SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 27
BIBLE VERSES:
“So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness- an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over 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.”
“When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” (Genesis 27:42-46)
JACOB GETS ISAAC’S BLESSING (vs. 1-40)
When Isaac was old, his eyes could no longer see. He called on Esau to hunt some wild animal for him and prepare the food. Then he was going to bless him. When Rebekah heard it, she prepared tasty food of choice goats and told her son Jacob to disguise himself as his brother Esau. Rebekah deceived her husband and taught Jacob to be a liar. He told Jacob to wear Esau’s clothes and covered his hands with goat skins. So, Isaac gave his blessings to Jacob. When Esau arrived from hunting, he prepared some tasty food for Isaac. But Isaac told him he had already blessed Jacob.
JACOB FLEES TO LABAN (vs. 41-46)
Esau hold a grudge against Jacob because of the blessings his father had given him. He wanted to kill his brother Jacob after the days of mourning for Isaac. When Rebekah knew about it, she told her son Jacob to leave and go to her brother Laban in Haran and stay there until Esau’s fury subsided.
Rebekah told Isaac that she was disgusted living with the wife of Esau who were Hittites. She said if Jacob takes a Hittite as his wife, her life will not be worth living.
THOUGHTS:
Rebekah schemed and started to make sure that Jacob could get the blessing. She used lies to deceive Isaac. As a result, she paid dearly for her sin. Jacob had to leave home and she never saw his son again. Remember, the end does not justify the means.
Jacob was a hypocrite and an expert in deception. He told 3 lies to his father: (1)- I am Esau; (2) I have done as you told me (it was his mother who was doing it) ; (3)-Eat my venison (it was goat’s meat)., but Jacob paid for his sins. Laban deceived him about his wives and repeatedly changed his wages; He was deceived by his sons when they put blood on Joseph’s coat to tell him that Joseph was killed when in reality they sold him as a slave to Potiphar.
Desperate on not being able to get the blessings, Esau plotted to murder his brother Jacob. He also married heathen wives to stir trouble with his parents. This had brought a lot of headache to the family. The danger of hatred will ruin the peace of family.
Isaac loved Esau while Rebekah loved Jacob. Parents should not show favoritism to their children. Otherwise, there will be jealousy, misunderstanding, quarreling and trouble in the family.