How does Genesis 28:7 connect with the Fifth Commandment in Exodus 20:12? Family Context Before the Law Was Given • Esau’s marriages to Hittite women “were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah” (Genesis 26:35). • Rebekah therefore urged Jacob to flee to her brother’s household and marry within the covenant line (Genesis 27:43–46). • Isaac added his fatherly instruction and blessing, commissioning Jacob to go to Paddan-aram (Genesis 28:1–4). Genesis 28:7—A Snapshot of Obedience “Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and gone to Paddan-aram.” (Genesis 28:7) Key observations • “Obeyed” displays active compliance, not mere agreement. • Both parents are mentioned, showing equal honor to father and mother. • Jacob’s obedience is immediate; he leaves the familiar and undertakes a risky journey. Echoes of the Fifth Commandment “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) Connection points • Honor expressed through action: Jacob honors by doing exactly what his parents ask. • Promise of longevity: Genesis records that Jacob lives many years and returns safely—an early narrative example of the promise that comes with the commandment (compare Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). • Covenant continuity: Even before Sinai, honoring parents is already a lived value among the patriarchs. Contrast with Esau • Esau “saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac” (Genesis 28:8). • By taking additional Canaanite wives, Esau ignores parental concern, illustrating the opposite of the Fifth Commandment. Blessings That Follow Jacob’s Honor After Jacob’s obedient departure, God meets him at Bethel and says, “I will watch over you wherever you go… I will bring you back to this land.” (Genesis 28:15) Resulting blessings • Personal protection on the journey. • Expansion of the Abrahamic covenant through Jacob’s line (Genesis 28:13–14). • Eventual safe return and long life (Genesis 47:28 reports Jacob living 147 years). Broader Biblical Witness • Proverbs 1:8–9—parental instruction is “a garland of grace” and “a pendant.” • Colossians 3:20—“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.” • Ephesians 6:1–3 repeats the Fifth Commandment, calling it “the first commandment with a promise.” Take-Home Applications • Obedience to parents is not only a cultural courtesy; it is a covenant expectation woven into Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. • God delights to attach blessing to the honoring of father and mother—sometimes in ways we cannot foresee. • Jacob’s example shows that honoring parents often requires sacrifice, but God’s faithfulness always outweighs the cost. |
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