Gen 27:1-17 - Rebekah's Plot and Jacob's Rivalry - The Mysteries of God's Word

What if you believed the very foundation of your family legacy hinged on one blessing? This week on "Mysteries of God's Word," we unravel the narrative of Genesis 27, where Isaac, in his old age and blindness, prepares to bestow his blessing upon Esau. 
Discover the rich tradition of patriarchal blessings in Biblical times and examine the complications arising from Isaac's clear favoritism towards Esau, his beloved hunter. Feel the tension mount as Rebekah overhears his plan and hatches a scheme to ensure that Jacob, her favored son, seizes the blessing instead. 

Experience the suspense as Jacob, coached by Rebekah, dons an elaborate disguise to deceive his father. We'll detail the meticulous preparations Rebekah orchestrates—from whipping up Esau's favorite dishes to cleverly using goat skins to mimic Esau's hairy arms. Picture Jacob, dressed in Esau's clothing and carrying the carefully prepared meal, as we leave you on the edge of your seat, just before his pivotal encounter with Isaac. Stay tuned for next week's continuation of this enthralling tale, where we unveil the consequences of Jacob's deception. Don't miss this exploration of familial intrigue, divine blessings, and the complex dynamics within one of the Bible's most documented families.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Thank you for joining me for the Mysteries of God's Word. Today we're in Genesis, chapter 27, where Isaac blesses his sons, beginning in verse 1,. When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau, his older son, and said to him my son. And he answered here I am. He said Behold, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt, game for me and prepare for me delicious food such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat that. My soul may bless you before I die.

Speaker 1: 1:03

In our first four verses today we see that Isaac is old At this point in his life. Isaac is 137 years old. The twins, esau and Jacob, are 77 years old and the family is still together, although we know that Esau has already taken two wives at the age of 40. We read that Isaac's eyes were dim. We might consider Isaac to be legally blind. Isaac couldn't see images. By the description we have here, perhaps he could see some dim light, but he could not see anything in front of him. And he called Esau. Isaac is calling his eldest son to bless him. Isaac doing this reaffirms for us the importance of the patriarchy and the importance of a father blessing his children. Isaac says I don't know the day of my death. We see, both from this statement and from a statement he makes later, that my soul may bless you before I die, that Isaac believes he's nearing the end of his life. Believes he's nearing the end of his life, he certainly wasn't expecting to live another 43 years, as we read in Genesis 35-28, now the days of Isaac were 180 years. But Isaac says to Esau that he wants him to take his weapons, go out into the field and hunt some game for him, and then he will bless him once he gets a delicious meal from Esau. This reminds us once again of Isaac's love for Esau's wild game. Back in Genesis 25-28, we had read Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game. From the amount of attention that Scripture gives to this, it would appear that Isaac has allowed his love for Esau's food to govern his heart and his decision-making with his sons is based on his stomach rather than sound judgment. So Isaac favors Esau inappropriately and Isaac says go get me that delicious food and I may bless you.

Speaker 1: 3:32

The central theme to this whole story is blessing. The central word is blessing. It's used 28 times and that's reflective of how, back in Genesis, chapter 25, we saw a central theme of birthright. The blessing that Isaac is about to bestow on his sons is equated with their birthrights, and this is spelled out or pointed out more fully in Hebrews, chapter 12, verses 15 through 17, which reads See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled, that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought it with tears, back in Genesis 27,.

Speaker 1: 4:46

We'll pick up at verse 5. Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went into the field to hunt for game and bring it, rebekah said to her son Jacob I heard your father speak to your brother. Esau went into the field to hunt for game and bring it. Rebekah said to her son Jacob I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord, before I die. Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you go to the flock and bring me two good young goats so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves he dies.

Speaker 1: 5:27

In these five verses we see that Rebekah, much like her mother-in-law, sarah, kept tabs on her husband's conversations and at the moment of opportunity, rebekah works to undermine her husband's plans. To bless Esau and instead secure a future for her favorite child, she sets into motion a plan that will deceive and manipulate Isaac. What an example this is for us today of how sad it becomes when parents fail to work together, pray together and seek God together for the good of their children and instead they get divided by them or over them. Rebekah clearly believes she can make these domesticated goats taste and smell like Esau's wild game, picking up in verse 11,. But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother Behold my brother Esau is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing, his mother said to him Let your curse be on me, my son Only obey my voice and go bring them to me. So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau, her older son, which were in the house with her, and put them on Jacob, her younger son, and the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck and she put the delicious food and the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son, jacob.

Speaker 1: 7:30

In these verses we see that at the onset of Rebekah's deception, jacob initially objects. However, we also see that this objection was not because he believed it was wrong in the eyes of God, but because he thought he might get caught and lose his blessing and instead get cursed. He believed the plan would fail because the texture of his skin was much different than the texture of his brother's. Esau was hairy from birth and Jacob was smooth-skinned. However, rebekah, his mother, insists that he listen to her. She will bear the weight of any curse that may come upon him and when she does, jacob complies After the plan is agreed upon by both Rebecca and Jacob, it's set into motion.

Speaker 1: 8:22

Jacob goes and brings two goats to his mother, who prepares a meal in the likeness of Esau's great meals that Isaac loved. And then Jacob was given Esau's best clothing, which Rebekah just happened to have in the house. And then Rebekah puts patches of goat skin onto Jacob so that his skin would feel hairy. Now that Jacob is all dressed up and made up to look like Esau, rebekah places the meal into his hands. We're going to pause in our story here this week, and next week we'll pick up with Jacob going in to see his father, isaac. Join me then to see what happens next. God bless you this week.