At the instigation of Rebeca, Isaac sent Jacob to find a non-Canaanite wife at the house of Rebeca's father Bethuel at Paddan Aram. He told him to marry one of Laban's (Rebeca's brother) daughters. On the way there Jacob stopped somewhere for a night's sleep and used a stone as a pillow. Then Jacob dreamt of a ladder going up from earth to heaven with angels going up and down on it, and at the top of the ladder was God who promised to give the land on which Jacob was lying to him. God also promised Jacob abundant offspring who would be a blessing to all peoples. Jacob awoke feeling he was in a very special place and in the morning he used his stone pillow to be a pillar, calling the place Bethel which means house of God. Jacob proceeded to ratify his covenant with God pledging a vow of allegiance and a tributary tithe. This proved to be Jacob's Damascus Road experience turning the circumcised son of the covenant from seeking salvation by works to securing it through a faith-struggle that would lead to a new name.
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