Genesis 25:27 – 28:9
DESPISED BIRTHRIGHT
(Genesis 25:27-34)
Genesis 25:27-28 begins by informing us that when the twins grew up, Esau became an outdoorsman and skillful hunter whereas Jacob became a mild person of quiet temperament who preferred to stay inside the comfort of his tent. Isaac loved and favored Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home; however, Rebekah loved and favored Jacob. And so this information immediately sets the stage for conflict due to a divided house out from favoritism.
As a side note, it is written that Isaac favored Esau due to him being an outdoorsman and hunter. It is also written that Ishmael was an archer who was accustomed to living life in the wilderness (21:20). Therefore, Isaac’s admiration for outdoorsmen might also be another reason why Isaac and Ishmael managed to work together to bury Abraham (25:9).
Returning to the twins, 25:29-30 informs us that at some point on some day, Esau returned from an apparent unsuccessful hunt. Exhausted and hungry, he begged Jacob for the red stew he made. This emphasis on the stew being red becomes the reason for Esau’s other name, Edom, which means “red”; however, it is also most likely the reason why Esau was described as “red” when he was born (25:25). The word “red” used to describe Esau at birth is the Hebrew אַדְמֹנִי [H132] ‘aḏmōnî (ad-mo-nee’). The word “red” used to describe Jacob’s stew is אָדֹם [H122] ‘āḏōm (aw-dome’). The nickname “Edom” is אֱדֹם [H123] ‘ĕḏōm (eh-dome’). And all three of these words come from the root word אָדַם [H119] ‘āḏam (aw-dam’), which means to be or appear red. And if you remember, the name “Adam” derives from that word as well and is the word אָדָם [H120] ‘āḏām (aw-dahm’). But what does Adam have to do with the color red? Well, blood is red, and as we already saw in 9:4, the Lord told Noah and his family that blood is equated with life and so they were not to consume the blood. In fact, later in Leviticus 17:11,14 and Deuteronomy 12:23, the Israelites will be told and reminded not to consume blood because the blood is life. Further, if you remember, after Cain murdered Abel, in Genesis 4:10, GOD said to Cain, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.” Therefore, blood is life, blood is red, Adam (man) describes the red life within the body, and Esau’s nickname, Edom, is a play on words, which means red. Why? Well, it is written in 25:31-34 that after Esau begged for the red stew, Jacob, seeing a rare opportunity to take advantage of his brother, told Esau he could have the red stew only if he sold/transferred his birthright to him in a trade. Esau, claiming to be famished to the point of being near death, swore an oath to Jacob, ate a good meal, and then went on his way. And thus “Esau despised his birthright.”
But what exactly is a birthright? The birthright consists of the material blessings of a father being passed on to his sons. By right, the oldest son received a double portion of the inheritance received by the children (Deuteronomy 21:15-17; Luke 15:11-32). This birthright is often connected to, but needs to be distinguished from, ‘the blessing’. The blessing generally involved more of a focus on a spiritual allotment, but it crossed paths with the birthright with respect to future leadership and authority of the person (Genesis 27; 49). Royal succession was also a birthright, though GOD could countermand this privilege (2Chronicles 21:3; 1Samuel 23:17; 1Kings 2:15).
In Genesis 25:29–34, Esau willingly sold/transferred his birthright to Jacob, which, as we will soon see, forfeits his blessing (Genesis 27). Esau made an impulsive decision to give Jacob his birthright (a double portion of the family inheritance and position of future family leader) for some red stew—even though his birthright was never his to give away. By trading his birthright for some stew, Esau displayed contempt for the blessing GOD had given to him. What Esau despised is they very thing Jacob desired because he recognized its value. Esau did not grasp the significance of all that GOD had promised to fulfill through the unique line descended from Abraham, of which he was the natural heir as the firstborn. Esau did not appreciate that his birthright was linked to GOD’s plan of redemption for the whole world. So, Jacob grasped at his heel.
Consequently, Esau traded a long-term benefit/blessing for short-term pleasure, and it negatively affected his life. Although he will later swear at Jacob (27:41), here in this story he is content to swear to Jacob. Now, it’s easy for people to read Esau’s story, to look down on him, and believe themselves to be better than Esau, but is this situation really so uncommon? It would be wise to take the Lord’s advice for us to first examine ourselves before we make a quick judgment about Esau (Matthew 7:1–5; Luke 6:37–42). Have you ever traded a long-term blessing for short-term pleasure? Have you ever indulged in sexual relations prior to marriage in order to appease a short-term appetite in your pursuit of pleasure? If so, you traded a long-term benefit/blessing (keeping your virginity and purity sacred and holy for your partner in marriage) for a short-lived thrill. Have you ever spoken terrible words in the heat of the moment to satisfy your pride, only for those words to cause lasting damage to the relationship and for you to live in regret of those words later on? Have you ever given in to your desire for destructive drugs? Even if you haven’t yet experienced the long-term consequences of your decision to secure short-term satisfaction, you most assuredly will sooner or later. Many people have lived out the “Esau syndrome.” We can avoid making this mistake by comparing short-term satisfaction with its long-range consequences prior to making a decision and putting that decision into action. Our desires can demand our attention so much that we often magnify them in our field of focus. I call this the “Aperture Appetite.”
