The famous passage found in Matthew 11:28–30 is centered around three Greek imperatives. Come to me, take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. In Greek also the last phrase “learn from me” has the word “me” emphasized. Why is that? Because there are many people that we can learn from, but ultimately we are called to learn from Jesus. Only then will we find true rest for our souls.

• In Genesis 28:40; Isaac blesses his older son after his younger son deceived him in giving him his older brothers blessing. He says that his brother will reign over him, but when he grows restless, he shall break the yoke his brother has on him.
• In 11:28-30; Jesus calls everyone who is tired and heavy laden to share his yoke, for he will take all of your yoke.
• In Psalm 8:4; David says, “ what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Take Away; The Lord wants me to give him my yoke, and that he; in his beauty and glory and majesty, will see me in my sin and ugliness, and past.

Psalm 8:5 is interesting because the Hebrew literally says in reference to God making man: “Yet you have made him a little lower than Elohim.”
Elohim most commonly means God, although depending on context it can also at times refer to gods or heavenly/divine beings.

So the idea may actually be that humanity was made “a little lower than God.” Which makes a lot of sense because only humans were created in the image & likeness of God. No other created being in heaven or earth carries that description.
And this actually fits perfectly with Genesis 1:26-28 and that may be what David has in mind here in that humanity is made in God’s image and given dominion over creation.
Ps 8:6 similar to Gen 1 says, “you have given him dominion and put all things under his feet.”

The Greek Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT) interestingly translated “Elohim” here as “angelous” - “angels,” which is why some translations say “a little lower than the angels.”

Then Hebrews 2:6-9 quotes from that same Greek translation of the OT “a little lower than the angels,” instead of the Hebrew Scriptures “Elohim” and ultimately applies Psalm 8 to Jesus.

So there’s this amazing progression
Genesis 1 - humanity created in God’s image and given dominion
Psalm 8 - humanity crowned with glory and honor, just below Elohim
Hebrews 2 - Jesus fulfills humanity’s purpose and calling and restores our intended destiny 🙌🏼

Gen 28:21 - I love watching Jacob’s relationship with God become personal.
Up to this point, God has only been “the God of Abraham” and “the God of Isaac.” Even at Bethel, God introduces Himself to Jacob as “the God of Abraham YOUR father” (28:13).

But Jacob’s response to God shows that his faith is still immature and God is not his personal God just yet.
Jacob says, “IF God will be with me… IF He will keep me… IF He brings me back safely… THEN the LORD shall be my God” (28:20-21).

It’s almost like Jacob is saying: I know You’ve been faithful to my fathers, but let’s see if You’ll be faithful to me first before I make you MY God.
He just powerfully encountered God, but he hasn’t learned to fully trust Him yet as His own God.

As we continue to read we will see what the next 20+ years of Jacob’s life will teach him as her serves under Laban for 20 years and then returns to his homeland and is about to encounter Esau and wrestles with God…

Jacob personally experiences God’s provision, protection, faithfulness, and steadfast love and kindness and eventually has his own life changing encounter with God at Peniel before he meets Esau.
Afterward he builds an altar called El-Elohe-Israel - “God, the God of Israel” (Gen 33:20).

Israel is now Jacob’s new name, renamed by God Himself in two separate encounters.

By the end of Jacob’s life he calls Him “the God who has been MY shepherd all my life” (Gen 48:15).

What a progression: the God of my fathers → IF You’ll be faithful to me → my God → the God who has shepherded me all my life.

God patiently takes Jacob from faith that is inherited from his parents and grandparents to personal faith built through years of walking with Him and seeing His faithfulness and goodness.

I highly encourage you to track this language in Genesis with Jacob particularly with “God of my fathers” vs “MY God.”