Read Genesis 27
1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”
“Here I am,” he answered.
2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy manwhile I have smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.”
14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. 17 Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.
18 He went to his father and said, “My father.”
“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”
20 Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied.
21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. 24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“I am,” he replied.
25 Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”
Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank.26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”
27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said,
“Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness—
an abundance of grain and new wine.
29 May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed.”
30 After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”
32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!”
34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!”
35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”
36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.
39 His father Isaac answered him,
“Your dwelling will be
away from the earth’s richness,
away from the dew of heaven above.
40 You will live by the sword
and you will serve your brother.
But when you grow restless,
you will throw his yoke
from off your neck.”
41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43 Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44 Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”
Go Deeper
If we wanted to summarize this chapter into two words, they would be deception and disobedience. There are so many moving parts throughout this chapter, and all four of the major characters are in on the deception and disobedience to varying degrees. From the beginning (Genesis 25:23), it was said that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). Isaac still wanted to give his blessing to Esau, and Esau wanted to receive it. The blessing from Isaac was more than just kind words–it was an opportunity for him to pass along the promises of God to his son, much like Abraham did to him. But Rebekah and Jacob had other plans and their plan is hatched.
Throughout Genesis, we have seen time and time again what happens when people try and take matters into their own hands, oftentimes trying to rush along something God had promised. Too often, just like the characters in this story, we do the exact same thing. We get tired of waiting on God, so we manipulate situations and try to handle it ourselves. Our lack of patience and our pride get in the way, and it ends up causing us to operate outside of God’s will. While God’s will always prevails and we know that He works all things together for good (Romans 8:28), we often end up causing unnecessary hurt and pain along the way.
We also see in this chapter the way our sin can impact the lives of others, too. Rebekah never saw Jacob, her beloved son, ever again. Isaac had to deal with the pain of deception and a fractured family. Jacob and Esau ended up in a conflict that would rob them of years of their lives. Sin hurts. But, the story doesn’t end here. Over the next few chapters, we’ll see God use Jacob in powerful ways. We’ll see Him bring Jacob and Esau back together. And we’ll see God continue to bless Jacob’s offspring in spite of their own humanity and missteps along the way. Because that’s what God does.
Questions
What does this chapter teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
Where have you tried to take matters into your own hands instead of trusting God?
How have you seen the lingering effects of sin in your life impact others?
Did You Know?
Esau’s blessing isn’t inspiring at all–it sounds more like a curse. Esau and his people will be a wandering, nomadic group. His descendents (known as the Edomites) end up under King David and Israel’s rule, only to break free in 2 Kings 8:20–22. Their eventual ruin is predicted in the book of Obadiah.
6 thoughts on “Genesis 27”
Obedience
Do we follow God and do right things but still tend to take things into our own hands when things are not going the way or as fast as we want. BUT GOD can still make lemonade out of the lemons in our life.
God thank You that I can trust in You and not lean to my own understanding. I acknowledge and want, desire, and crave for You to direct my path. Thank You that You do these BUT GOD moments all the time. I am so grateful, thankful and blessed beyond words to tell . Thank You for being anixous for NO THING and nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I am letting my requests be made known to, You, God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, is guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. And I will rejoice in You oh, Lord, always I desire to rejoice. God help me to think on these things, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What I have learned and received and heard I will practice these things, so that the God of peace will be with me in these minutes of this day in Jesus name
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The story of Jacob always leaves me in awe. We see a man who started out down the road of deception in cheating Esau out of his blessing. In a few more chapters we will actually see him physically wrestle with God. To put it bluntly, Jacob was a mess and did so many things the wrong way. Yet, God’s plan of salvation was still to run through the line of Jacob. It is just another example of how God can and does use broken people (like each of us) for His divine plans. We are never too broken to be of use to God, the one who can rebuilt anything and anyone and cause them to do beautiful things in the world around us.
When tempted to take matters in our own hands instead of aligning our will to God’s, may we stop and consider holiness over immediate gratification. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
“Throughout Genesis, we have seen time and time again what happens when people try and take matters into their own hands, oftentimes trying to rush along something God had promised. Too often, just like the characters in this story, we do the exact same thing.”
Amen! A confusing, disturbing passage to read, but my take away will be to learn from the bad example shown by Rebekah and Jacob.
PS – I’ve long wondered which of the two meals Isaac preferred?!
Merciful and Sovereign is our God.
God’s grace is unconditional.
God’s promises are kept.
God’s blessings foreshadow following Jesus.
So weird that his own wife would go behind her husbands back. I guess that is our nature though. If we don’t die to our own desires for god and other people. We will hurt our marriage, relationship with others & make a giant family mess. Strange chapter for sure and it makes me mad for esau.