Jacob, Esau and God's Plan

John Milton's most famous work may be his epic poem on the fall of man titled Paradise Lost.

His poem tells of how Adam and Eve who were living wonderfully in the Paradise of Eden, lost their paradise.

Adam and Eve’s had everything, they had God’s blessing!

Yet despite all God provided for them, they still chose to participate in the evil opportunities presented to them.

Our look today at Isaac’s family follows the same pattern of a lost paradise.

Isaac was the son of a famous father (Abraham), and the father of a famous son (Jacob).

He is a man of incredible faith.

Unfortunately, he does not seem to be as strong in faith at the end of his life as he was at the beginning.

I. Isaac the Father (25)

A. A distinguished home

Genesis 25:1–11 NASB 2020

1 Now Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were the sons of Keturah. 5 Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; 6 but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east. 7 These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, 175 years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. 9 Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.

Abraham’s marriage after the death of Sarah brought him six more sons and at least seven grandsons and three great-grandsons.

However, note that these additional sons of Abraham do not have the status given to Isaac, for (like Christ) he is the heir of all things (Heb. 1:2).

Abraham’s death shows what faith can do for a man.

He died in peace (see 15:15); he died “full” (satisfied), and he died in faith.

This is the heritage Abraham left his son:

His godly example (18:19),

The tent and altar (see 26:25),

The wonderful promises of God (26:2–5).

These spiritual blessings mean far more to a son than any material wealth.

B. A Disappointed Home.

Genesis 25:12–23 NASB 2020

12 Now these are the records of the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave woman, bore to Abraham; 13 and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael, 137 years; and he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt going toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives. 19 Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and the Lord answered him, and his wife Rebekah conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why am I in this condition?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people will be stronger than the other; And the older will serve the younger.”

The fulfillment of God’s covenant promise demanded that Isaac and Rebekah have a son, yet for the first twenty years of their married life, she was barren (vv. 20, 26).

What a delight it is to see how this spiritually-minded husband and wife took their burden to the Lord.

Surely they reminded God of His promises, and surely He was pleased with their prayers.

The struggle of the unborn children perplexed Rebekah, so she asked God for wisdom.

James 1:5 NASB 2020

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

God told her that two nations were to be born and that, contrary to custom, the elder would serve the younger.

C. A Divided Home.

Genesis 25:24–34 NASB 2020

24 When her days leading to the delivery were at an end, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them. 27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a civilized man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked a stew one day, Esau came in from the field and he was exhausted; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a mouthful of that red stuff there, for I am exhausted.” Therefore he was called Edom by name. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore an oath to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and got up and went on his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

The twin boys were opposite each other in appearance and temperament.

The first boy was hairy and was named “Esau” (hairy); later his connection with the red pottage gave him the nickname “Edom” which means “red” (v. 30).

Jacob’s laying hold of Esau’s heel (as though to catch him and trip him) gave him the name “Jacob”—the “heel-gripper” (supplanter, schemer, deceiver).

Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home; Esau was a man of the world, full of vigor and adventure.

Alas, Esau had no spiritual appreciation.

He would rather feed his body than enjoy the promises of God.

Of course, Jacob’s scheme to get the birthright showed that he doubted that God would fulfill His promise of 25:23.

Esau despised his spiritual privileges as the firstborn; he chose the flesh, not the Spirit.

We never read of Esau having a tent or an altar, and 26:34–35 indicates that he loved worldly women.

Hebrews 12:16 describes Esau as “profane” or “godless”.

Hebrews 12:16 NASB 2020

16 that there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

Which means “of the world, common” (La., profanus—“outside the temple”).

Like many people today, Esau was a success in the world and a failure with God.

II. Isaac the Pilgrim (26)

A. He faced his father’s temptations

Genesis 26:1–5 NASB 2020

1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. 2 And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Live for a time in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed Me and fulfilled his duty to Me, and kept My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Isaac started toward Egypt, but God in His grace interrupted the trip and stopped him.

Human nature does not improve from generation to generation.

Isaac dwelt at Gerar which is on the borderline.

Likewise, we have many “borderline Christians” today. Isaac had material blessings there, but not the spiritual blessings God gave him later when he left that place.

B. He repeated his father’s sin

Genesis 26:6–11 NASB 2020

6 So Isaac lived in Gerar. 7 When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, since she is beautiful.” 8 Now it came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down through a window, and saw them, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she certainly is your wife! So how is it that you said, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘otherwise I might be killed on account of her.’ ” 10 And Abimelech said, “What is this that you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.”

This “half-lie,” that they were brother and sister, was adopted by Isaac and Rebekah, with the same sad results—loss of blessing, loss of testimony, and a public rebuke by the heathen king.

C. He dug again his father’s wells

Genesis 26:12–22 NASB 2020

12 Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundred times as much. And the Lord blessed him, 13 and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and herds, and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. 15 Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with dirt. 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” 17 So Isaac departed from there and camped in the Valley of Gerar, and settled there. 18 Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. 19 But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, 20 the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they argued with him. 21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. 22 Then he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Wells of water speak of the divine resources of God for the spiritual life.

