Lesson 58- Genesis 27: 18- 27

The Conscience is Seared 27:18- 23

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.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 27:18–23

How many lies does it take to sear the conscience? Probably the second one. The first is the hardest, but there is still room to stop. Things get really complicated after the second lie. Let’s list them:

Jacob said, “I am Esau”

“I have done as you told me.” He didn’t even hear the conversation. He heard what his mother has said. He wants to get right to the point. Sit up, eat, and bless me.

In answer to his fathers question, he said, “ because the Lord your God granted me success. A lie.

Isaac could not tell the difference, so his silence is a lie. His Dad said, the voice is Jacob’s but the hands are Esau.

At least four lies have gone down, all in the space of a few minutes. It is at this point that Isaac blessed Jacob, even though he has an inkling it was Jacob.

The Lies Continue

English Standard Version (Chapter 27)

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.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,

Lie number five:

5 Jacob is asked a direct question: Are you really my son Esau? And, of course Jacobs does not tell the truth. If nothing else, his opinion of his own dad dropped significantly.

Dad is now ready to bless him by asking for a kiss, and he blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Here’s the wording in 27:27 b - 29

English Standard Version (Chapter 27)

“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!”

Let’s think about the areas that this blessing surrounds. Let’s face it, there is nothing specific and nothing astounding on it’s own but considering the generations, it’s massive. It’s a blessing that undoubtedly allows for all nations to bow down, but there is nothing to say how this is going to happen.

vs. 27 b - The smell of fields is a blessing of the life of the farmer/ rancher/ hunter of the bedouin culture.

Vs.28 - the dew of heaven and fatness of the earth. These were used used in conjunction with each other. Esau ended up dwelling in the arid bleak land of his father but Jacob went back to the land were Rebekah came from in the area near Babylon with its irrigated landscapes. These two blessings are spoken of by the Psalmist, many years later, as evidence of divine blessing. The dew of Hermon and the surrounding mountains provided the water for this area. See Psalm 133

“A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.”

The commentary by Warren Wiersbe said that God’s will was not on the mind of either man:

Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Chapters 25–27)

Note how he depended on his senses (feeling, eating, smelling). Note also that feeding the body took priority over doing God’s will. Isaac at one time laid himself on the altar and was willing to die for the Lord. What a change!

You cannot help to ask the questions, “What does God think of all of the dishonesty?” Do cheaters really win? The Lord is able to work in spite of the mess. After all, didn’t one of His own number deliver Him up to be crucified for 30 pieces of silver? The situation has not been black and white and the final chapters of this story have not yet been written or accomplished. There is much to go on and to prove in the life of this family, regardless of where they are spiritually.

English Standard Version (Chapter 27)

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

These promises all came true, but it took many years to work through. The domination over nations, and his family are all noteworthy but I’m sure everyone thought they had blown it once the brothers separate, but their behavior could have been avoided, if Rebekah and Jacob would have kept their hands out of it and let God have control.

English Standard Version (Chapter 27)

Cursed be everyone who curses you,and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

A promise like this always takes time for it to shine brightly. The blessing and the cursing does run both ways. The person being blessed will always need more blessing and the person who is doing the cursing, usually find out they are the most miserable of all.

Verse 30

English Standard Version (Chapter 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.

This was not quite the nick of time for Esau, but it sure was for Jacob.

Days when God seems to be absent , dishonored and not regarded does not mean that he has forgotten, nor has he left the building or situation. It is in these times of silence, just means that He is not being asked any questions: such as, Lord can I or should I do this? Is this thing right? had those questions been asked, we would have seen the hand of God move marvelously. The times of silence also mean that His people are going to be left alone for while since they desire to force their own will on themselves and others.