In photography, four main factors will determine if the background is blurry, leaving the focus solely on the foreground:
- Aperture: A wide aperture equals a narrow or shallow depth of focus.
- The distance from subject to background: The greater the distance between the subject and the background, the blurrier the background will be.
- The distance between the lens and the subject: The closer the lens is to the subject, the blurrier the background will be.
- The optical length of your lens (but all humans have the same “lens”).
So, putting everything together, if a person’s focus on a specific item or person is shallow and narrow, the details of the surrounding scenario will be difficult to ascertain. The distance from the subject to the background will always be great because the distance between a person’s life here on Earth is a great distance away from the new life in eternity. If a person is literally too close to a subject, the surroundings will not be in the frame and will thus be unknown. Esau’s focus narrowed to the shallowness of the surface situation, and he did not consider the surrounding scenario. The distance between Esau’s future and his present situation was great. Not taking that great distance into account, he made the mistake of allowing his lens to get too close to the subject. Because Esau was too close to the temptation and allowed himself to have a narrow focus on that temptation, the background of eternal consequences became blurred. The unfortunate part about a blurred background is that deception blends in with the rest of the blurred details. Therefore, Jacob’s deceitfulness went undetected because Esau’s desire dominated over his discernment. This is the Aperture Appetite.
But what about you? Is your temptation in your frame at all? If it is, do you start to make it the point of focus? Do you draw closer to your temptation while keeping your focus on it? Imagine this example of an Aperture Appetite in action: Within a man’s frame, there exists multiple items and people in a particular place. In this frame, an attractive female with flirtatious facial features exists. The man narrows his focus onto the specific depth of field for the female’s features. The man then draws closer and closer to the female until the man’s frame consists of only the female in focus and everything else is just a blurred background. Unfortunately for the man, in that blurred background is that female’s innocent yet ignorant husband. The female might be married, but because her husband isn’t in the man’s field of focus, that husband’s feelings and future will not be considered to be important. In fact, what I just described is what we will later see in 2Samuel 11 when David’s focus on Bathsheba leaves her husband, Uriah, in the blurred background to be buried. Acts of adultery are examples of the Aperture Appetite in action. Consider this: also, in the blurred background, let’s say there was a homeless woman sitting on the curb, hungry and cold. But because that woman was in the blurred background, her feelings and future will not be considered to be important either.
Sometimes it’s good to narrow our focus in order to examine something or someone closely; however, we should be able to see the bigger picture most of the time. In fact, both are necessary for Bible study. So, while it’s important for us to obtain precise focus on a particular word, verse, passage, or story, we also need the ability to zoom out to see how each word, verse, passage, or story fits into the entire salvation story. Ultimately, we need to set our sights on the Lord and keep our focus on heavenly things rather than the ways of this world (Matthew 5:27–29; 16:26; John 17:14; 18:36; Philippians 3:8–11,20; Colossians 3:2; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 13:14; 1Peter 5:10). And so for this particular story of Esau despising his birthright, the details help us to realize the bigger picture of how and why Jacob will take center stage in the genealogical line from Abraham so that we will eventually see how this will lead to Jesus.
- What are you willing to trade for the thing or person you desire? Will it truly be worth the trade?
- Do you ever find yourself willing to negotiate anything for immediate pleasure?
- Does your spouse, children, integrity, body, or soul get included in these damning deals?
- Do you sometimes feel that the important parts of life escaped while you were grabbing for your desire(s)?
- Who or what is in your frame? Where is your focus?
- How many important things or people might be in your blurred background that need to come into focus?
- How many things or people are in focus that actually belong in your blurred background?
WELL, WELL, WELL…
(Genesis 26)
Genesis 26:1-2 says “1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 The Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you.’ ”
A famine in the land? What land? Well, 25:11 says “Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.” So, this chapter begins by referring us back to the famine Abraham experienced in 12:10, which had forced him to go down to Egypt. Yet with the famine in this story, The Lord instructs Isaac not to go to Egypt but to stay in the land which He tells him (Gerar). That is the same command GOD gave Abraham in 12:1 when he was first called, except Abraham was told to “go” whereas Isaac was told to “stay”. And in 26:3-5, the Lord says that if Isaac stays in the land, He will bless him, repeating the blessings Abraham heard in 12:2-3. Since Isaac had been present when GOD had again declared that oath (22:15-18), he would easily recall that occasion. And after GOD emphasized faithful obedience (26:5), it is written in 26:6 that Isaac acted in faithful obedience and stayed in Gerar. So, yet again, GOD’s chosen vessel meets up with king Abimelech.
