And Yahweh stood beside him and said to him, “I am Yahweh, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. You are lying on the very ground that I will give to you and your descendants.
That very night, Yahweh appeared before him and said: “I am the God of Abraham your father. You will never need to fear a thing for I am with you and I will greatly bless you. Your children will flourish and succeed because of the promises I gave my servant Abraham.”
Then Yahweh appeared before Abram and said, “This is the land I will personally deliver to your seed.” So Abram erected an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared before him.
God said to Jacob, “Arise, go at once to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
But they couldn’t turn back for their hearts were fixed on what was far greater, that is, the heavenly realm! So because of this God is not ashamed in any way to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them.
Then Jacob prayed, “Yahweh, God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, you said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will make you prosper.’
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Awesome One of Isaac , had not been on my side, you certainly would have sent me away empty-handed! But God in his mercy took notice of how much I’ve suffered and how hard I’ve worked—and that’s why he rebuked you last night in your dream!”
May he impart to you and your seed the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you now live as a foreigner—the land God gave to Abraham.”
Live there as a foreigner, and my presence will be with you. I promise to bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and your descendants. I will fulfill the oath I swore to your father Abraham.
Afterwards, the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision and said, “Abram, don’t yield to fear, for I am your Faithful Shield and your Abundant Reward.”
Although God gave him no parcel of land he could call his own, not even a footprint, yet he promised Abraham that he and his descendants would one day have it all. And even though as yet Abraham had no child,
On that day, Yahweh entered into covenant with Abram: “I have given this land to your descendants, from the Egyptian border to the great river Euphrates,
I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and return to the land of your birth.’ ”
I am so unworthy of all the loving-kindness and faithfulness that you have showered upon me, your servant. When I crossed this river Jordan years ago, all I had to my name was a staff in my hand, and now I have increased to become two camps!
Lord Yahweh says: “When I regather the people of Israel from every place where they have been scattered, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob.