Genesis 27 through 28:9
Rebekah (wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau) forms a plan for Jacob to trick his father into giving him the blessing saved for his eldest son (Esau). Jacob goes along with it and steals his brother’s blessings: heaven’s dew, the earth’s richness, an abundance of grain and new wine, lordship over his brothers and other nations, that those who curse him be cursed, and that those who bless him be blessed.
My first inclination after reading of this trickery was to be incensed at the injustice done to poor Esau. However, when I read a little more, then read a little back, I realized the reason this happened. Esau was just not fit for the blessing. Yes, Rebekah was deceitful. She’s a little unlikeable to me at the moment, and Jacob was tricky too, but what were their motives? Selfishness? Perhaps. Or maybe God used something bad to bring about something good. After all, the nations that came through Jacob became Israel, God’s blessed nation. The nations that came through Esau would live in hostility.
Look back to Chp. 25. The Lord had told Rebekah that the twins in her womb were two nations, two peoples who would be separated. One would be stronger, and the older would serve the younger. Esau was older. Also, Esau so willingly sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Was he really that hungry, or did he despise his birthright as the scripture says? Esau is not innocent in this story.
In Chp. 26, Esau married two Hittite women. (The Hittites worshipped many gods). This grieved Rebekah and Isaac. So, Esau was no sweet smelling rose. Does that make it okay for Rebekah and Jacob to cook up a plan to steal his blessing? My opinion is no. However, it makes sense. Plus, God already knew this was coming (The older will serve the younger).
So, Jacob gets Esau’s birthright and blessing from his father, Isaac. What does Esau get? Isaac tells him that his dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above, that he will live by the sword and serve his brother, but that one day he would throw his (Jacob’s) yoke from off his neck. What does that mean? Eventually, the nations of Esau separate in rebellion from the nations of Jacob. That comes later in the bible.
Back to the story, Esau is seriously mad at his brother, so Rebekah sends Jacob away with instructions to go find a proper wife. What does Esau do? Just for spite, he goes to Ishmael (remember him?) to obtain even more wives. Remember that God had told Ishmael that his offspring would live in hostility toward all their brothers. Esau’s bloodline was tainted by the bloodline of Ishmael’s offspring. It was important for Jacob’s bloodline to remain pure, for his is the bloodline from which Jesus comes.
There are many instances in the bible in which God uses bad to create good. In our world, many bad things are happening, and we need to pray about them, but if you are a child of faith, you will be able to see the blessings that God can bring out of such things.
God bless, and stay in the Word.
Walker Lane 