In 26:7-11, copying his father’s mistakes from 12:11-20 and 20:1-13, Isaac lies about Rebekah, telling the men of the land that she is his sister. Whereas Abimelech tried to take Sarah to be his wife, he does not try to take Rebekah to be his wife, indicating that he is most likely too old at this point in the story. Instead, it is written that “the men of the place” are the ones interested in Rebekah. Eventually, Abimelech confronts Isaac about his lie and he then confesses. Isaac explains how he was afraid for his own life whereas Abimelech explains his care and concern for all people not to fall into sin. Therefore, it is evident that Abimelech is still a man of GOD just as he proved to be while interacting with Abraham and Sarah (20:3-4,11,14-16). In fact, in 26:11, Abimelech issues a public proclamation that anyone who touches Isaac or his wife will be put to death.
Eventually, 26:12-14 informs us that the Lord, fulfilling His promise from 26:3, blesses Isaac so much that he became wealthy. However, because he became wealthy, the Philistines envied him and then filled up all of his wells with dirt (26:14-15). The same thing happened to Abraham until he made a covenant with Abimelech; and the place at which they made their covenant was called Beersheba (21:25-31). And so a picture is already being painted to show how the Philistines are becoming a wicked people. But all of this also showcases the reasons why GOD raised Abimelech up to be king – others, including Abraham and Isaac, were blessed by his leadership over the land at that time. If not for Abimelech having the fear of the Lord, it is likely the Philistines would have murdered both Isaac and Abraham. So, GOD strategically positioned Abimelech to shield Abraham and Isaac from death as if a chess player had strategically positioned any one of his/her pieces as a shield for the king. And if you think about it, because the King of kings (Jesus) comes from the line of Abraham and Isaac, the King had literally been strategically shielded from Satan and all demons.
However, because the Philistines were so envious and wicked, Abimelech said to Isaac in 26:16, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” And so in 26:17, “Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.” In 26:18-22, Isaac reopened his father’s wells of water, which the Philistines filled in after Abraham’s death, and gave them the same names which his father had given them. However, when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found flowing water, nearby herdsmen argued over that location, and so he moved on from there. Then they dug another well, but herdsmen argued over that location as well, and so he moved on again. On his third attempt at digging a well, no one argued with him over that location; “so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, ‘At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land’ ” [for “Rehoboth” means “open space” or “room”].
Thus, the Lord told Isaac to stay in the land, knowing that Abimelech would issue a public proclamation for his protection, so that Isaac could become wealthy. However, when it was time for the Lord to guide Isaac away from there, the Lord used wicked people to steer Isaac in the direction He desired him to go. And so Isaac might have felt as if things weren’t going right for him due to his plight, but GOD permitted that persecution as part of His divine guidance. But if the Lord was guiding Isaac, where was He guiding him to go? Well 26:23 says Isaac then left there and went to Beersheba. But what is the significance of that place? Well, in 21:31-33, Abraham and Abimelech had made a covenant with each other and then that location was called Beersheba. And 22:19 informs us that Beersheba is where Abraham lived and returned to after passing his test of faith with Isaac. And now Isaac once again finds himself in Beersheba, almost to signify that he had passed yet another test and returned to that place. While there, 26:24-25 says, “24 The Lord appeared to him the same night and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham.’ 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”
This location is where it all began for Isaac, and now he is at this location once again, and with the same GOD as before. The fact that Isaac built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord is significant because that is what his father had done as well (12:7-8; 13:18; 21:33). Therefore, the Lord orchestrated everything so that Isaac would realize that the Lord is with him just as He was with his father, and that the promise regarding countless descendants would continue through Isaac and Rebekah.
In 26:26-27, after an unknown amount of time had passed, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar with his adviser and commander of his army, and “27 Isaac said to them, ‘Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?’ ”
If you remember, Isaac’s father, Abraham, had also assumed the worst about Abimelech in 20:11 when he told him he thought they were all godless. Yet in 21:22-23, Abimelech said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do”, and then asked Abraham to make a covenant of peace with them. So, what is Abimelech’s response to Isaac? In 26:28, he says, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you”, and then he asks Isaac to make a covenant of peace with them, concluding in 26:29 saying, “You are now the blessed of the Lord.” Therefore, the entirety of chapter 26 showcases Isaac not only following in his father’s footsteps, but also filling his shoes just as Rebekah filled the tent of Sarah (24:67).
Noteworthy is the fact that in 21:22, Abimelech stated that “God” was with Abraham, using the Hebrew אֱלֹהִים [H430] ‘ĕlōhîm (el-o-heem’); however, in 26:28-29, Abimelech now uses GOD’s name, יְהֹוָה [H3068] YHWH. Therefore, I believe it is reasonable to infer that between the timeframe of Abraham and Isaac, Abimelech came to know the one true GOD. Over time, Abimelech matured from believing in a god to believing in the one and only true GOD.
It is written in 26:32-33, “32 Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac’s servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, ‘We have found water.’ 33 So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.”
And as a cliffhanger, 26:34-35 ends with, “34 When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; 35 and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.”
Esau not only married Hittite women, but he took for himself two wives, falling into the same sin that the wicked Lamech had fallen into (4:19). If you remember, Abraham had instructed his trusted servant, Eliezer, that it was important that his son Isaac not marry a Canaanite woman (24:3). And if you remember, Hittites are descendants from Canaan (10:15) and so are technically Canaanites. Isaac himself knows that Esau’s marriages were not good (28:1), and yet Esau made two poor decisions in the form of Hittite women.
