July 1997
Genesis Chapter 27
It was a well-established tradition in biblical times that the first-born son obtained the spiritual blessing and a double-share of the father’s material inheritance. However, such was not the case with Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac.
Recalling from the 25th Chapter of Genesis, Esau was first-born, but it was foretold then that the "elder shall serve the younger". We learn of Jacob replacing his brother, Esau, as the recipient of first-born rights in the 27th Chapter.
We are told that the beginning of Chapter 27 that Isaac felt himself old, that he was effectively blind. We later learn that Isaac live considerably longer (more than another 40 years to 180, see Genesis 35:28). Isaac felt his death might be near so he called his first-born, Esau, into his presence and told Esau to go hunt food and prepare a special meal that Isaac could eat so that Isaac could then "bless thee before I die."
Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, who favored Jacob, overheard the conversation and sought out Jacob. She instructed Jacob to go to the flock and obtain two kid goats so that Rebekah could prepare a favorite meal for Isaac. Rebekah explained that she wanted Jacob to present it to Isaac before Esau so that Jacob would receive the blessing.
Jacob feared the plan would not work because Isaac, even though blind, would recognize the difference between his sons and Jacob would end up being cursed, not blessed. We had already learned that Esau was hairy and Jacob had smooth skin. Esau was a hunter of the field, and Jacob a plain man, dwelling in the tents. There was a difference in the two sons’ voices.
Nevertheless, Rebekah said she would accept any curse in Jacob’s behalf and commanded Jacob to follow here instructions. So Jacob went and obtained the two goats for Rebekah to prepare the meal for him to give to Isaac.
Rebekah prepared the meat and bread for Isaac, and then she took action to deceive her husband into thinking Jacob was Esau. She took some of Esau’s smelly clothes of the field and had Jacob put them on. She then took the skin from the goats and put some of the goat hair on Jacob’s arms and on the back of his neck. She then sent Jacob to Isaac with the meal. 27:17.
When Jacob announced his arrival to Isaac, Isaac asked "who art thou, my son?" to which Jacob answered: "I am Esau, thy first-born." Jacob asked to feed his father and then receive Isaac’s blessing.
Isaac initially suspected something wrong. He inquired how his son Esau could have hunted meat and returned so quickly with the meal. "Because the Lord thy God brought it to me." answered Jacob. Isaac asked Jacob to come near him so that Isaac could feel him to determine whether it was indeed Esau. Once Isaac felt the hairy hands, he noted: "The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.". Isaac then asked him: "Art thou my very son, Esau. Jacob answered that he was Esau. 27:22.
Isaac ate the meal, then performed one last test before the blessing. He asked Jacob to come near and kiss him. No doubt Isaac felt the hair on Jacob’s neck and we are told Isaac smelled the clothes and determined that it was indeed the smell of Esau from the field. Isaac then gave Jacob the first-born’s blessing:
"Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
"Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee." 27:28-29.
As soon as the blessing ended, Jacob left and shortly Esau himself appeared to his father with the prepared meal of venison from the field. Esau announced his arrival to his father and asked for the father’s promised blessing.
"Who art thou?" answered Isaac. "I am thy son, thy first-born Esau," responded Esau.
Isaac began to realize what had just happened and explained that he had already given the blessing and that the blessing had indeed already passed.
Esau cried aloud at the news and asked Isaac to bless him anyway. Isaac told Esau the blessing of the first-born rights had already gone
to Jacob. Esau cried that Jacob had now twice supplanted him by first taking his birthright (Gen. 25:30-34) and now had taken his blessing. He asked Isaac if there was not any blessing left for him. Isaac had already made Jacob lord over his brethren and blessed him with first-born rights, but gave Esau a blessing:
"Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shall have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck." Gen. 27:39-40.
Esau hated Jacob for taking his blessing. Esau told himself that after the death of Isaac, Esau would kill Jacob. Rebekah learned of Esau’s threat to Jacob and ordered Jacob to flee to the house of her brother, Laban in Haran until Esau cooled off.
Rebekah then went to Isaac and told Isaac she wanted to send Jacob away because she was weary because of Jacob’s wives (the daughter of Heth), which both Isaac and Rebekah grieved over Esau marrying. Gen. 26:34-35; she told Isaac she worried that Jacob might also take such a wife.
We learn in the next chapter that Isaac instructed Jacob to go to Laban’s house to find a wife, and charged him not to marry a daughter of Canaan as Esau had done.