Gen 27:1-40
God’s purposes for humanity’s ultimate good will stand; He can’t be frustrated by human sin. Your sin may have real and lasting earthly consequences, but it can’t derail God’s gracious purpose for His creation. The family conflict of Genesis 27 shows how God’s good purpose endures despite, even through human sin. God’s covenant promises prevail, even despite sin. Let’s see how Gen 27 explores this.
Isaac’s old. It’s time to pass on to his son the blessing God had given to his father, Abraham. God promised Abram that he’d become a great nation, to bless all peoples (Gen 12:1–3). God promised descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky (15:5) and the land of Canaan for those descendants to live in (17:8). God promised to be the God of Abraham and his descendants (17:8). The promise of these blessings was repeated to Isaac in 26:24. Now, despite God’s word given at the birth of his sons, that the older son will serve the younger, Isaac aims to pass the blessing to Esau, his firstborn and favourite son. He sends Esau off to do what he does best as a “skilful hunter” (25:27): hunt wild game and make Isaac’s favourite stew. This dish is a key reason why Isaac loves Esau (v28).
But Rebekah overhears Isaac’s plan and acts to win the blessing for her favourite son, Jacob. She dresses Jacob in an outfit combining Esau’s best clothes with goatskins to cover up Jacob’s lack of hairiness. In v11 Jacob objects out of concern that the plan may not work and bring him a curse rather than a blessing but she reassures him by saying she’ll take any curse herself. So, in v18 he acts as Esau and takes the stew to Isaac.
Isaac’s blindness means he’s fooled and even his other senses let him down. His touch can’t distinguish between Esau and Jacob (v22). His sense of smell is deceived by Esau’s clothes (v27). Even his taste buds can’t discern between Rebekah’s food and Esau’s (v25). This is ironic, given Isaac’s love of Esau’s meals. It’s like one of those ads where people who like a brand of soft drink are faced with the choice between two unmarked cups and find they prefer the other brand! Only Isaac’s hearing tells him the truth, as he discerns the voice of Jacob (v22). But due to the evidence of his other senses, he disbelieves his ears.
Jacob is the consummate actor, proving that he’s the smooth brother in every sense of the word. He lies to his dad, answering his question, “Are you really my son, Esau?” with a boldfaced “I am” (v24). He’s even willing to invoke God’s name in his evading, answering Isaac’s query as to how he’s so fast by saying: “The LORD your God granted me success” (v20). Isaac is taken in, and Jacob gets the blessing Isaac intends for Esau (vv27–29): prosperity, lordship over his brothers, and the kicker, from God’s promise to Abram back in Gen 12, “May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”
When Esau discovers this, he’s devastated, but it’s too late. The blessing can’t be withdrawn (vv36–40). There’s no second blessing for Esau. Esau had despised his birthright (bekorah) and so lost the blessing (berakah). Vengeful Esau plans to murder Jacob after Isaac dies (v41). When Rebekah hears that she sees Jacob’s only hope is to flee for his life (v44). And so he goes with Isaac’s blessing in 28:1-5.
From a human perspective, this is a mess. Who’s to blame? Is it Jacob, with Rebekah’s aid. Or, because we know that Jacob is ultimately the one through whom the line of promise comes, do we absolve Jacob and say that Esau gets what’s coming to him? After all, he’s already despised his birthright twice. But it’s better to say that everyone sins here, except God, whose good purposes endure despite our worst efforts.
With that in mind, let’s look closer at this disfunctional family, starting with Rebekah. If you stand between a mother and her hopes for her favourite son you may well be trampled. In vv5–6 she hears Isaac talk to Esau and fixes things. Family unity is trashed. It’d be easy to condemn her as an ambitious mum, manipulating hubby to get her way. But before the birth of the twins, she received God’s message that the older will serve the younger. That prophecy is apparently about to be defeated. It isn’t something minor, like Isaac wants a couch with stripes when she prefers a plain pattern. God’s covenant with Abraham is for Jacob’s line, and Isaac is about to commit it to Esau. Once the blessing is given, it can’t be revoked. What’s a believing wife to do? Isn’t it better for her to break some of God’s “less important” laws to make sure His big plan stands?
This is one of Satan’s pet shortcuts. He tempts us to think that God needs help to work out His promises. Let’s help things along a bit. My plan isn’t exactly above board in all details, but how can it be wrong when it will bring about something so good? That’s how Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, shows him all the kingdoms of the world, saying, “I’ll give you all this, if you will bow down and worship me” (Mat 4:9). What could be better? Wouldn’t Christ’s reign over all the earth be wonderful? And this way avoids the unpleasantness of the cross. But Jesus rejects Satan’s shortcut. It isn’t enough for the goal to be right; the way we achieve that goal must be right too. Obey God and let Him fulfil His promises in His way in His time.