In conclusion, Esau, by his own free will, disqualified himself from being the rightful successor of Isaac’s blessing because he chose to not only despise his birthright (25:34), but he also chose to disregard GOD’s design for marriage and to disregard the specific lineage from which GOD promised the blessing would come. Therefore, the stage is now set for Jacob to grasp at Esau’s heel (25:26).
- Apparently, neither Abraham nor Sarah taught Isaac the lesson about lying that they learned from their own experiences. And because they seemingly never talked about it, Isaac made the same mistake. Parents need to confess their mistakes to their children as they mature so that their children will not repeat their mistakes. If you have an opportunity to help your child(ren) learn from your mistakes, it would be loving of you to teach those lessons. What kind of example are you setting for your children? Children know that parents aren’t perfect. Therefore, you might as well swallow your pride, share your mistakes, tell them how to avoid your failures, and then set your children up for success. Or would you rather remain prideful simply because you don’t want them to view you as someone who makes mistakes even though they already know you do? So, are you willing to confess your mistakes to your children so that you can save them from making the same mistakes?
- The Philistines filled up Isaac’s wells with dirt! In those ancient days, wells were sources of life! That was a declaration of war! The enemy essentially told Isaac, “I’m not interested in your life and I don’t care if you die!” But what about you? Are there people in your life who want to cover your life with the dirt of death? Figuratively, is anyone in your life throwing dirt in your well? This act of wicked warfare happened after Isaac received blessings from the Lord. Understand this: the blessings of GOD will attract the attention of the Adversary. If you find yourself under attack, it’s probably because the enemy sees GOD’s love for you and realizes your potential. So, in your plight, are you still grateful for GOD’s divine guidance? Do you remain faithfully obedient to the Lord even while the enemy comes against you? Do you remain thankful that the Savior is still steering you to safety in your salvation story? And knowing that the difficult times are for our sanctification, do you still trust in the Lord and praise Him for all the good He is doing behind the scenes that you don’t even know about?
- Abimelech told Isaac to leave because the Philistines became too envious of Isaac and Abimelech didn’t want trouble because of him. He told Isaac that he was too big for their small-minded situation. When GOD works in your life and you become anointed for greater things, you will become too big to stay where you are currently at in your present scenario. You will no longer wear size ‘small.’ When you grow, you need something larger to fit in. In the 2003 movie, Big Fish, young Edward (Ewan McGregor) says, “Kept in a small bowl, the goldfish will remain small. With more space, the fish can grow double, triple, or quadruple its size.” Now, is it the size of the bowl that prevents the growth of the fish? Or does the size of the bowl dramatically affect the quality of water within the bowl thereby depleting the life of the fish within the bowl? There are many factors that need to be considered, not just one or two. Regardless, humans do need room to ‘swim’ and grow, but we also need fresh water and not stagnant water – we need the Living Water, Christ Jesus (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13; Zechariah 14:8; John 4:7-14; 7:37-39; Revelation 7:17)! We are designed to grow (1Corinthians 13:11)! Just as a child outgrows his/her clothes and environment, we spiritually outgrow our childish ways of selfish living and immature thinking. And if we refuse to leave our comfort zones that are too small for our futures, GOD will sometimes allow things to happen to us that will force us to leave so that we may grow. So, what about you? Are you currently going through difficulties that are forcing you to grow? While you may not enjoy the process or the growing pains, it is imperative that we maintain proper perspective in that process. Do you realize that GOD loves you through the process? What recent events in your life forced you to grow in your spiritual maturity? Are you thankful for that growth?
- When the Philistines ruined Isaac’s wells, he chose not to retaliate; instead, he chose to keep the peace by moving forward in faith. Isaac dug another well; however, he lost that well over arguments. So, he dug another well. But then he lost that well over hostility. So, he dug another well. And in his third endeavor, his efforts worked in his favor. It’s important to note that Isaac had to dig many wells before he was ever able to build the altar. Likewise, we will need to do a lot of work before our efforts are finally rewarded. But it’s also important to note that Isaac dug another well after building the altar. Isaac’s work in life wasn’t done when he decided to praise the Lord after one success. We can praise GOD even while we are still digging more wells. Understand this: creating wells required sufficient knowledge of hydrology to identify the location of aquifers and the ability to dig down to them, but also sufficient knowledge of the construction process of the lining to stabilize the shaft and prevent seepage from the sides or collapse altogether. The significant amount of labor necessary for such an undertaking makes it obvious why wells were worth fighting over, and yet Isaac did not choose the path of revenge and violence. But what about you? When people wrong you, do you set your focus on going in reverse to seek revenge or on moving forward in faith, trusting in the Lord? Creating a well required a lot of digging for a long period of time! So, what about you? Figuratively, how much digging are you willing to do in life to get to where GOD wants you to be? How long are you willing to dig? How deep are you willing to go to receive the Living Water? How many different wells are you willing to dig? In that ancient time, those people realized the hard truth that they would need to seek water along their journeys and so they dug as many wells as was necessary. It is the same for us in our journey of this chronological study of the Bible. As we continue throughout this journey, we will dig deep throughout every chapter so that the Living Water can sustain us and help us get to the next book. And so it is with life in general as well – we will not be done digging until the Lord calls us Home. So, are you willing to keep digging and moving forward in faith? And are you ensuring to build altars of praise and worship along the way?
