Genesis 27:1 – 17 “When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” Esau replied. “Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old and do not know the day of my death. Take your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out into the field to hunt some game for me. Then prepare a tasty dish that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.”
Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac told his son Esau. So when Esau went into the field to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me some game and prepare me a tasty dish to eat, so that I may bless you in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ Now, my son, listen to my voice and do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I can make them into a tasty dish for your father—the kind he loves. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”
Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am smooth-skinned. What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing.”
His mother replied, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey my voice and go get them for me.” So Jacob went and got two goats and brought them to his mother, who made the tasty food his father loved. And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house that belonged to her older son Esau, and she put them on her younger son Jacob. She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. Then she handed her son Jacob the tasty food and bread she had made.”
In the ancient world, there were birthrights and there were blessings. Yesterday we spoke about the birthright, but in addition, fathers could also bestow blessings on their sons, particularly the first – born. Esau has always been Isaac’s favorite and Isaac wants to make sure that he blesses Esau before he dies. But while Esau is out hunting, Rebekah and Jacob conspire to secure Isaac’s blessing for Jacob as well.
Taking advantage of Isaac’s blindness, Rebekah fixes food and then dresses Jacob in Esau’s clothes and places goat skins on Jacob so that he will smell and feel like Esau. Isaac is taken in by the deception and gives Jacob his blessing:
v. 27 – 29 “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth— an abundance of grain and new wine. May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”
Esau returns, fixes food, and then finds that Isaac has already blessed Jacob. These blessings were irrevocable; Isaac cannot take back the blessing he has already spoken. When Esau begs Isaac for a blessing, Isaac says: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above. You shall live by the sword, and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.” (Genesis 27:39-40)
At this point, Esau is furious! But Isaac is dying; all Esau needs to do is to wait until the mourning period is over and then he can kill Jacob. Rebekah realizes the danger Jacob is in; meanwhile, Esau has previously married two local women who have created nothing but problems for Rebekah and Isaac. Using the problems these women have created as an excuse, Rebekah convinces Isaac to send Jacob back to Rebekah’s relatives to find a wife.
APPLICATION: Are you a Jacob or an Esau or a little bit of both? Have you manipulated situations to your advantage, wronging someone in the process? Or have you been the aggrieved party? Ask God to show you where you might have wronged someone and then ask Him to help you apologize and make amends. If you have been wronged, ask God to help you forgive the person who has hurt you. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself because you are the one who suffers most as long as you refuse to forgive.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and forgiving us, no matter how many times we have sinned against you. Show us anyone we might have hurt and then help us to make things right with them. And if there is anybody who has hurt us, help us to forgive them so that we do not continue to suffer. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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