No one likes a mess…
Yet, we’ve arrived at a moment in the book of Genesis, where feels like you’ve stumbled into a grand mess. Everywhere you turn there someone sinning. From Isaac, to Rebekah, to Jacob, and Esau. All in all, this is one messed up family, and a lot of what happens in this moment leaves us with uncertainty over how to feel about these people, their actions, and how God could even still work in a family like this. But while there is loads of mess to see here, there is also loads of mercy to see as well. Precious instruction from perilous moment.
It’s a long text today. One that is well-known, but perhaps not known well enough. The main bulk in our text will be in chapter 27, though we’ll begin briefly in chapter 26, and end in briefly in chapter 28. See first…
A Bitter Beginning (26:34-35)
“When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.”
As our passage begins, marriages are in view. Specifically Esau marrying Hittites. That’s v34, but then in v35 we learn a bitterness arose from these marriages. We’re not told of the source of the bitterness, was it their Hittite ways, or did these girls just not get along with their in-laws? Rather than those options, I think the bitterness came from Esau. Esau likely knew of what lengths grandfather Abraham went to ensure his father Isaac wouldn’t marry among these peoples, that this was God’s intention for His people.[1] Yet, now he seems eager to rebel and/or indifferent to God’s desires. Seeing this in him, being around these pagan women, I think, was the source of their bitterness.[2]
So as we enter our passage for today we already see family issues present between Esau and his parents.
A Stolen Blessing (27:1-46)
This is a large section, so let’s take it a piece at a time.
Isaac’s Request (27:1-4)
“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.”
Now we have arrived at the main drama before us today. In v1 Isaac is described as old and blind. So old and blind that he calls in Esau, his oldest son, makes a request for food, and states his intention to bless him because to him he might die any time now. All this might seem above par, but there’s loads to see. Most prominent to see here is his desire to bless Esau before he dies. In this culture it was normal to bring in all the sons and give out a blessing to each one individually, yet here Isaac desires to only bless Esau. Why? Because Esau makes a good stew. He sure seems to like this stew, the phrase in v4 stew “such as I love” indicates a deep emotional response to this stew. I’m all for good food, certainly, but this is beyond that. It as if Isaac is driven by his appetite more than anything. And who knew stew would play such a role in the covenantal family of God’s people? Esau, for some stew, was defrauded by Jacob earlier…and now Isaac, for some stew, favors Esau over Jacob. Isaac should’ve brought both sons in to give out blessings, but he doesn’t. Why? Wasn’t he vexed by Esau’s marriages as we just saw? Didn’t he know Esau to be rebellious man? More so, didn’t he know of the war within Rebekah’s womb, and hear God say “the older shall serve the younger?” Why then favor Esau? Why is Isaac now going against God direct revealed intention by seeking to bless Esau and not Jacob before he dies? It seems Isaac is blind in more ways than one.[3] Physically he is blind, yes, but spiritually Isaac seems just as unable to see clearly.
Rebekah’s Deception (27:5-17)
“Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to 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. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 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 with her in the house, 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.”
Apparently, Rebekah was not far away as Isaac spoke to Esau about his death, the food, and the blessing. She knows what we know. Jacob should’ve not only also been in there too, but Jacob is the one who should get this blessing! The war was in her womb, and Jacob is the younger son who shall be over the older son Esau, yet Rebekah now hears Isaac trying to give this blessing away to Esau secretly without her or Jacob knowing. Favoritism really makes its ugly head known here. In v5-6 Esau is called “his son” and Jacob is called “her son.” So, she plans to ensure “her son” gets what he should. And the plan is simple. She will make the meal Isaac so longs for, Jacob will bring it in to him, he will dress the part hairy animal skins and all, so that he’ll be blessed by Isaac.