THE BLESSING
(Genesis 27:1 – 28:9)
Genesis 27:1 begins by informing us that Isaac is now old and blind. Typically, whenever Scripture provides us with minor details that do not seem to matter, it’s because those details actually do matter. In this story, GOD’s Word is setting the stage with the intent of equating blindness with something specific. In 27:4, Isaac, nearing the time of his death, summons Esau – the firstborn – because he desires to impart ‘the blessing’ upon him. This link between the firstborn, the birthright, and the blessing is emphasized in a wordplay involving all three terms. In Hebrew, “birthright” is בְּכוֹרָה [H1062] beḵôrâh (bekh-o-raw’), whereas “firstborn” is בְּכוֹר [H1060] beḵôr (bekh-or’), and “blessing” is בְּרָכָה [H1293] berāḵâh (ber-aw-kaw’). Immediately, as the reader, we should remember that while Esau was technically born first, he had despised his birthright and traded it to Jacob for some red stew in 25:31-34 because he had Aperture Appetite. Therefore, Scripture sets the stage that blindness is somehow connected to the blessing. But because blindness is a defection from GOD’s design of vision, linking blindness with the blessing informs us that the blessing is going to be a defection from the design of how the blessing is typically imparted.
In 27:5-10, Rebekah heard Isaac’s plan to bless Esau and so she quickly devised a plan of deception so that Jacob would receive Isaac’s blessing rather than Esau. But why would Rebekah do such a thing, especially knowing that her plan went against her husband’s wishes? Well, if you remember, in 25:22-23, the Lord told Rebekah that “the older shall serve the younger.” Thus, it is evident that Rebekah believed what she was doing was the right thing to do even though it required deception to achieve the goal. But why did she feel that deception was necessary? Wasn’t Isaac also aware that the older shall serve the younger? Did she not share that message from the Lord with Isaac, her husband? Or did she share with Isaac and yet he rejected the message she told him? Was either Isaac or Rebekah aware of the fact that Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for some red stew? We don’t know. All we know is that Rebekah believed what she was doing was right even though it required deception to achieve the goal. Consequently, we now have the blessing connected with both blindness and deception. Rebekah used her knowledge of both Isaac’s weakness and his desire against him. Isaac’s weakness was his blindness and his desire was tasty food. If you remember, Esau was Isaac’s favorite son because Esau hunted and Isaac got to eat the game Esau brought home (25:28). In fact, Isaac’s weakness and desire may have been intertwined in that his love for food might have made him blind to Esau’s character flaws, which might have influenced his decision to impart the blessing on Esau. Again, this is all conjecture because we only know what Scripture tells us.
In 27:11-27, an examination of the events that unfold reveals that Jacob had 12 opportunities to abandon the mission of deception. First, Jacob tried to excuse himself with a logical truth that Esau was hairy, but he was not hairy, and Isaac was smart enough to know the difference even from his sense of touch (27:11-12). So, it is this moment that helps us understand that the minor details of Esau’s descriptions at birth of being “red, all over like a hairy garment” (25:25) were indeed important to notate even though those details seemed insignificant at the time. The description of being red led to the red stew and Esau despising his birthright due to lack of vision, and the description of being hairy led to this moment of deception regarding the blessing. Thus, the descriptions of “red” and “hairy” connects the blessing with blindness and deception.
In Jacob’s second and third opportunities to abandon the mission of deception, he had been instructed to go to the flock and get two young goats (27:13). Jacob “went and got them, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory food such as his father loved” (27:14). But how much time passed between those events in which Jacob could have chosen not to deceive his father? Jacob’s second opportunity was when he walked to the flock and his third was during the period of time it took for Rebekah to make the meal.
In his fourth opportunity, Rebekah convinced Jacob to put on Esau’s clothes (27:15). Unfortunately, by doing this, he assumed a false identity. In his fifth opportunity, Rebekah put the skins of the goats on his hands and neck (27:16). Yikes! Who was Jacob now? He was losing his identity! Jacob’s sixth opportunity was when he served the meal to his father (27:17-18). Jacob’s seventh opportunity came when Isaac asked Jacob to identify himself, and then Jacob lied and told his father that he was Esau (27:18-19). Noteworthy is the fact that Jacob’s deceptive lie regarding his identity was on the seventh opportunity because seven is often equated with completeness. Essentially, Jacob had been provided every moment possible to abandon the mission of deception, but then his decision to deceive was made complete in his lie. Who had Aperture Appetite now? Just as Esau had Aperture Appetite for the red stew, Jacob had become oblivious to the blurred background details of the devil at work because he narrowed his focus on the blessing he desired. Jacob’s weakness was his insecurity in his own identity as the one who grabs at the heel (25:26); his desire was to have the identity of the one with the birthright and the blessing. Consequently, Jacob was willing to lie, assume someone else’s identity, and even deceive his own father. However, within this lie lies a good desire because Jacob’s desire to receive his father’s blessing was good. Again, what Esau despised, Jacob desired; the birthright Esau had been blind to see as being valuable is the very thing Jacob saw clearly to be of great value. For this reason, in Jacob’s eighth opportunity to abandon the mission of deception, Isaac asked him how he was able to bring him the meal so quickly and Jacob responded by saying, “Because the Lord your God caused it to happen to me” (27:20). Now, in this response, Jacob told his father a half-lie and a half-truth. He lied because the Lord did not help him to successfully hunt and bring home any game, as Isaac had assumed to be the case; however, he told the truth because the Lord did in fact provide the two young goats for the meal. Further, his statement was true in that the Lord did cause this to happen for Jacob because Esau had despised his birthright. For that reason, Jacob receiving the blessing had been foretold by the Lord in 25:23.