Abraham had dug these wells, but the enemy had either stolen them or stopped them up.

How true this is today.

The spiritual wells at which our fathers drank have been taken from us by the world.

How we need to get back to the old wells (such as prayer, the Bible, the family altar, the church).

Isaac not only opened them again, but he called them by the same names that Abraham had used (v. 18).

Then he went on to dig some new wells to meet the needs of the day.

D. He trusted his father’s God

Genesis 26:23–35 NASB 2020

23 And he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants, For the sake of My servant Abraham.” 25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath, and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We have seen plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we said, ‘An oath must now be taken by us,’ that is, by you and us. So let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.” 30 Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they got up early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away, and they left him in peace. 32 Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac’s servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. 34 When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; 35 and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

As long as he was away from Canaan, Isaac would have conflict, but when he went back to Beersheba (“the well of the oath”), God met him and gave him peace with the enemy (Prov. 16:7).

III. Isaac the Blesser (27)

Sad to say, this chapter depicts the whole family in a bad way spiritually.

In 25:28 we saw the division of the home, and now we will see the sinful results of this carnal division.

A. A declining father.

Genesis 27:1–4 NASB 2020

1 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 2 Then Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; 4 and prepare a delicious meal for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Genesis 27:21–27 NASB 2020

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, and he touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, 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 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25 So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;

Isaac was about 137 years old at this point, yet he acted as though he would die very soon.

Actually, he lived to be 180 (35:28).

His impatience to give Esau the blessing suggests that he was following his own carnal plans, not God’s will.

Had he forgotten the Word in 25:23, or was he trying to change God’s plan?

Why did Isaac make this deliberate mistake?

Because: Feelings not faith.

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!

B. A doubting mother.

Genesis 27:5–10 NASB 2020

5 Now Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare a delicious meal for me, so that I may eat, and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 So now, my son, listen to me as I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats from there, so that I may prepare them as a delicious meal for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”

Rebekah had been told by God that Jacob would receive God’s blessing, yet she schemed and plotted to make sure that Esau was left out.

Instead of going to God in prayer as she had years before, she depended on her own plans, a practice that would be characteristic of Jacob in later years.

Church: If God has opened a door then no man can close it except you.

God had opened a door to Jacob and neither Esau or Isaac himself could close it.

Rebekah’s medaling is a strobe warning for us to keep our eyes always on Jesus.

Rebekah paid dearly for her sin: she never saw her son again (see vv. 43–45).

Esau deliberately acted to hurt her; and her bad example before Jacob cost him twenty years of trial.

C. A deceiving son.

Genesis 27:24 NASB 2020

24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.”

Certainly Jacob knew God’s promise for his life, yet he listened to his mother instead of to God.

How the two of them hurried to finish the plot!

Isaiah 28:16 KJV 1900

16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: He that believeth shall not make haste.

Rebekah must have been a good cook to be able to make goat’s meat taste like venison.

Jacob is a perfect picture of the hypocrite: his voice and his hands do not agree (what he says and what he does), and he deceives others.

In v. 19 alone, Jacob tells his father three lies:

“I am Esau” (he was Jacob);

“I have done” (his mother did it all);

“eat of my venison” (it was goat’s meat).

And his kiss in v. 27 was equally as deceitful.

Did Jacob pay for this sin?

Yes, many times. Laban deceived him about his wives and repeatedly changed his wages.

In addition, Jacob’s own sons would one day kill a kid (37:31) and put its blood on Joseph’s coat to deceive their father.

Numbers 32:23 NASB 2020

23 But if you do not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure that your sin will find you out.

D. A despairing brother.

Genesis 27:34 NASB 2020

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me as well, my father!”

Genesis 27:41 NASB 2020

41 So Esau held a grudge against 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 near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Hebrews 12:17 indicates that Esau sought the blessing with tears, yet found no place for real repentance for his sins.

Hebrews 12:17 NASB 2020

17 For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Remorse, yes, but not sincere repentance.

He was sorry for what he had lost, not sorry for what he had done.

In v. 33, Isaac trembled when he realized that God had overruled his plans.

Genesis 27:33 NASB 2020

33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who then was he who hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate from all of it before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”

Esau’s tears could not change Isaac’s mind or alter the blessing.

Esau retaliated by plotting to murder his brother, and he deliberately hurt his parents by stirring up trouble with his marriage to heathen wives.

The grace of God did not fail, but Esau failed the grace of God.

Sin in the home always brings heartache and misunderstanding.

Had Isaac and Rebekah not “taken sides” with their two boys; had they continued to pray about matters as in their early married life; had they allowed God to have His way; then affairs would have been different.

As it was, all of them suffered because of their unbelief and disobedience.

We never get too old to be tempted—or to fail!