Observe a few things. Look at Rebekah here. Why is she doing this? Is it just because she favors Jacob over Esau? Perhaps. But could it also be anger? I think it could. Isaac should’ve called both sons in and given them each a blessing, and to hear Isaac choosing to deny Jacob his blessing that God has promised him, probably angered her greatly.[4] So in her anger she thinks up a plan to trick Isaac into doing what he should’ve done all along. Really then, Isaac’s previous bad choice leads to Rebekah’s bad choice here. And also, look at Jacob. In v11 he doesn’t seem to be concerned at all about the morality of this plan. About what it would mean to Isaac and for Esau, and how it would feel deceiving them. No, Jacob only seems concerned with getting caught doing it.[5] But Mom knows best, and she’ll dress him up in Esau’s best clothes and put goat skins on his smooth hands and neck. Quick comment on this. Could this really have duped Isaac? Such a feeble disguise? Well, maybe it reminds us of his blindness. Or that here another one of Isaac’s senses is impoverished. Not only can he not see, not only is he driven by what he can taste, not only is his spiritual sense dull, but now we might be seeing even his sense of touch is dull.[6] One commentator noted this and added, “Isaac is as much to pitied as he is to be blamed” for this moment.[7]
Lastly, how ominous is v13? When Rebekah says “Let your curse be on me.” I don’t think this could’ve happened, if Isaac finds out and curses Jacob, Jacob will be the one who’s cursed, not her. But this shows much. Sadly, she would end up bearing a great curse. After this chapter plays out the way she wants and Jacob does indeed get the blessing, she has to send her prized son Jacob away, and though she thinks he’ll only be gone a few days, she never sees him again, and is never present in the story of Genesis again.[8] Heavy.
Jacob’s Deception (27:18-29)
“So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
The drama and tension of the moment rises as Jacob now carries out the plan. Will he be discovered, or not? We rightly are appalled in v20 as we hear Jacob blaspheme God’s name, lying about how God gave him quick success in hunting. And there are a few moments when you almost get nervous for him where it seems like he might be found out. For example three times Isaac asks Jacob to draw near to him (v21, v25, v26) to check and re-check who this is. But Isaac proves to be as dull as we’ve seen him to be, and upon smelling the clothes of Esau he blesses Jacob. And the blessing echoes so much of what we’ve seen before. Its slam packed with Abrahamic language, once again indicating to us that the promises made to Abraham, that passed to Isaac, will now carry on with Jacob.
At this point in the narrative we’re so mixed about so much. We are glad the younger son Jacob has been blessed, because now God’s revealed intention has come to pass and been upheld. But do we not hate the way it came about? Through such deceit and manipulation? Of course we do. More on this in a minute…for now we turn back to Esau.
Esau’s Bitterness (27:30-41)
“As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Now Esau hated 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 approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
See how this section begins? As soon as Jacob went out, Esau comes in. And as soon as Esau speaks and Isaac finds out its truly Esau this time, he trembles violently. And after hearing of how greatly Jacob will be blessed Esau screams out bitterly. Then these two go back and forth very emotionally. Esau begging for another blessing, while Isaac says Jacob has stolen his blessing, and nothing can now change that. Esau, at this point, around v38, weeps. Then Isaac speaks and gives him a kind of blessing, that really sounds more like a curse.[9] God will, remember the blessing to Jacob, give Jacob the dew of heaven and the fat of the land (symbolic language for great blessing. Now we hear Esau will dwell away from these very same things in v39-40. But though Esau and his descendants will live and die by sword, eventually this yoke on him will be broken.
Then, see v41. Esau makes a plan of his own. When father Isaac dies, he will kill his brother Jacob. Unless God stops this from happening, Esau is planning to be the second Cain, who spills his brothers blood out of hatred.
Rebekah’s Warning (27:42-45)
“But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away—until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”
Here we learn that Esau’s plan to kill Jacob was known by Rebekah. So naturally she warns Jacob and tells him to flee, to leave, and go to her brother’s house until Esau’s fury turns away. When that happens she will send for him to return. Sadly though, she will be bereft of both of them very soon.
Isaac’s Departure (27:45-28:5)
“Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.”
