God still accomplished His purpose

Isaac’s deathbed request to Esau

In Genesis 25:23 God had declared that the older shall serve the younger. Jacob, was chosen for the covenant blessing, even though he was the younger son. Esau’s despised spiritual things, his birthright, and married pagan Canaanite women.  

Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And make me [a]savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” (Genesis 27:3-4).

Isaac preferred and favored Esau for the wrong reasons, because he ate of his game [Genesis 25:28]. Isaac’s thinking was man-centered rather than God-centered.

 

Rebekah advises Jacob to deceive his father Isaac

Rebekah knew God’s promise, but she did not trust His timing or His methods. Rebekah believed the promise that the older shall serve the younger, instead of waiting for God to bring it to pass in His way, she took matters into her own hands [Genesis 25:23]. Her plan involved, lying and taking Esau’s blessing by trickery. She used human scheming instead of trusting in God.

Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves (Genesis 27:9).

God’s promises must be fulfilled by God’s methods, not by sinful shortcuts. Her actions caused family division, and sibling rivalry. God could have fulfilled His promise without sin, but Rebekah acted out of fear and urgency.

 

Esau discovers Jacob’s deception

Isaac tried to oppose God’s revealed will, as God explicitly revealed His plan to him [Genesis 25:23]. Yet Isaac preferred Esau because, he was a hunter, strong, skilled, he enjoyed the food Esau brought, and he was drawn more to natural instincts than spiritual discernment.   

Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting (Genesis 27:30).

As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, Esau came in [Genesis 27:30]. The timing was significant, it was a reminder to Isaac, that he could not thwart, God's purpose. His attempt to bypass God’s will was futile. He came to learn that despite his arrogance against God’s will, God’s will was glorious.

 

Esau’s reaction to the blessing given to Jacob

Isaac and Esau were both grieved, they saw the consequences of despising the birthright. When Jacob deceived Isaac and received the blessing, both Isaac and Esau were overwhelmed with sorrow. Isaac realized he had tried to fight God’s revealed will and had been overruled. Esau realized he had lost something spiritually precious, the blessing, tied to the covenant promises [Genesis 27:36].

And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” (Genesis 27:36).

Jacob took what Esau despised, his sorrow came too late, he cared only after the blessing was lost. His emotional concern did not lead to repentance or spiritual change, but to bitterness and violent hatred [Genesis 27:41].

 God still accomplished His purpose. The tragedy was that each of the participants suffered, because they insisted on working against God’s word and wisdom. In this tragic story, all the characters lost as they acted in human wisdom, not God’s wisdom. Isaac, tried to bless the wrong son, he suffered emotional shock and family division. Rebekah, manipulated and schemed, she lost Jacob for many years and never saw him again. Jacob, lied and tricked, he spent years under hardship with Laban as he fled from his brother. Esau, despised his birthright, lost both birthright, blessing and became bitter and violent. Yet God’s purpose still stood. 

George Ruheni, PhD.

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