Jacob’s ninth opportunity came when Isaac asked him to come close so he could feel him (27:21-23). The tenth opportunity was when Isaac asked him if he were truly Esau, but Jacob chose to lie again and claimed to be someone he was not (27:24). At this moment, Jacob could have confessed or even conjured up another lie to play his actions off as if it was all a joke, telling his father he just wanted to trick him for fun. But his Aperture Appetite caused him to focus on his desire for the blessing. Jacob’s eleventh opportunity came when Isaac told him that if he brought the meal to him, then he would bless him (27:25). And then Isaac ate the meal; however, in doing so, he also swallowed Jacob’s deception. And finally, after Isaac consumed a meal of deception, Jacob’s twelfth and final opportunity came when Isaac asked him to come closer and kiss him (27:26). Later on, we will see that Judas Iscariot, “one of the twelve”, will betray Jesus with a kiss (Luke 22:47-48). Interestingly, Jacob betrays his father with a kiss on his twelfth opportunity to confess the truth. And Isaac, now convinced after smelling Esau’s scent on the clothes, gives Jacob the blessing (Genesis 27:27-29), thus fulfilling the Word of the Lord that the older would serve the younger (25:23).
In 27:29, Isaac imparts his blessing, “May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you.”
While it is true that this blessing is for Jacob, we will later see that this blessing seems to match more precisely with Jacob’s son, Joseph (37:5-8; 41:40-44; 42:6). In fact, it will become evident later on that this blessing clearly builds on the divine promise to Abraham that kings will be among his descendants (17:6). And not only does the promise that those who curse will be cursed and those who bless will be blessed echo the promise GOD had given to Abraham in 12:3, but it also sets the stage for a later scene between Balak and Balaam in Numbers 24 when the Israelites will be cursed and yet instead will receive a blessing.
In Genesis 27:30-33, Esau returns, provides a meal for his father, Isaac becomes confused and asks Esau to identify himself, Esau identifies himself as the “firstborn”, and then Isaac trembles violently and informs Esau that he already blessed someone else and that the blessing must stand. But why did Esau identify himself as the “firstborn” when he traded away his birthright to Jacob (25:31-34)? This seems to imply that Isaac had been unaware of the fact that Esau had despised his birthright. Even if that is true, nothing can be hidden from the Lord and the truth was known (Psalm 33:13-15; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Luke 8:17; 12:2-3; Hebrews 4:13). But why did Isaac tremble violently? Because that was a natural consequence of devouring deception. He got deceived and ended up giving the blessing to someone whom he never intended to bless.
In 27:34-38, Esau cried out bitterly and asked his father to also bless him. Isaac told Esau that Jacob deceitfully took his blessing. But how did he know it was Jacob? He simply returned to his initial instinct when he had heard Jacob’s voice (27:22). In response, Esau became exceedingly angry toward Jacob and blamed him for the loss of his blessing and then asked his father if he had reserved any blessing for him. Isaac said that he had already given the good blessings to Jacob and there was nothing he could do. And in a final anguished plea, Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.”
Was Esau justified in blaming Jacob that he lost out on Isaac’s blessing? Again, Esau willingly chose to despise his birthright and therefore forfeited his blessing as the firstborn. So, while Jacob’s actions were deceitful in acquiring the blessing from his father, his desire was good because he valued what Esau despised and took for granted. Some Jewish scholars even go so far as to say that GOD sovereignly placed this zeal for the birthright and blessing within Jacob, that the Bible does not criticize Jacob for desiring the birthright and blessing, and so neither should anyone else criticize Jacob. In fact, some think that Jacob might not have attempted to take the blessing had Esau never traded away his birthright to Jacob.
But why did Isaac say that the blessings he gave to Jacob must stand and could not be revoked? Because in those ancient days, men of GOD held to the belief that their word was binding, not only to the human with whom they made the oath or agreement, but also with GOD. For this reason, people said such statements as, “The Lord is witness between us; surely we will do as you have said” (Judges 11:10). But why couldn’t Esau also receive a blessing? Because the blessings connected with the birthright had already been given, and the blessing, much like an oath, could not be revoked because it was binding with GOD as the witness. By involving the Lord, the one who broke the promise/agreement would be held accountable by the Lord.
