Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

Text: Genesis 27:1-46

Introduction

There are no heroes in Genesis 27. This chapter completes the story of how God’s prophecy concerning Esau and Jacob comes to pass, that the older brother will serve the younger. Yet, throughout this chapter, both parents work against each other and against God’s will in order to side with their favorite child. Both children behave deplorably as well.

It is for this very reason that this chapter, as much perhaps as any other in the Bible, reminds us of the offensiveness of grace! There is no one in this chapter who deserves blessing… yet blessing will come nonetheless. Genesis 27 is the story of grace. And grace only happens where there are no heroes, where there is no one deserving any blessing, where there is no one acting as they ought to be.

Genesis 27 offends us in order to show us that this story is no different than our story: it is the story of God’s offensive grace, forgiving people who simply do not deserve to be forgiven, blessing people who do not deserve to be blessed.

I. Rebekah, with Jacob, Deceives (vv.1-17)

1. God had promised Abraham a multitude of descendants, a Promised Land to live in, and eventually a Promised Seed thru whom all nations would be blessed; that blessing was passed down to his son Isaac.
   1. Now Isaac is old and doesn’t know when he will die, so he wants to purposefully pass on this blessing before it is too late.
      1. However, Isaac is trying to give the birthright to Esau, disregarding the announcement at the birth of the children.
   2. v.4 Interestingly, Isaac’s motivation is very similar to that of Esau: where Esau sold his birthright for food, Isaac is giving his blessing in exchange for food. Both make decisions according to their stomachs/physical appetites.
2. Rebekah works against her husband/the spiritual leader of the home by deception and manipulation. Rebekah is plainly taking charge in this episode. She is the principle actor in these opening verses; the whole deception is her idea.
   1. While perhaps working toward the divine birth announcement concerning Jacob & Esau, her methods are clearly deplorable and unhealthy.
      1. A warning for every woman who is tempted to usurp their husband’s authority in their home, even for seemingly good reasons!
      2. Rebekah shows unabashed favoritism toward Isaac: she calls Isaac ‘your father,’ Esau ‘your brother,’ but Jacob ‘my son’.
   2. For his part, Jacob is not against Rebekah’s plot in principle, but is concerned about getting caught, and thus being cursed instead of blessed.

II. Isaac Blesses Jacob (vv.18-29)

1. Isaac is obviously suspicious throughout this episode, 4X expressing concern that this does not seem to be Esau: (vv.20, 22, 24, 27).
   1. One can only surmise that his suspicions are in the end overcome by the very brazenness of Jacob’s deception/answers:
      1. There is no mistaking that this is a purposeful, premeditated, prolonged deception.
   2. And Jacob makes it clear that at this point he is just as profane as his brother Esau,  not only taking the Lord’s name in vain but even calling him “the Lord your God” when speaking with Isaac.
2. Yet on the heels of all this deplorable behavior comes the beautiful blessing in vv.27-29.
   1. This is nothing less than the continuation of the Abrahamic blessing and of the lineage of the Promised Seed himself!
   2. vv.27-28 pronounce a blessing for material provision upon Isaac’s son, referring to the Promised Land especially.
      1. v.29 goes far beyond this, prophesying that nations will bow down to him, and then uttering this comprehensive benediction: “cursed is everyone who curses you, blessed is everyone who blesses you!” (as with Abraham in Ge 12:3).

III. Isaac Answers Esau (vv.30-40)

1. Jacob’s deceit is of course quickly discovered. Yet the responses of Isaac and Esau to this revelation significantly differ.
   1. In v.33 Isaac announces: I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed. Isaac realizes his attempt to thwart the prophecy concerning Jacob and Esau has failed, and trembling recognizes the defeat of his own plan.
   2. In contrast to Isaac’s response: v.36 Esau alludes to the meaning of Jacob’s name, which is deceiver/cheater: ‘Jacob has Jacobed me again!’
      1. While it is true that Jacob has acted deceitfully in this situation, the fact is that Jacob did not really deceive him the first time: Esau willfully ‘despised’ his birthright and sold it to Jacob: ‘what good is it to me, anyway?’
      2. In contrast to Isaac’s bowing in submission to God’s will, Esau is blaming others for his own failures, still refusing to confess his own sin.
2. Thus vv.39-40 are parallel to Jacob’s blessing, but in direct contrast to it. It could be translated: “away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. [And rather than being given the Promised Land] By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother.”
   1. Esau inherits an ‘anti-blessing’: he is barred from the earth’s fertility made to serve his younger brother.

IV. Rebekah Sends Jacob Away (vv.41-46)

1. vv.41-45 Esau plots to kill Jacob. While we can certainly understand his anger, there is a crucial point not to miss here: ‘cursed is everyone who curses you’!
   1. Because Jacob now bears the special blessing of God, he is invincible; and, in fact, to oppose him is to oppose God himself.
   2. Better than a bowl of soup, isn’t it? Esau is just coming to realize this.
2.  v.45 Ironically, Rebekah’s very favoritism toward Jacob will actually end in her sending him away from her. Though she promises to send for him when things settle down, she will in fact die before Jacob returns. She will never see him again.
   1. Rebekah is right in v.46- Esau’s pagan, Hittite wives have been making life bitter for both Isaac and Rebekah. Rebekah desires for Jacob to take a wife from among her own people instead.
   2. Yet, because of her own actions, Rebekah will be left to live surrounded by Esau and his Hittite wives rather than her favored son Jacob.

Conclusion

On one hand, Genesis 27 is a story of natural consequences, a warning against worldliness.

1. Isaac follows his stomach and in doing so goes against God’s expressed will. Rebekah usurps her husband’s authority for the sake of her favorite son, and as a result loses her son. Esau despises his birthright and as a result finds that brash/selfish/materialistic decisions have consequences. Jacob deceives his father and so ends up having to run away from the comforts of his own family/home.
2. There are no heroes in Gen. 27—just one cautionary tale after another of the pain/sorrow/loss that sin brings into each life, into each family.
   1. We dare not live life after our own appetites, our own preferences, our own selfish ambitions.

On the other hand, Genesis 27 is a story of supernatural consequences, of grace and blessing in spite of human frailty, failure, and friction.

1. There are no heroes in this entire chapter… except God. God is overruling sinful purposes, from sinful motivations, with sinful methods… in order to bring blessing and salvation to some of the very people who are blatantly disobeying and blaspheming Him!
2. As NT believers, this should not surprise us—it brings to mind another scene in redemptive history: the cross of Jesus Christ.
   1. Where sinful people are acting selfishly, disobeying and blaspheming God; yet God is overruling their very rebellion for the salvation of sinners.
   2. Peter preaches to some of the very ones who crucified Jesus: Ac 2:22-38.