Sunday, September 15, 2019

Taking the Curse for Blessing

Genesis 27:1-17 
1 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” And he answered him, “Here I am.”  2 Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 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 savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
    5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. 6 So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. 9 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. 10 Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.”  11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”  13 But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14 And he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

Isaac was nearing death and could no longer see, so he called the firstborn son to give him a last wish before blessing him to inherit his blessings.  He sent Esau out to hunt and make him a last meal of fresh meat.  Isaac’s wife was listening and had other plans for her favorite, the younger Jacob who would later be called Israel.  The deception to follow was used by God to bring about a nation, which puzzles us from our limited view outside of God’s sovereign work and plans.  We must remember that God did not tell Rebekah or Jacob to do these things, yet He worked to bring them to pass.  We truly only see the mere edges of His ways (Job 26:14).  Jacob was instructed by his mother to get two young goats for her to make Isaac’s favorite stew as a pretense for Esau’s work, and so they prepared the deception for Isaac.  She even answered Jacob’s concerns for his father feeling his smooth skin so unlike his rough and hairy brother’s by using the goat skins on his neck and hands to ensure the deception worked.  He was given Esau’s clothes to wear to top off the act as convincing.  She then handed him the food and sent him in with the call to obey as she took on the curse for the deception.  In a different way Christ took on our sin and our curse to earn our blessings before our Heavenly Father, but it was not by deception, but complete righteousness. 

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