Episode 289 - "Jacob steals the blessing" - Genesis 27

Gen. 27:1 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.” 2 He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, 4 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.”

Gen. 27:5 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, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 9 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. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”

Gen. 27:14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15 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. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

Gen. 27:18 So he went in 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 as you told me; now sit up 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?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” 21 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.” 22 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.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 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.

Gen. 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 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!

28 May God give you of the dew of heaven

and of the fatness of the earth

and plenty of grain and wine.

29 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!”

Gen. 27:30 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. 31 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.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 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.” 34 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!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 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?” 37 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?” 38 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.

Gen. 27:39 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.

40 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.”

Gen. 27:41 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.” 42 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. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45 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?”

Gen. 27:46 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?”

There is so much tension and drama in this short story that it almost seems wrong to say anything about it because it just speaks for itself. However, there are some valuable insights we can glean from observing how this story relates to the broader narrative of Genesis and the Bible.

First, do you remember when Rebekah was expecting twins and they fought within her womb, and the LORD revealed to her that the older would serve the younger? Secondly, do you recall that Jacob received that name because he was grabbing Esau’s heel when they were born? The significance of those details becomes more apparent here.

The scene begins when Isaac, who had become very old and had lost his sight, called Esau to go out and get him the meat that he liked and prepare it so that he would bless him, bequeathing to him the leadership of the family and the majority of the inheritance. Rebekah heard of Isaac’s plan and quickly took action to have Jacob receive the blessing instead of Esau. Why would she do this? For one, we’ve already been informed that Esau was Isaac’s favorite son because Esau was a hunter and Isaac enjoyed the food he brought home. On the other hand, Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite. More importantly, I think Rebekah did this because of what the LORD had revealed to her. She knew before they were born that Jacob would be the leader and the one who would carry the seed. I think she’s acting upon that revelation from God. While Rebekah’s actions were deceptive, we could argue that she was acting out of faith.

Rebekah laid out the plan to Jacob and addressed his concerns, and he agreed to go along with it. This detail bothered me for years. Why should he receive the blessing when he is gaining it through deception? That doesn’t seem fair. Then, a few years ago, I saw something in the dialogue between Isaac and Jacob after Jacob gave him the meat Rebekah had prepared. Isaac, thinking that Esau is standing near him, asks how he got the meat so quickly. Jacob’s response was, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” Do you see that? The LORD is not Jacob’s God. The LORD is his father’s God. The blessing will only be beneficial if the LORD is Jacob’s God, and this moment in the story creates a new conflict that will prompt the reader to wonder, “How will the LORD become Jacob’s God?” The LORD revealed to Rebekah what would happen with Jacob and Esau. So, in light of Jacob's statement, we must wonder how the Lord will work this all out.

No sooner had Jacob pulled off the deception and received the blessing than Esau came home with the meat from his hunt, and Isaac and Esau realized what had happened. The significance of Jacob grabbing Esau’s heel is revealed through Esau’s comment about Jacob’s name and his actions. The picture here is that one who grabs a heel is a cheater. I think it’s amusing that Esau uses the sale of his birthright as an accusation against Jacob, since it was Esau who had no regard whatsoever for his birthright. Jacob didn’t deceive him. He was just opportunistic, and Esau now regretted it, blaming Jacob for his poor decision. The bottom line is that Esau was so angry and planned to kill Jacob once Isaac died.

Rebekah learned of Esau’s plan and found a good reason to have Isaac send Jacob away to her brother Laban’s place. The misery caused by their Hittite daughters-in-law, whom Esau had married, was the justification she used to convince Isaac that she didn’t want Jacob to take a wife like them. That was good enough for Isaac.

What I draw from this story is that God doesn’t wait for people to get all their stuff right before he will work in their lives. What will follow this story is the journey of Jacob to his uncle Laban’s place, the LORD’s self-revelation to Jacob, and the promises he makes to him, and Jacob’s resolution.

This is a picture of God’s grace and patience with people.

Episode 273 - "Will the LORD sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" - Genesis 18:16-33

Gen. 18:16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

Gen. 18:22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Gen. 18:27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

In our last episode, three “men” appeared to Abraham. Somehow, the LORD is represented in the presence of these men. Abraham showed them great hospitality, and the LORD revealed that he would visit about the same time the following year and that Sarah would have a son.

We are picking up where we left off. The men are still with Abraham. But they are about to leave and go to Sodom, where Lot and his family reside. As they departed, the LORD spoke again. In my opinion, his speech is not unlike his question to Abraham, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” I argued that the LORD knew where Sarah was, but asked the question to direct attention to Sarah. These apparent strangers knew Sarah’s name and her relationship to Abraham. Certainly, they knew where she was. Asking this question suggests that part of their mission concerns Sarah. The progress of the narrative works because Sarah is listening to the conversation as the LORD continues and says that Sarah will have a son.

In verse 17, the LORD asked the question, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” Am I mistaken, or does this question not direct our attention (and Abraham’s) to the plan the LORD has to do something significant? The LORD is not taking a poll. To the question, he adds an explanation of his great plans for Abraham, but that he is going to Sodom and Gomorrah “because their sin is very grave.” (v. 20) Without saying explicitly, “I am going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah,” Abraham gets the message.

In verses 22-33, it is Abraham’s turn to communicate a message by asking questions. There are two related questions that we need to notice to understand and appreciate the LORD’s plans and actions. The answers to these questions are relevant to people throughout time. The first is, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (v.23) The second is, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (v. 25) People today question whether God, if a god exists, is fair? Abraham asserts that the LORD must be fair and just and certainly would not treat those the LORD has deemed righteous as he does the wicked.

The means to make this point is by a series of hypothetical questions asked by Abraham. What if there were fifty righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah? Would the LORD destroy them along with the wicked? The LORD replied that he would not destroy the whole place if there were fifty righteous. (v. 26) What does that suggest? As wicked as they were, God would be patient and merciful to the whole city if there were fifty righteous. Abraham’s continued line of questioning reduces the number with each question, and the LORD’s response is the same until finally, Abraham asks if the LORD would destroy it if only there were ten righteous people within the city. The LORD again affirms, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” (v.32)

What does this tell us? It answers those key questions, doesn’t it? The LORD is just. He will not treat those he deems righteous as he does the wicked. In fact, I would suggest the LORD is probably a lot more patient than we would be.

There are terrible things that happen in this life. We hear about a child who dies from a terminal disease or a mass shooting that kills innocent people, and we naturally ask, “Where was God?” or “If there were a loving and just God, why would he let this happen?” I think the most appropriate answer is, “We cannot understand many things about God, and why he allows or does not prevent such things.” But I personally believe that the effects of disease and the hateful violence of some people are not the work of God judging people as he would do with Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead, like Cain’s violence against and murder of his brother Abel, Cain acted out of his own broken free will. Everything that is wrong in our world comes from humanity’s sin. When these terrible things happen, we should not blame God or think of him as unjust, but trust that he is just and merciful and that the LORD alone can fix the problem. That is what the Good News of Jesus is all about.