The issue for Rebekah boils down to a choice between faith and unbelief. There are no “less important” laws in God’s Word that can be broken without penalty. The solution to a person’s sin can’t be another sin. God will take care of the ends that He has purposed, according to His promises. We’re to be faithful to use the means He ordains. Rebekah should pray, watch, and wait to see the Lord work this out. But she doesn’t. She co-opts Jacob.
In v11 Jacob hesitates to run with his mum’s plan because he doubts it’ll work. But the tempter is easily able to reassure him on that score. Satan can appear as your fairy godmother, promising to wave his magic wand and enable you to attend the ball of your choice. What he doesn’t reveal is that if you give in to him, the golden carriage of your sin will turn back into its true-pumpkin-self long before midnight. By the time the cost of your sin becomes clear, it’s got you. As we’ll see, Jacob finds he’ll pay the price of his sin for decades to come.
We think we can sin and not get hurt. We’re easily convinced by Satan that our sin won’t come to light and that if it does it won’t hurt. God warns, “… be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23). Whether it’s the pastor who loses his ministry through adultery, or the manager who loses her job through theft, or one who loses peace through the burden of a secret sin, all sin hurts and costs and destroys. Yet we’re slow to believe reality. In practice, once we enter a debate with Satan over whether sin is safe, we always lose. The question, “But what if I get caught?” doesn’t affect Satan. Once Jacob is reassured as to the safety of his sin, he does it so well. But even if we don’t get caught humanly speaking, the cost of sin remains.
In Genesis 3, God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skin as a picture of the gospel. In His grace, He provides a covering for the shame that results from Adam and Eve’s sin. In contrast, Jacob uses animal skin to cover his skin to deceive his father. He heaps up lies even invoking the Lord’s name in lies. Is this how to achieve God’s purposes and blessing? No! And he lies to his father, Isaac. He’s the third of our 4 characters.
Isaac tries to bless his favourite son, contrary to God’s word. He’s like Rebekah, playing favourites. At least she can claim God’s word for Jacob to be blessed. Isaac has no excuse. Why is he stealthy? Why is this blessing to be in secret instead of in front of the family? Isaac apparently tries to use God to achieve his desired ends, instead of submitting himself to God’s revealed will. Isaac loves Esau for what he can do for his senses, cooking up tasty bush tucker for him to enjoy. He ends up sadly deceived by the senses he sought to satisfy.
Yet for all his sin he’s still commended in Hebrews 11:20 for his faith in blessing Jacob. That may seem strange. What faith is it when he disobeys God’s revealed will yet blesses Jacob by accident? Though Isaac’s faith is mistaken in its direction, it’s solid in its heart. He’s wrong in the one he seeks to bless, but he’s right in believing there’s a blessing to be given. He believes God that one day the promise given to Abraham will bear fruit. This is no small faith on Isaac’s part, especially when you consider how little progress toward that goal has been made in his lifetime. Decades have now passed since Abraham’s death, and Isaac seems to human eyes almost as far from possessing the blessing in its fulness as his dad had been. But while the visible horizon is empty, Isaac still has spiritual eyes firmly fixed on the city to come. He believes in God’s blessing.
Also Isaac recognizes his mistake once it’s exposed. When Esau arrives and the deception is clear, Isaac trembles violently (v33) because his wrong intentions are exposed and defeated by God’s sovereignty. So, when Esau seeks a further blessing, Isaac won’t try to stop God a second time and promises Esau: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. 40 By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” Esau will miss much but will get independence from Jacob. Isaac’s recognising God’s choice of Jacob may come late, but his conversion is sincere. When Jacob leaves he takes with him his dad’s blessing a second time, this time honestly won. See that in 28:1–4.
So now we come to Esau. It’s easy to feel sorry for Esau but in chapter 25:29–34 he’d traded his rights as firstborn to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of stew. Now he tries to avoid the consequences of his earlier folly, so it’s fitting that he’s deprived of it by means of a bowl of stew. Though he cries bitterly over it, Esau regrets the loss of the blessing only for its worldly benefits. He shows no sign of seeking God and remaining separate from the world. “I will kill my brother,” reminds us of Cain killing his younger brother Abel. First Esau despises his birthright. Then he marries 2 Canaanite women when he’s supposed to remain separate from the child-sacrificing ways of Canaanite culture. Now he plans to murder Jacob. Esau, like Cain before him, is the seed of the serpent, not the promised seed of the woman who will crush the serpent’s head.
