JACOB GETS ISAAC’S BLESSING
Genesis 27:1-46
Key Verse: 27:28
“May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness-an abundance of grain and new wine.”
Welcome to UD UBF Sunday worship service. Last week we studied the resurrection of Jesus and the Great Commission through M. Joshua Kim. We celebrated the victory of Jesus because he has risen from the dead. Today we return to the study of Genesis. The story of Esau and Jacob displays a human drama of grabbing and struggling in the family setting. Abraham was a spiritual giant who became a father of faith for the Jews and Christians. Abraham passed his blessings to Isaac. Now it was Isaac’s turn. Isaac had twin sons. It was natural for Isaac to pass his blessings to his older son Esau. But Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac and he ended up passing his blessings to Jacob, his younger son. In this way Jacob became one of three patriarchs of faith and the bearer of God’s promises. The nation of Israel bears his changed name Israel. More chapters in Genesis were written about Jacob than about any other person. When we take a superficial look at Jacob, we don’t like him much because he struggled with men and deceived them to possess what he wanted. We all like Jacob because we are selfish and want to grab something by any means. His name came to mean “deceiver”, and in this chapter we see why. But when we take a closer look at Jacob, we are amazed to discover that he was a truly great man. His strong human character made it difficult for him to become an ancestor of faith. But God chose him from his mother’s womb to be the bearer of the covenant, and a patriarch of faith. God trained him by using his strong human character in a good way. Let’s learn God’s sovereign will for Jacob and how God used Rebekah to carry the will of God by risking her own life. May God bless us to be honest in our relationship with others and follow in God’s sovereign will for us through today’s message!
PART 1. ISAAC PLANS TO PASS HIS BLESSING (1-17)
Look at verses 1-4. “When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered. 2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
Isaac became old and he had become blind. He felt sorry for himself and felt that he would surely die soon. However, he did not die until he was 180 years old–around 60 years later. You never assume that you will die soon. Perhaps his blindness made him feel that his death was near. So, he asked Esau, his favorite and eldest son to go hunting, and bring and prepare some wild game for him. He would eat it and then give Esau his blessing. Isaac wanted to pass his blessing to Esau, his favorite son. Isaac was a gourmet eater and loved Esau because he was an outdoor man and a skillful hunter. Issac planned to bless Esau after eating delicious meat dinner. But his plan was hijacked by his wife Rebekah who had another plan.
Look at verses 5-10. “Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ 8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” Rebekah overheard Isaac speaking to Esau. She respected her husband
as God’s servant and knew that the one he blessed would indeed be blessed. She believed that the blessing of the firstborn belongs to Jacob, not Esau, for this was God’s word to her when the two boys were in her womb.
Look at Gen. 25:23, “The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Rebekah knew that God’s sovereign will was with Jacob the younger. Rebekah kept the word of God in her heart. Of course, Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite son because Jacob was a mommy boy from his childhood. He stayed in the kitchen to help his mom, Rebekah. He was good at cooking and bought the birth right from Esau with the red lentil soup. Favoritism and God’s word played an important role in Rebekah’s decision-making process. So, Rebekah advised Jacob to deceive his father Isaac to receive God’s blessing. She coached Jacob to pretend to be Esau and get his father’s blessing. To do this, Jacob risked being discovered and receiving a rebuke and even a curse from his father, so he was hesitant. (11,12) But Rebekah was determined: She said, “Let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say…” Rebekah was a helicopter mom who wanted to do anything for her son Jacob. She even risked her life and was willing to receive a curse from her husband Isaac. Why? She wanted to make sure that the blessing of God might pass to Jacob according to the word of God given to her. She wanted to obey the will of God by any means even though she was betraying and deceiving her husband. Of course, her heart was broken but she prayed earnestly that God’s will would prevail in this matter. I know it was not an easy decision for Rebekah to deceive her husband and her older son Esau to give the blessing to Jacob. From a family and moral standpoint, she was wrong and broke the family order. But from the spiritual standpoint, she was right because she was carrying out the plan of God that Esau would serve Jacob. Rebekah became the spiritual eye for Isaac who was blind. She became a suitable helper for Isaac so that God’s will be done in this family. God helped Isaac through Rebekah to carry out his plan to choose Jacob to become the third patriarch of faith. That’s reason why it is very important for man to have a spiritual wife who can be a suitable helper. Like Isaac I have many human weaknesses though I am very faithful in all things. God granted me a suitable helper, M. Esther who helped me to establish a growing ministry in Washington and a fruitful family with 8 grandchildren. I am grateful to God who gave me a spiritual and suitable helper who became my spiritual eyes throughout my life of mission. I know that M. Joshua appreciates M. Ruth’s help as a suitable helper. “M. Joshua, is it right? If you are a man who is not married yet, pray to God, “Oh, God! Please grant me a woman of faith like Rebekah who can be my spiritual eyes in crisis.”
How did Jacob prepare to get the blessing from Isaac? Look at verses 11-17. “Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say, go and get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. 17 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.” Jacob presented a potential problem. He said, ‘Mom, I am not like Esau. My brother is hairy, but I am smooth. I might be caught cheating and got cursed rather than blessed. Oh, no.” But Rebekah assured Jacob, “Just do what I say. I will help you.” So, Jacob dressed in Esau’s clothes, put goatskin on his arms and neck (Esau was hairy), took the delicious meat dish and bread that Rebekah had cooked and went to his father Isaac. Mom and son worked together to deceive Isaac who did not know the plot. So, Rebekah and Jacob became accomplices in deception to get Isaac’s blessing. They succeeded in deceiving Isaac who was ready to bless Jacob.
