt: whether called to forsake all for him, or to give all to him, I will do it with alacrity, assured, that his presence in time, and his glory in eternity, will be an ample recompence for all that I can ever do or suffer for his sake. He has bought me with the inestimable price of his own blood; and therefore, God helping me, I will henceforth glorify him with my body and my spirit, which are his [Note: 1Co 6:19-20.].]
Address
1.
To those who are just entering upon the world
[Be moderate in your desires after earthly things. You can at present have no conception how little they will contribute to your real happiness. Beyond food and raiment you can have nothing that is worth a thought. Solomon, who possessed more than any other man ever did, has pronounced it all to be vanity; and not vanity only, but vexation of spirit also. And, whilst it is so incapable of adding any thing to your happiness, it subjects you to innumerable temptations [Note: 1Ti 6:9.], impedes in a very great degree your progress heaven-ward [Note: Hab 2:6.], and greatly endangers your everlasting welfare [Note: Mat 19:23-24.]. Love not the world then, nor any thing that is in it [Note: 1Jn 2:15-16.]: but set your affections altogether on things above. In your attachment to them there can be no excess. In your desire after God you cannot be too ardent: for in his presence is life, and his loving-kindness is better than life itself. Set before you the prize of your high calling, and keep it ever in view: and be assured that, when you have attained it, you will never regret any trials you sustained, or any efforts you put forth, in the pursuit of it. One hour spent in your Fathers house will richly repay them all.]
2.
To those who have been delivered from trouble
[It is common with persons in the season of deep affliction to make vows unto the Lord, and especially when drawing nigh to the borders of the grave. Now you perhaps in the hour of worldly trouble or of spiritual distress regretted that you had wasted so many precious hours in the pursuit of earthly cares and pleasures, and determined, if God should accomplish for you the wished-for deliverance, you would devote yourselves henceforth entirely to his service. But, when delivered from your sorrows, you have, like metal taken from the furnace, returned to your wonted hardness, and forgotten all the vows which were upon you. Even Hezekiah rendered not to God according to the benefits conferred upon him, and by his ingratitude brought on his whole kingdom the heaviest judgments, which would have fallen upon himself also, had he not deeply humbled himself for the pride of his heart [Note: 2Ch 32:25.]. Do ye then, Brethren, beware of trifling with Almighty God in matters of such infinite concern: it were better never to vow, than to vow and not pay [Note: Ecc 5:4-5.]. God forgets not your vows, whether you remember them or not. At the distance of twenty years he reminded Jacob of his vows; and then accepted him in the performance of them [Note: Gen 35:1; Gen 35:3; Gen 35:6-7; Gen 35:9-12.]. O beg of him to bring yours also to your remembrance! and then defer not to pay them, in a total surrender of yourselves to him, and a willing consecration of all that you possess to his service [Note: Rom 12:1; 1Co 8:3-5.].]
3.
To those whom God has prospered
[In how many is that saying verified, Jeshurun waxed fit and kicked. But, Beloved, let it not be so with you. It were better far that you were spoiled of every thing that you possess, and driven an exile into a foreign land, than that you should forget God who has done so great things for you, and rest in any portion short of that which God has prepared for them that love him. Who can tell? your prosperity may be only fattening you as sheep for the slaughter: and at the very moment you are saying, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; eat, drink, and be merry; God may be saying, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee. Know that every thing which thou hast is a talent to be improved for thy God. Hast thou wealth, or power, or influence of any kind, employ it for the honour of thy God, and for the enlargement and establishment of the Redeemers kingdom. Then shalt thou be honoured with the approbation of thy God; even with the sweetest manifestations of his love in this world, and the everlasting enjoyment of his glory in the world to come.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
