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Genesis 26b:

Deceiving the father

Now we get to the great experience of Jacob the usurper.

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Genesis 26:

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: 35 which were a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebekah. 

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Ever subject to mere outward and earthly attractions, Esau took two wives of the Hittites because their appearance and behaviour pleased him. However, they were worshipers of false gods, and their idolatry was a bitter grief to Isaac and Rebekah.  Isaac was one hundred years old at the time of the marriages.

Esau had knowingly violated one of the major conditions of the covenant, which forbade intermarriage between the chosen people and the heathen, yet Isaac was still unshaken in his determination to bestow upon him the spiritual birthright. The reasoning of Rebekah, Jacob's strong desire for the blessing, and Esau's indifference to its obligations had no effect at all to change the father's purpose. 

How often we are determined to fulfil God’s will in man’s way!  By this I mean that Isaac clung to one single older word of God (that the first-born should be the priest) when he should have listened for the latest as well, because circumstances sometimes alter God’s advice.  Although God “changes not”, we do, and that means that He often has to redirect our steps.  See Malachi 3:6.

God wants us all to have common sense, and He wants us to reason from common sense under His direction.  Isaiah 1:18.  Circumstances alter conditions - circumstances change the relation of things. We are to ask God for wisdom day by day (our daily bread), believing that our prayers are heard. (See Isaiah 50:4). Thus we may brace ourselves against temptation. God would have us stand as firm as a rock TO PRINCIPLE, working in harmony with Him, that He may be able answer our prayers; for He can do nothing to help unless we co-operate with Him. See Mark 9:23-24.

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Genesis 27:

1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said to him, “My son”: and he said to him, “Behold, here am I.” 2 And he said, “Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. 3 Now therefore take, I pray you, your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 4 and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless you before I die [Give you your inheritance].”

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Years had passed by, until Isaac, now old and blind at one hundred and thirty-seven and expecting soon to die, determined no longer to delay the bestowal of the blessing upon his elder son.  This would make the twins about 77 years old, being born when Isaac was sixty.  Genesis 25:26.  But knowing the opposition of Rebekah and Jacob, he decided to perform the solemn ceremony in secret when it should have been a public moment of great joy.  That very opposition should have sent him to God with queries instead of secrecy for “Mystery” is a characteristic of false worship, not the true.  Revelation 17:5.

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Genesis 27:

5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 And Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless you before the LORD before my death.’  8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.” 

9 “Go now to the flock, and fetch me from there two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for your father, such as he loves: 10 and you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, and that he may bless you before his death.”

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Rebekah recognised Isaac’s purpose. She was confident that it was contrary to what God had revealed as His will so she believed she was helping Him.  She reasoned that her husband was in danger of incurring divine displeasure by debarring his younger son from the position to which God had so obviously called him. She had in vain tried the effect of discussions with Isaac, and now she determined to resort to stratagem, to fulfil God’s will her way. 

Poor Rebekah, she fell into the trap so many of us fall into.  Wanting to help the Son of God when we should learn not to hinder Him.  We must learn the value of patience and of righteousness, or openness.  Revelation 14:12.

No sooner had Esau departed on his errand than Rebekah set about the accomplishment of her purpose. She told Jacob what had taken place, urging the necessity of immediate action to prevent the bestowal of the blessing, finally and irrevocably, upon Esau.  She believed that although this was only a man’s ceremony it would have eternal effect.  And she assured her son that if he would follow her directions, he might obtain the spiritual position as God had promised.

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Genesis 27:

11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12 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.” 13 And his mother said to him, “Upon me be your curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.”

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Jacob did not readily consent to the plan that she proposed. The thought of deceiving his father caused him great distress.  Under the influence of the Spirit of God he felt that such a sin would bring a curse rather than a blessing. But his scruples were overcome, and he proceeded to carry out his mother's suggestions because she was older and apparently, wiser. It was not his intention to utter a direct falsehood, but once in the presence of his father he seemed to have gone too far to retreat, and he obtained by fraud the coveted blessing.

Little did Rebekah realise the effect of her words either, for upon her above all came the curse of disobedience.

Jacob and Rebekah succeeded in their purpose, but they gained only trouble and sorrow, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of sin, by their deception. God had declared that Jacob should receive the birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled in His own time had they waited in faith for Him to work for them. But like many who now profess to be children of God, they were unwilling to leave the matter in His hands.  Later, Rebekah bitterly repented the wrong counsel she had given her son.  It was the means of separating him from her, and she never saw his face again.

From the hour when he received the birthright, Jacob was weighed down with self-condemnation. He had sinned against God, against his father, his brother, and himself. In one short hour he had made work for a lifelong repentance. This scene was vivid before him in after years, when the wicked course of his sons oppressed him.  Not for twenty-one long years did he feel any relief even though the Son of God quickly forgave him for his action.  However, he could not remove the remembrance of what he had done from his mind.

One final thought. 

Isaac lived many years after he gave Jacob the blessing of priesthood (until he was 180, Genesis 35:28.).  He was eventually reunited with Jacob when he was about 160, after Rebekah had died.  During that last twenty something years he was convinced by the course of his two sons that the blessing rightly belonged to Jacob, but this did not undo the enmity between the brothers. 

So today we still have the effects of that enmity.  The problems of Cain and Abel are ever with us.  Let us as individuals ensure that we do not repeat Abel’s mistake of trying to do God’s work of conviction, and end up dead before the time!  Genesis 4:8-9.

What interesting stories the Spirit has saved for us from history!

Till next week,

Ron

Added note since publication:

It is possible that Isaac was 146 when he blessed Jacob which would add 9 years onto all my dates.  How do I reason this?  Jacob was 137 when he went down to Egypt to be with his son Joseph who was at least 30 at that time.  Genesis 47:9 and 41:46.  This would make Joseph’s birth near the end of the 14 years when Isaac was 106-7 instead of 97.  Working back, that means he was about 86 when he left home to go to Haran and work the 14+6 years.

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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