Genesis 27:1-46
27:1-3 One of the most exciting elements of the Old Testament is the written passage of time told through generations of one family under God. We know of the prayer and hope and faith that Isaac's parents, Abraham and Sarah, expressed in passionate want of him, their unlikely child. And now we learn Isaac's story: he's advancing in age, he's blind and he's contemplating his passing from earth.
Isaac calls Esau to him. Isaac favors Esau over his twin brother Jacob because Isaac is impressed with Esau's hunting skills... and quite enamored with carnivorous meals. It seems a little silly to us perhaps but Isaac is especially proud of his son Esau who's talent in hunting provides Isaac satisfaction. Like us, Isaac is not perfect. If he were, he would be a little less gluttonous and might realize that his elder son has some serious flaws.
27:4 Isaac's intention is to have a good meal with his son and then to essentially dub him as the new patriarch of the family. With that responsibility comes also the responsibility of being the one to carry on the faith. Isaac's distraction disallows him from realizing that Esau is not interested in faith or its responsibilities and therefore he's about to put his family's faith in the hands of someone who will squander it away.
27:5 Rebekah overhears Isaac's intentions and immediately beings to plan. Although we are not privy to it, it is likely that Rebekah has if not frequent, then at least steady, conversations with God. After all, she left her family and travelling to marry a stranger (it's entirely possible that she had been a faithful woman praying to God to be her match-maker, to make her a wife and a mother to an honorable man). We know that God spoke to Rebekah about the future and posterity of her twin boys, Esau and Jacob. We know that God informed her that Jacob would lead, although younger, rather than Esau. We can suspect that God and Rebekah arranged for the right son to receive the inheritance from Isaac, the son who would respect and grow it in faith.
27:6-9 Rebekah plans a rather duplicitous act in order to achieve the desired outcome: Jacob and the heir instead of Esau. She tells Jacob to take two goats from the flock for her to prepare for Isaac and informs him of the conversation between Jacob's father and brother.
27:10 Rebekah's plan is for Jacob to pretend to be Esau, make the offering to his father and receive the blessing intended for Esau.
27:11-12 Jacob has reservations, among them: he does not believe this plan will work. As we know, since their birth, only is brother Esau was especially hairy. Jacob's fear is that Isaac will reach out to him and realize it is not Esau.
27:13 Rebekah is confident in her plan. She has no history of being a duplicitous woman but she does have a history of following God's plan... her vehemency in accomplishing this hints to us that she's following another of God's intentions.
27:14-17 Trusting in her confidence, Jacob did as his mother instructed him to do.
27:18-19 Jacob enters his fathers room with food and vocally claims to be Esau. Jacob requests his blessing and although the act is duplicitous, Esau had already promised Isaac this position in the family. He traded it in the previous chapter. Esau rejected his inheritance but when the time came to receive it, he went back on his word.
27:20 Isaac asks Jacob (pretending to be Esau) how he retrieved the food so quickly. Jacob claims that the Lord has allowed him to serve his father so quickly. Jacob always readily gives credit and glory to God and surely God had provided them with the farm and food that sustained them. Esau went out into the world to hunt but Jacob and Rebekah knew that God provided them everything they needed. Jacob knew that he did not need to go looking anywhere beyond his faith because from within his faith, he was provided everything.
27:21 Isaac is skeptical; parents know their children very well and he intuits that something is off.
27:22-23 Upon examination, Isaac is confused. He senses that Jacob is with him but his hands tell him it is his older son Esau. Siding with what is tangible, Isaac blesses his child, believing him to be Esau.
27:24 Isaac asks if it is actually Esau with him and Jacob confirms it.
27:25-27 With that, Jacob receives Isaac's blessing, the passing down of the faithful inheritance from God. Jacob becomes the patriarch, taking the position his grandfather Abraham once held and appropriately so, for Jacob loves the God.
27:28 Isaac prays for his son to be successful in his endeavors and to live a life of plenty.
27:29 He prays for his son to be respected and honored as the patriarch by his fellow family members and workers.
27:30-31 Esau returns after the blessing is already handed out to Jacob. Esau came to claim a gift he had promised to give to his brother.
27:32-33 Isaac is confused... as far as he knows, he just finished officially blessing Esau.
27:34 When they realize what has happened (in their context and culture it basically was a signed, and official, legally binding contract to bless a son) Esau throws a tantrum. In desperation, Esau pleads for the birth right he gave away to Jacob. Notice that Esau does not consult God during his anxiety. Had Esau been a man/person/soul of God, nobody would have been able to take away his birth right.
27:35 Isaac tells Esau that it is too late. The blessing officially belongs to Jacob.
27:36-38 Esau is upset but not because he cannot serve God... everyone at any time has that blessed opportunity. Esau is upset to have lost the power and promise of abundance. If he had cared about his faith, he never would have discarded it in the first place.
27:39-40 Some Bible scholars will tell you that the word "of" in this first sentence is only properly translation as "away from." As in, Esau will receive the opposite of his brother's blessing. This makes sense in that Isaac has already explained he cannot give the same blessing to both sons.
Remember that any person who wants to be a fellow worker with God can, nobody is cursed. Esau did not want to work with God and subsequently does not have the blessings of the opportunity.
Remember that any person who wants to be a fellow worker with God can, nobody is cursed. Esau did not want to work with God and subsequently does not have the blessings of the opportunity.
27:41 Esau vows to kill his brother (further revealing he has no compassion).
27:42-45 Rebekah instructs Jacob to take refuge at her brother, Laban's home to escape Esau's fury. Rebekah cares about both of her twins but she also knows that each are very different souls.
27:46 Abraham arranged for Isaac to marry a faithful woman and Rebekah wants the same for her sons. Through this family would eventually come our messiah and therefore it mattered that each matriarch and patriarch were rooted in faith.