But, after an unspecified amount of time, Isaac then said in 27:39-40, “39 Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, And away from the dew of heaven from above. 40 By your sword you shall live, And your brother you shall serve; But it shall come about when you become restless, That you will break his yoke from your neck.”
As this story will unfold, we will see that Jacob works off debt to his uncle Laban for 20 years (31:38). So, how is it that Esau will serve Jacob if Jacob will be busy serving Laban? And how is it that he would break free? And from what would he break free? When? Well, 27:41 says, “So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’ ”
Esau’s sinful desire to murder his brother should remind us of Cain when he desired to murder his brother, Abel. If you remember, in 4:7, GOD said to Cain, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Thus, I believe it is reasonable to infer that Scripture refers to the period of time it would take Esau to break free from the bondage of unforgiveness and hatred in his heart. So, whenever Esau will be able to roam about free from thoughts of vengeance and violence against his brother, then he would truly be set free. Later on, Jesus will say in Matthew 5:22-24, “22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” And again, in 6:14-15, Jesus will say, “14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Also, in 1John 3:15, the disciple whom the Lord loves will say, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
However, it will become evident that Isaac’s words in Genesis 27:39-40 also refers to Esau as a nation, which will be referred to as “Edom”. At first, the nation of Edom will become hostile toward Israel, and then they will become subjugated to Israel, and then they will break free from Israel (25:30; 36:1-19; Numbers 20:18-21; 2Samuel 8:14; 2Kings 8:20-22). So, as we will see all throughout our chronological journey, GOD’s Word is often so powerful that it has more than one meaning and even becomes mirrored in the New Testament.
In Genesis 27:42, it is written that Esau’s murderous words were reported to Rebekah. But who would have reported those words to her? Most likely, it was a servant of their household. Ponder on that for a moment. That servant could have decided to remain silent or even help Esau to murder Jacob, but he/she chose instead to inform Rebekah about Esau’s wicked plan. So, I believe it is reasonable to infer that the unknown servant was not only righteous, but also loved the family enough to bring a warning of potential disaster and division. And yet the informant remains anonymous in Scripture. This reveals how someone who might be considered to be insignificant could actually be someone of great significance even if that person never receives any recognition for the significant acts he/she did.
In 27:42-43, Rebekah then informs Jacob of Esau’s plan and then tells him to flee to her brother in Haran, concluding in 27:44-45 by saying, “44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury subsides, 45 until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
Bereaved of both? Who was the second person referred to by Rebekah? And why would she bereave that person in addition to Jacob? One possible interpretation is that she was referring to Esau. In 9:6, the Lord commanded, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.” Further to this command, later in our chronological journey, we will learn about the duty of an “avenger of blood”, which is someone who acts in revenge on behalf of a kinsmen who was unjustly murdered (Numbers 35:9-27; Deuteronomy 19:11-13; Joshua 20). And so an “avenger of blood” would hunt down the murderer and exact justice by killing the murderer. This will all be connected to the principle of “eye for an eye” (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21). However, because Isaac and Rebekah were too old to be avengers and they lacked the kinsmen necessary to have an avenger, it is unlikely this text is referring to Esau’s death due to an avenger of blood. Another possible interpretation is that if Esau murdered Jacob, Esau would essentially have been written off as a son and thus Rebekah could have referred to her bereavement as if mourning over two dead sons even though Esau would not have literally died. However, because Esau had plainly stated that his intention was to murder Jacob on the day Isaac died (Genesis 27:41), it is more likely that Rebekah was referring to that future day of when she would bereave both Isaac and Jacob. She has already accepted the fact that she is going to lose her husband, but she does not want to also bereave over a dead son on the same day.
Sadly for Rebekah, she thought the son she favored would only be gone for a few days until Esau’s anger subsided, but as we will later see, Jacob is going to be stuck in servitude to Laban for 20 years in order to work off debt to marry his daughter, Rachel (31:38). Rebekah’s last words to Jacob was that she would send for him to return once Esau’s anger subsided. But what did she know about the future? As we will later discover, it is likely that Rebekah dies while Jacob is gone and never gets to see Jacob again. For this reason, the brother of Jesus will later say in James 4:14-15, “14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ ”
In Genesis 27:46, after conjuring up another plan, Rebekah puts on a dramatic performance for Isaac, stating that Hittite women make her tired of living and it would be utterly devastating if Jacob ever took one of them to be his wife. Now, it’s not clearly stated in this chapter, but her words only add fuel to Esau’s fire. How do we know this? Well, not only does 28:8 inform us of this, but if you remember, 26:34 informed us that Esau had taken two Hittite women as his wives. And so adding fuel to the fire, in 28:1-5, Isaac comes into agreement with Rebekah, charges Jacob to go to Haran and find a wife from one of Laban’s daughters, and then he blesses him as he sends him on his way. Therefore, Esau lost his birthright, lost his blessing, heard his parents badmouth his wives, and then heard his father bless Jacob yet again before sending him away.
