Two Meals and One Blessing

You will remember last time we met the events that bring this happening into light. Isaac and Rebecca are married, they wait 20 years for a child and then born to them are twins Esau and Jacob. Now we are more familiar with Jacob and Esau because that is the spiritual order, but the birth order was Esau and then Jacob.

Isaac loved Esau and Rebecca loved Jacob.

Jacob coerced the birthright blessing, which was his by decree of God from Esau with a bowl of soup.

Esau despised his birthright, and grieved both God and his parents.

This passage begins with the end of Isaac's life. Many years are passed over, its as if the writer is getting only to the highlights and the line of Christ. Everything else is not important.

This is why I think that at times the known law of God - which there had to be some type is not found anywhere. There is no real condemnation mentioned for the wrong doing of the patriarchs.

Chapter 27 represents the third round of battle and manipulation between Jacob and Esau. The first was at birth (25:21-28). The second was over a birthright (25:29-34). Now the third is over a blessing.

Victor P. Hamilton, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament – The Book of Genesis Chapters 18-50, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 212.

The Last Meal & Blessing 27

To set up this passage - it seems that Isaac feels that he is on his death bed.

"We know he was sixty years older than his twin boys, so by comparing the ages of Jacob and Joseph in various texts (41:46-47; 45:6; 47:9) we arrive at the possibility that this chapter unfolded when Isaac was 137 and Jacob and Esau were seventy-seven! "

At no time during this narrative do we see the family together; six scenes unfold—each with two family members—but Jacob and Esau never talk, nor do Rebekah and Esau meet.

Kenneth O. Gangel and Stephen J. Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary – Genesis, ed. Max Anders, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Holman, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 228.

I believe however that in this act Isaac did sin. Abraham sinned by getting ahead of God. It would seem that Isaac let his personal feelings and wishes drive him to displease God. He knew that God had said the younger would serve the older, and yet he calls for Esau on his deathbed to give him the blessing.

The sins of Abraham and Isaac differ quite a bit - One put it like this:

The history of the two men provides a small clue about their approach to God that may help us to understand. In Chapter 26 we see Isaac in an act of worship following a revelation of God. We are told that he '... called upon the name of the Lord...' (26:25). Compare that with the worship events of Abraham '...and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering...And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah- jireh...' (22:13-14). 'And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God' (21:33). '...and Abraham said...I have lift up mine hand unto... the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth...' (14:22). Note how Abraham at each act of worship spoke of the new aspect of God's nature that he had learned. 'Jehovah-jireh' means 'The Lord will provide' coming out of the provision of a ram for sacrifice. 'The everlasting God,' or 'the God of eternity,' came out of his conflict with Abimelech. 'The most high God' came out of submission to the priest, Melchizedek. Could it be that Isaac was faithful to worship his God but had been lax in learning about God?

It is important that humans never short circuit worship as a mere praise event or feel-good event. Jesus said, '...learn of me...' (Matthew 11:29). True worship places great value in the learning experience. It is there that one gains the valuable knowledge that guides the decision- making events of life in positive ways.

James Dixon, Expository Thoughts on Genesis, (Webster, New York: Evangelical Press, 2005), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Genesis 27:1-33".

It is possible that Isaac was doing this in secret because Esau was going to have to be sent away due to his grievious acts. We don't know that, but some speculate this, which would have paved the way for Jacob to receive the blessing.

Esau Goes Hunting 27:1-5 He sends Esau away to fix him a great feast. Then he is going to give him the blessing.

Isaac is planning to give the patriarchal blessing, which must be distinguished from the material inheritance (birthright) discussed at the end of Genesis 25. The blessing has nothing to do with material goods or birth order. It is also important to distinguish the patriarchal blessing from the covenant blessing, though there may be areas of overlap. The covenant blessing is passed on to Jacob by Isaac in 28:3–4, but more important, is confirmed by God in subsequent settings (e.g., 28:13–15).

These pronouncements can be viewed from three different perspectives: social, theological, and canonical. From the social perspective, there is no question that these pronouncements are taken with the utmost gravity by both father and son. They expect the pronouncements to impact the destiny of the son. The significance attached to the pronouncement is evident in what Rebekah and Jacob are willing to do to procure it as well as in Esau’s distress when he loses it. The power of the pronouncement is vested in its being spoken. That is why Isaac cannot take it back after he learns he has been tricked. As we have mentioned previously in regard to patriarchal blessings (see 9:25–27), theologically these pronouncements are not presented as prophetic messages from the Lord. They simply represent the hopes and wishes of a father for his son(s). Consequently, Isaac uses first-person grammatical forms to indicate his ownership of the statements (27:37). There is no intrinsic authority vested in the blessing. In this way it is much like Joseph’s dreams: God is not obliged to work them out.

Walton, John H.. Genesis (NIV Application Commentary, The) (Kindle Locations 12638-12649). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Rebekah & Jacob Conspire 27:6-17 -

The deception was Rebecca's idea She vows to take the curse or blame should there be any. Jacob Deceives 27:18-29

27:14-25. This lengthy section challenges our study, but the narrative flows without break. Jacob offered three lies in this encounter with his father: (1) I am Esau your firstborn; (2) I have done as you told me; and (3) The Lord your God gave me success.

Kenneth O. Gangel and Stephen J. Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary – Genesis, ed. Max Anders, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Holman, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 229.

Isaac conducts five tests concerning the identity of his son:

logic (27:20), touch (27:21–22), sound (27:22), his word (27:24), and scent (27:27).

Jacob dissembles through the first and the fourth, and his disguise gets him through the second and fifth. Only the middle one, the sound of his voice, fails. Having been adequately satisfied that this is Esau, Isaac proceeds with the blessing. In this blessing we can recognize the standard elements of patriarchal pronouncements: fertility of the land and authority over others.

Walton, John H.. Genesis (NIV Application Commentary, The) (Kindle Locations 12673-12676). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Esau Discovers The Deception 27:30-41 Jacob Flees To Haran 27:42-46 - 28:1-5