PART 2 JACOB RECEIVES THE BLESSING (18-27)
In this part Jacob lies to his father and receives the blessings from Isaac. Look at verses 18-27a. “He went to his father and said, “My father.” Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.” 20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” “The LORD your God gave me success,” he replied. 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.” 22 Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. 24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked. “I am,” he replied. 25 Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”27 So he went to him and kissed him.” We all feel like watching drama in Netflix. Jacob lied to his father Isaac and acted like Esau. What a suspense and dramatic the moment was when Isaac asked Jacob, “Who is it?” Jacob answered, “I am Esau., your firstborn.” Jacob became a professional liar. Isaac was a little suspicious, but he believed Jacob’s lie and blessed him. Look at the content of the blessings. Look at verses 27b-29. “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.28 May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine. 29 May nations serve you and people 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.” This was not the covenant blessing–that would come later–but it was a promise of abundance; it was a promise that nations and peoples would serve him; and it was a promise that he would be lord over his brother. Isaac blessed Jacob as God spoke to Rebekah during her pregnancy. God’s plans succeed as Isaac blessed Jacob. Romans 9:12-13 says, “Not by works but by him who calls-she was told, “The older will serve the younger. Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau hated.” God’s sovereign will be with Jacob because God loved him. Romans 9:19b says, “For who is able to resist his will?” Indeed, who can resist God’s will? Rommel, are you able to resist God’s will? No. When God called Moses, he was reluctant because he was eloquent in speeches. God used Aaron his brother as a speaker. God used Moses as the leader of Exodus, deliverer of Israel from the slavery. Gideon was reluctant when God called him because his clan was the least among his tribes. But he became a might warrior who saved Israel. Apostle Peter ran away when Jesus was arrested. But he was unable to resist the will of God and returned to the risen Jesus. God used him as the rock of Jesus’ church as the first bishop. Isaac’s family seemed be dysfunctional with favoritism and sibling rivalry. But God used this family because his sovereign will. In the end, God’s sovereign will prevailed in this family and God used this family to serve God’s salvation plan. As we know, God established the first family in the Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve. Family is the foundation where parents and children grow together in the unity and love. Today, we see many broken families with division and favoritism and hate and competition. Children cry and suffer under the broken family. But God created all mankind equally and want to bless them all through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loved all people even the lepers and tax collectors and sinners. God wants to restore our family. We all belong to the family of Jesus who can love and grow in the love of God. Let’s come to Jesus and receive God’s grace and love because that is God’s sovereign will for all of us.
PART 3. THE REACTIONS OF ISAAC AND ESAU (30-46)
In this part we see Esau’s return to his father and Isaac’s understanding of Jacob’s deception and Esau’s angry reaction and bitter cry and plot to kill his brother and Jacob’s exile to Paddan Aram where his uncle lived. Here we see the consequences of deception of the dysfunctional family and sibling rivalry.
Look at verses 30-32.” After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.” As soon as Jacob left, Esau came in with tasty venison steaks for his father. When he learned what Jacob had done and heard the poor blessing that his father had left for him, he was furiously angry. He decided to kill Jacob. But strangely enough, Isaac was not angry at Jacob or Rebekah—perhaps he knew that it was right for the blessing to go to Jacob. Isaac did not revoke his blessing to Jacob. I know that Isaac heard from Rebekah many times that God chose Jacob over Esau. So, he accepted God’s will in this matter. In this sense, Isaac was a man of obedience.
Rebekah had no choice; she must send Jacob away. She decided to send him to her brother Laban for a while. Then she talked with Isaac. She complained about the Hittite women Esau had married and suggested that they take a hand in finding a wife for Jacob. So, Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and sent him to Paddan Aram, to his mother’s people, instructing him to find a wife among Laban’s daughters. Rebekah taught Jacob the supreme value of God’s blessing, but she also taught him to lie and deceive. Lying and deception are never good, and the means are not justified by the end. She paid dearly for what she did. Because of Esau’s wrath Jacob had to leave home and live as an exile in a foreign land. Rebekah lost the son she loved–as far as we know, she did not see him again, for she died before his return. But God is sovereign. He used these difficult things to train Jacob and
ultimately, to bless him.
In conclusion, we see two different characters in Esau and Jacob. Esau valued to please his physical desires over the birth right. He married the unbelieving Hittite woman. Jacob valued the inviable birth right and sought after the blessings of God. He valued honor and love and children and wealth. God chose him over Esau to become the bearer of God’s covenant. We see deception and betrayal and sibling rivalry and favoritism in the dysfunctional family. We also see God’s sovereign will in this terrible situation. In all things God works out his good purpose to bless all people of the earth through Jacob, the foundation of 12 tribes to the nation Israel. Life is grabbing and constant possession struggles. Jacob grabbed his brother’s heel at his birth and struggled to get Issac’s blessings. He deceived his father and brother to grab the blessing. In our struggle of grabbing, it is important to know why and for what we are grabbing. Instead of struggling with people, we should struggle with God. It is important to grab God’s blessings and seek his kingdom and his righteousness so that we may inherit the kingdom of God when we end life on earth. I pray that we all may be honest in our relationship with others and trust God in our life. Let’s not resist the will of God and obey his will by following god’s direction in our life. May God bless us to receive his abundant blessings through his Son Jesus Christ who came into this world to bless us one after another! Let’s read the key verse 27:28. “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness-an abundance of grain and new wine.”