Now, it is at this point in the story that critics like to point out an apparent contradiction, claiming that 28:2 states that Jacob’s reason for going to Haran is to find a wife, whereas 27:42-45 states that Jacob’s reason for going to Haran is to flee from his brother. So, which is it? Both are true. The critic presents a fallacy of a false dilemma when claiming I have to choose one or the other. It’s not a genuine contradiction because it’s not an either-or scenario. At first, the most urgent reason for Jacob going to Haran is to flee from his brother. However, because Rebekah wants him to go there, she uses Jacob’s need for a wife as an excuse for him to go. And because Isaac agrees that the plan is good for Jacob to find a wife, that becomes the new plan; consequently, both reasons merge together into one plan.
Interestingly, in 24:3, Abraham charged his faithful servant Eliezer to ensure that Isaac did not acquire a Canaanite wife. And then in 28:1, Isaac charges Jacob with the same warning. Also, in 24:6-7, Abraham charged Eliezer to see to it that he never took Isaac back to his homeland because the Lord promised that his descendants would be given the land currently inhabited by the Canaanites. And then in 28:2-4, though Isaac sends Jacob back to the homeland, he blesses Jacob, saying, “may [you] possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.” Therefore, this sets the stage for Jacob to eventually return to the land promised to Abraham. But when will he return? Well, Rebekah believes his return will be sometime in the near future, but as we will soon see, his return will not be anytime soon.
After Jacob departs for his journey, it is written in 28:6-9 that Esau, knowing that the daughters of Canaan displease his father Isaac, he visits Ishmael and marries his daughter Mahalath in what seems to be a belated attempt to gain his parents’ approval. Ironically, Esau’s link with the family of Ishmael – Nebaioth (Esau’s brother-in-law) is Ishmael’s firstborn son (25:13) – further signals that GOD will not fulfill His promises through Esau because GOD passed over Ishmael in favor of Isaac (21:12). And with Esau now being passed over, Jacob will now receive favor and take center stage in the story.
- Esau was blind and unable to see the value of his birthright. Isaac was blind and unable to see he was being deceived by Jacob. Jacob was blind and unable to see that his actions would lead to Esau desiring to murder him. Rebekah was blind and unable to see that her favoritism of Jacob would lead to her never seeing him again. And yet GOD’s blessing was given despite their blindness. But what about you? In what ways has GOD given you His blessing despite your blindness? And how many times has He blessed you despite your blindness?
- Esau had been deceived because he believed food of the physical realm was more important than the blessing of the spiritual realm. Jacob had been deceived because he believed that he could deceive his father without any consequences. Isaac had been deceived because he believed he could rely upon his physical senses to discern spiritual matters. Rebekah had been deceived because she believed she could help Jacob deceive Isaac without any consequences. But what about you? What past experiences do you have of when you had been deceived? What were the consequences that came from those incidents of deception? What have you learned from them?
- Did Rebekah ever tell Isaac that the Lord said the older would serve the younger or did she keep that a secret? Secrets only keep spouses separated. Two are designed to be one, remember (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6)? If you’re married, are you keeping any secrets from your spouse? If you are, I admonish you to prayerfully consider breaking down those walls of secrets that separate and choose instead to be bonded in transparent love. A secret can easily slide down the slippery slope into becoming sin. Sin is a parasite that takes over its host. So, are you willing to share your secrets with your spouse?
- Both Isaac and Rebekah played favorites and the favoritism created a divided house. Do you have children? If you do, do you play favorites? Should you? If you do play favorites, are you blind to the consequences of such a divisive act? Are you deceived into believing there will be no consequences?
- Jacob sought to be blessed while he was actively sinning. How could Jacob possibly ask to receive a blessing while sinning? But what about you? Have you ever desired to receive a blessing from the Lord while living in sin? What was your focus on at the time? How did the Lord respond to your desire?
- Jacob got what he desired. He received the blessing. But at what cost? Although Jacob got the blessing he desired, assuming a false identity and deceiving his dad cost him greatly. Some of the consequences are as follows: (1) It is likely he never saw his mother again; (2) the relationship with his brother was damaged and Esau wanted to murder him; (3) he will soon be deceived by his uncle Laban and used for labor; (4) his own family will become torn by strife; (5) Esau will became the founder of the enemy nation “Edom”; and (6) he becomes exiled from his family for 20 years. Now, at a quick glance, it seems as if one wrong decision will lead to years of pain and suffering; however, upon closer examination, we can clearly see that Jacob had 12 opportunities to escape from one wrong decision. But what about you? Think back at all the times when you had made a wrong decision. How many opportunities did you have to escape prior to making that one wrong decision?
- How many times has GOD blessed you despite the fact that you made a wrong decision?
- Are you seeking to receive the blessing? Who has lost out on being blessed so that you can receive the blessing? What about the One who might be referred to as the “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15)? The One crucified on the cross? Sure, Jacob received the blessing even while he was a sinner, but what is written in Romans 5:8? “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Indeed, Jesus died so that we might receive the blessing.
Quest For Truth 