This may seem odd to us, but back then that is how things were done. Isaac was getting old and he wanted to make sure that everything was taken care of before he died. So he called his eldest, who was suppose to get the birthright, and told him to make him a venison dinner and that he would bless him.
Now, remember, Esau had sold his birthright to his brother, Jacob. Did Isaac know about this? We don't know.
Genesis 27:5- And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
Rebekah heard what Isaac had said, and she wanted Jacob to get the blessing. What do you think she should have done? She should have trusted God! But, did she do that?
Genesis 27:6-10- And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
Uh oh! She was planning something deceitful! She must not have been trusting God at that moment. Perhaps, she wasn't keeping her friendship with the Lord.
Genesis 27:11-12- And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
Jacob knew what she was planning was wrong. He was afraid that he would receive a curse instead of a blessing!
Genesis 27:13- And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
Rebekah says that if they are found out that she will bear the curse. Guess what! This is one of the last times she ever gets to see her son whom she loves so much! She does end up bearing the consequences of her deceit.
Genesis 27:14-17- And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
Wow! She had really thought this out! She dressed Jacob in Esau's clothes. She put the goat skins with the hair onto his arms and neck so that he would feel hairy, and she sent him with the venison and bread to Isaac.
Genesis 27:18- And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
I bet when Isaac asked who he was, that Jacob felt a little flutter in his stomach! He knew he was doing wrong. He knew he was lying and that he shouldn't.
Genesis 27:19- And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
Jacob decided right then and there that he would deceive his father and steal the blessing from his brother. He went against what he knew was right and decided to take what he wanted his own way without waiting to see what God would do.
Genesis 27:20- And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.
Oh, Isaac thought something was wrong! Now begins the questions. Have you ever noticed that when you're doing something wrong someone is always there questioning you? That's God telling you that you're doing wrong!
Genesis 27:21-24- And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
Jacob is now so wrapped up in this lie that he can't get out now!
Genesis 27:25-29- And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
Whew! Jacob got away with it! I'm sure for a few moments there he thought he would be found out. But he was anxious to get out of there because he didn't know when Esau was going to come back!
Genesis 27:30-31- And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
That was close! But what about Esau?
Genesis 27:32-36- And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Here Esau was crying and begging his father to bless him, but his father couldn't. You see, once a blessing has been given it can't be taken away or changed. Esau knew this, but he was hoping that there was something left for him.
Genesis 27:37-38- And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
Oh, Esau now realized the value of his birthright. He regretted giving it up, but there was no getting it back! No matter how much you beg and plead and cry, sometimes, you just can't make sin disappear. You now have to live with the consequences of your actions. And Esau was very sorry!
Genesis 27:39-40- And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
Isaac wanted to bless Esau, so he blessed him as a man. He couldn't leave him any possessions or positions. But he could give him the blessing of a bountiful life. Do you think this made Esau happy? Nope!
Genesis 27:41- And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
Esau hated Jacob! He hated him so badly that he wanted to hurt him! He not only wanted to hurt him, he wanted to kill him!
Genesis 27:42-45- And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
To save her son, Rebekah had to send him away. She knew Esau would really kill him. For her deceit, God made it so that Rebekah never saw her son after this. That was her punishment.
But what about Jacob? What would he have to pay for this sin?