A vow is a solemn transaction of the soul with God. I believe, that every truly awakened believer, desires to dedicate himself to God, when God makes known the riches of his grace to him. Gen 31:13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Ver. 20. And Jacob vowed a vow. ] The first holy vow that ever we read of: whence Jacob also is called the father of vows; which, out of this text, may be thus described. A vow is nothing else but a religious promise made to God in prayer, and grounded upon the promise of God; whereby we tie ourselves, by way of thankfulness, to do something that is lawful, and within our power; with condition of obtaining some further favour at the hands of God. Thus Jacob vows to God only: he is the sole object of fear, therefore also of vows. See them set together, Psa 76:11 . Next, he prays when he vows. E : a vow and a prayer are of near and necessary affinity. See Psa 61:8 Jdg 11:30-31 . That was a blasphemous vow of Pope Julius, that said, he would have his will, al despito di Dio . a And not unlike of Solyman the great Turk, in a speech to his soldiers: So help me great Mohammed, I vow, in despite of Christ and John, in short time to set up mine ensigns with the Moon, in the middle of the market place in Rhodes. b Jacob, as he vowed only by the fear of his father Isaac, so he presented his vow in a holy prayer, not in a hellish execration. I add, that it is a promise grounded upon God’s promise; so was Jacob’s here, in all points, as is to be seen if compared with Gen 28:15 . Next, I say, that by this vow we bind ourselves, &c. Not as casting any new snare upon ourselves thereby; but rather a new provocation to the payment of an old debt. For what can Jacob vow to God that he owes him not beforehand, without any such obligation? This he doth, too, by way of thankfulness; as doth likewise David in Psa 116:8-9 , and otherwhere. And that which he voweth is lawful and possible: not as theirs was, that vowed Paul’s death, Act 23:14 or as Julian the apostate’s, who, going against the Persians, made this vow; that if he sped well, he would offer the blood of Christians. Or as that Constable of France, who covenanted with God, that if he had the victory at St Quintin’s, he would attack Geneva. c These men thought they had made a great good bargain with God; but did not his hot wrath kindle against them? So Gerald Earl of Desmond’s Irishmen were justly consumed with famine and sword, which had barbarously vowed to forswear God, before they would forsake him. d Lastly, all this that Jacob doth, is on condition of some further favour: “If God will be with me, and will preserve me, and provide for me,” &c. All which he doubts not of, as having a promise; but yet helps forward his faith by this holy vow; then shall God have the utmost, both in inward and outward worship: for God shall be his God; and he will build him a house, and pay him tithes, &c.
And will give me bread to eat.
a Act. and Mon.
b Turk. Hist.
c Act. and Mon., 1914.
d Camd. Elisab. , fol. 258. A.D. 1583.
e Vir bonis paucis indiget .
f Seneca.
g Melch. Adam.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
vowed a vow = made a solemn vow. Figure of speech Polyptoton. App-6. The first recorded vow.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
vowed: Gen 31:13, Lev 27:1-34, Num 6:1-20, Num 21:2, Num 21:3, Jdg 11:30, Jdg 11:31, 1Sa 1:11, 1Sa 1:28, 1Sa 14:24, 2Sa 15:8, Neh 9:1 – Neh 10:39, Psa 22:25, Psa 56:12, Psa 61:5, Psa 61:8, Psa 66:13, Psa 76:11, Psa 116:14, Psa 116:18, Psa 119:106, Psa 132:2, Ecc 5:1-7, Isa 19:21, Joh 1:16, Act 18:18, Act 23:12-15
If God: Gen 28:15
will give: 1Ti 6:8
Reciprocal: Gen 31:3 – Return Gen 35:3 – was with Gen 48:15 – fed me Lev 22:21 – to accomplish Lev 27:2 – When Num 30:2 – vow a vow Deu 12:26 – thy vows Deu 23:21 – General Rth 1:6 – in giving Psa 66:14 – when Pro 30:8 – feed Ecc 5:2 – not rash Ecc 5:4 – vowest Jon 1:16 – made Phi 4:11 – I have
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 28:20. Jacob vowed a vow That is, bound himself by a solemn promise and obligation. This being the first instance of a religious vow which occurs in Scripture, it may be proper to observe, that such a vow is a binding of the soul by a solemn and voluntary promise, made to God, to do, or more carefully to do a thing, which otherwise by our duty and Gods law we are bound to do; or to do certain things, lawful in themselves, but otherwise left indifferent to be done or not; or to abstain from some things otherwise lawful to be used; and all this in a way of thankfulness to God for some extraordinary blessings received, (Jon 1:16,) or for the obtaining of some special benefits which we greatly desire, and stand in need of, Num 21:1-2; Jdg 11:30; 1Sa 1:2;
Pro 31:2. Jacob was now in fear and distress; and in times of trouble it is seasonable to make vows. Jacob had now a gracious visit from heaven, and when God ratifies his promises to us, it is proper for us to repeat our promises to him. If thou wilt be with me and keep me We need desire no more to make us easy and happy wherever we are, but to have Gods presence with us, and to be under his protection. Then shall the Lord be my God Then I will believe, love, and rejoice in him as my God, and I will be the more strongly engaged to abide with him. And this pillar shall be Gods house That is, an altar shall be erected here to the honour of God. And of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee To be spent either upon Gods altars, or upon his poor, which are both his receivers in the world. The tenth is a very fit proportion to be devoted to God, and employed for him; though, as circumstances vary, it may be more or less, as God prospers us.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If {h} God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
(h) He does not bind God under this condition, but acknowledges his infirmity, and promises to be thankful.