Many people lament the mistakes they have made in their earlier lives; mourn wasted years, missed opportunities – but tears aren’t enough to get right with God. There must be genuine heart change. Even so Esau may find blessing. It’ll be in Jacob, as he looks in faith to the One who would come, Jacob’s greater descendant. “Those who bless you will be blessed” is God’s promise to Abraham and his seed (Gen 12:3; 27:29). Esau can swallow his pride, seek forgiveness from Jacob and find a share in the blessing as he identifies with the promised seed to come through Jacob. Does he? Not likely. Esau hates Jacob, as v41 says.
In later years, many people realise at some level that their lives have been built on the wrong foundation. They find they’ve spent their life climbing the wrong ladder. But they won’t come to the only One who can give meaning and hope; Jacob’s greater descendant, Jesus. Instead, they’re angry and bitter. As far as we know Esau never repents of despising God’s covenant. He hates the consequences but he still won’t turn from sin to trust God.
So we learn from this messed up family how sin always has bitter consequences.
Everyone in this mess is self-seeking, self-trusting, self-serving, using others and trying to use God for their ends. But God’s purposes still stand. They may do wrong, but God uses it for good. This passage teaches that sin doesn’t pay, even when it gives you what you want. We all need to take this to heart, because Satan can make his offerings seem so compellingly attractive. He baits his hooks with juicy worms but the real nature of his offerings always comes out in the end. The sins of all of four people here will come back to haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Rebekah and Jacob find their victory bittersweet. Rebekah’s plan may win the blessing for her favourite son, but it also results in his exile from their home. As far as we know, Rebekah never sees Jacob again. What’s more, Jacob may be blessed with every material blessing, but soon finds himself on the road with only the clothes he stands up in. It’ll be a long and hard road before Isaac’s blessing of Jacob sees any fulfilment. Jacob will learn his depravity and its consequences from the bitter fruit of his experience.
But overall, we can see how God works out His grace.
In spite of sin and the bitter fruits that sin brings in its wake, God WILL bless His people. God in His grace won’t let His people go. Despite human sin and even through sin, God will achieve His plan. About 1900 years after Jacob came God’s promised Redeemer, the offspring of a long line of sinners, including this family.
Jesus also is dressed in clothes that aren’t His. But clothing Jesus wears at the climax of His life isn’t stolen – it’s a royal robe on loan from Roman soldiers then a shroud from Joseph of Arimathea. What’s more, He takes that path not to steal someone else’s blessing for Himself but to take on Himself our curse. Jesus graciously says to us what Rebekah rashly said to her son: “Let the curse fall on me” (Gen 27:13). Think about that. The words Rebekah says carelessly, Jesus also says to us even though He knows their full depth. Jesus takes your curse so that you might inherit His blessing. The curse that Jacob deserved for His trickery, the curse that you and I earn for ourselves every day by our sinfulness, is laid on Him, so that the blessing that’s rightfully His may be given to us, His undeserving people. Jesus wears the shroud of death that we deserve so that we might lawfully be clothed in our elder brother’s garments, the spotless robes of Christ’s righteousness.
That’s why sin is not an option for you if you profess to trust in Christ as Saviour and Lord. How can you continue in sin when His blood paid for your sin? How can you look longingly on Satan’s offerings when the cross of Christ is in front of you? Jesus’ love constrains our hearts to seek holiness. The fact that sin has no lasting benefit remains true, but it isn’t simply because sin doesn’t pay that you’re to turn your back on the tempter. Knowing sin won’t get you what you really need isn’t a powerful enough defence to guard you against the attractiveness of Satan’s lies and the fickleness of your heart. Only a deep grasp of the gospel has the power to bring about profound change in your heart. Knowing the terrible price that has already been paid for your sin enables you to say no to sin as His Spirit works in you to transform you more into the image of Christ.
A deep grasp of the gospel also means that every time you do sin, every time your depravity is revealed afresh, you run once again to the cross to seek forgiveness and cleansing. You seek again the love of Christ to you, a sinner. You no longer ask who’s to blame, but instead you carry your justly deserved blame to the One who bore it for His people. At the cross, there is grace sufficient to cover all your sin, no matter who you are. Hallelujah! In Christ, receive freedom from condemnation and the blessing of peace with God.
A Isaac and the son of the bĕrakâ/bĕkōrâ (blessing/birthright), Esau. (27:1–5).
B Rebekah sends Jacob on stage. (27:6–17)
C Jacob appears before Isaac, receives blessing. (27:18–29)
Cʹ Esau appears before Isaac, receives anti-blessing. (27:30–40)
Bʹ Rebekah sends Jacob from the stage. (27:41–45)
Aʹ Isaac and the son of the bĕrakâ/bĕkōrâ (now, Jacob). (27:46–28:5)