Genesis 27:1-29
Isaac Blesses Jacob
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.
18 So he went to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”
20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
And he said, “Because the LORD your God brought it to me.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
24 Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” 27 And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
“Surely, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the LORD has blessed.
28 Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”
Jacob appears to have stolen his older brother’s blessing from deceiving their father Isaac in this historical account. The ruse was instigated by their mother Rebekah who had an idea of which boy should be the best successor in the family lineage, not just because Jacob was her favorite by his more refined pursuits and character alone. The plot quickly formed when Esau was sent to hunt for a last meal to satisfy his father and the conversation was overheard by the mother about her husband’s imminent departure from this world. When Esau left to get the food, she told Jacob the younger of the intent of Isaac to bestow the inheritance and blessing on unworthy Esau and gave him instructions on what to do. She made the stew but Jacob knew that his father would not be fooled even with bad eyesight that he was fair skinned and not hairy (Genesis 25:25) like his brother. The last thing he wanted was to be found out and given a curse instead of the bless which he seemed keen to receive, even if by such deceit. At this point it is wise to surmise that this is not an example for us to imitate, but a divine appointment of the long view of God’s providence to use cunning to gain a blessing, since the blessing had been planned for Jacob (Isaiah 41:8) all along. Rebekah took the curse on herself to save her son and give him the future that was planned for him and made hairy neck and arm coverings to complete the deceit for its success. Therefore Jacob took the stew and fed his father the last meal and received his blessing as expected. The ruse was up when Esau came home with the real stew, however. We will later read in this chapter how after Jacob received the irrevocable blessing for prosperity that should have been given to the eldest son Esau was extremely upset with his brother and mother, even though he had not valued the birthright before, selling it for a cup of stew, ironically enough. The blessing given to Jacob by deceit was unbreakable and bestowed the promises from the LORD to Abraham through Isaac his firstborn. It included prosperity in the promised land, and rule over the people of the land and even other nations, and lastly over even his elder brother as one of the “mother’s sons” spoken of here. Everyone who blessed Jacob would be blessed and likewise all set against him with cursing would reap curses on their own heads. Was this then a stolen blessing, or one appointed by God through seemingly odd means of human deception? One thing we can be assured of is that God uses our actions in His sovereign plan to bring the blessing of Abraham’s faith on all His children through such means. If this had not happened, Je would have found another way to give the inheritance through Jacob, possibly at the expense of Esau’s life. This way they both loved and the true inheritance went to the right man. His ways and thinking (Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:33) are definitely not ours!
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