Rebekah, shows her quick wit and understanding of the situation at hand, and goes to Isaac to manipulate him so that he will send Jacob away to Laban.[10] She repeats the initial concern we saw today about the bitterness she experiences because of Esau’s wives and says her life would be even worse if Jacob were to marry the Hittite as well. So, Isaac reads between the lines and in the first few verses of chapter 28 he sends Jacob off to pattern around to find a wife from among the daughters of Laban. And then his parting words to Jacob he reemphasizes the blessing given to him, that was originally given to Abraham.
A Confused Ending (28:6-9)
“Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.”
Our passage ends the way it began, with marriages are in view. Specifically, Esau marrying now within the family line. This is tragic to witness. Esau clearly desires his father’s favor. He has seen that Jacob has been blessed by going off and to seek a wife within the family line, so off he goes to marry a daughter of Ishmael in hopes that his father would bless him.[11] And once again we see the echoes of favoritism, as Jacob goes off to find a wife with his mother’s family while Esau goes off to find a wife with his father’s family.
Conclusion:
Of all we could mention here at the end, let’s just anchor down into two things.
First, this is not how families ought to be.
If you have been sitting here today and watching this car wreck of a chapter unfold and you have recognized something about your own family, or you know of families like this… it must be said, families are not supposed to be like this. No one in this chapter does well. Isaac favoring Esau, Rebecca favoring Jacob, Jacob deceiving Isaac and Esau to get the blessing, and Esau holding a grudge, harboring revenge, and plotting to kill his brother. Did you notice how this chapter was full of nothing but conversation after conversation between two people? Never was this family keen to get together, all four of them at one time, to talk this out. They just kept deceiving one another, staying separate from one another, and living in one of the most unhealthy patterns for a family. Just a few chapters ago we saw this family begin wonderfully, and now we sit here and look at this chapter and wonder when did they slide into such a horrible pattern?
There are many warnings here. Parents This is why you should not give way to favoritism among your children. Children you should not seek to deceive your siblings and cheat them out of good things in life. Husbands, talk to your wives don’t retreat into yourself and give yourself over to passivity and a love of food. Wives, talk to your husbands and don’t give yourselves over to aggression and manipulation.
If you recognize yourself in this family, if you have been part of this family, or if you are a part of this family right now, learn a better way and love one another as Christ has loved you.
Second, even so, God still works.
Yes this family is a complete mess. But God is still working. Sin is bad, true. But sin serves the sovereign purposes of God, also true. We see that here clearly. None of us are ok with the underhanded and deceitful behavior of anyone in this chapter, but in it all God’s covenant and promise still stand!
This would have been a message of hope for Israel. That even though their own sin has seemingly derailed God’s promises again and again on their way to the promised land, ultimately God’s plans cannot be undone.
And this is a message of hope for the church. The bringing about of God’s Kingdom on earth does not depend on our faithfulness, or our obedience, but on God’s sovereign grace.[12]
As God used human deception as part of his plan to bring the blessing of Abraham to Jacob, so too in the fullness of time God would use human deception in Judas, in the Jews, and in the Romans to ultimately get His Son to the cross…so that sin can be atoned for.[13]
So Church, even though this is a chapter full of mess, enjoy the mercy of God on display.
Even though we see in ourselves a ton of lingering mess, let’s be thankful that God’s mercies are new every morning.
[1] Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2001), 375–76.
[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16-50, WBC (Waco, TX: Zondervan, 2000), 205.
[3] John D. Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, EP Study Commentary (Holywell, UK: Evangelical Press, 2015), 38–39.
[4] Currid, 44.
[5] Waltke, Genesis, 378.
[6] Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 208.
[7] Wenham, 208.
[8] Waltke, Genesis, 378–79.
[9] Currid, Genesis 25:19-50:26, 56.
[10] Derek Kidner, Genesis (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008), 168.
[11] Waltke, Genesis, 383.
[12] Waltke, 384.
[13] Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from Genesis: Foundations for Expository Sermons (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007) 270.
