At the end of the last chapter Rebekah begs Isaac not to let Jacob marry a Canaanite girl and convinces him to have Jacob go to Laban’s house. In Genesis 28 we see Isaac charging Jacob to go to Laban and marry one of his daughters. Isaac gives God’s blessing to Jacob and sends him on his way. Esau seeing that Isaac did not like Canaanite woman goes to Ishmael and marries one of his daughters.

Jacob heads out toward Haran. In the evening he stops and sleeps. While he sleeps he has a dream. There is a ladder coming down from heaven and angels are going up and down the ladder. The Lord stands by Jacob and tells him that this place will become his home. God extends to Jacob the same blessing he gave to Abraham and Isaac and promises to keep him wherever he goes. Jacob awakes and names the place Bethel (House of God) because he believes he saw the gate of heaven there. He pledges to give God one tenth of all the receives when he returns to this place.

In Genesis 29 Jacob arrives in Laban’s land. He meets Laban’s daughter Rachel at the well and tells her that he is Rebekah’s son. She tells her father, who runs out to meet Jacob. Jacob tells Laban his story and Laban invites Jacob to stay with him. After a month Laban offers to pay Jacob for working for him. He asks what wages Jacob would like to receive. Jacob has fallen in love with Rachel and offers to work for Laban for seven years if at the end of that time he can marry Rachel. Laban agrees. Jacob works for seven years and is ready to marry her. Laban has two daughters Rachel and her older sister Leah. Leah has not yet married so when Laban takes Leah to Jacob without his knowing it. In the morning Jacob realizes that he has married Leah. When he asks Laban about it Laban explains that the oldest daughter must marry first. Laban says Jacob must work another seven years and then he can marry Rachel. Jacob does this and marries Rachel as well.

God sees that Jacob does not love Leah and allows her to have Jacob’s firstborn son, Reuben. She has two more sons Simeon and Judah. She hopes each time that Jacob will love her.

Psalm 7 opens again with David being pursued by an enemy. He asks God for protection. Then he asks God to judge whether his cause is just. After a pause he acknowledges that others are doing evil to them and God is the supreme judge who can judge him in his righteousness and them in their wickedness. He offers to God thanks and praise.

Psalm 8 is one of the most beautiful psalms. It contemplates the special place that our sovereign God has chosen for humanity. In the midst of this wonderful creation that God has made He has chosen a special place for human beings. There are many who believe that the reference to the son of man refers to Jesus. We have been given dominion over all of the creatures in God’s creation.

One might wonder what it means to have dominion over the creatures of the earth. Certainly many believe that it means that we can treat them as we wish. But if we consider that God is sovereign, has dominion, over us and treats us with love, respect and caring, we may come the realization that we are to care for the creatures of the earth and allow them to fulfill God’s original command to all of his creation: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” God has given us a privilege and also a great responsibility to fulfill our being in the likeness of God.