Today's Reading from Toldot:
Genesis 26:30-28:4
Today's reading is the account of Jacob receiving Esau's blessing. As we open this portion of the reading, we return to the conclusion of the story of Isaac and Abimelech. Isaac and Abimelech have just forged their treaty, and depart in peace. Then the account of Esau and Jacob begins in a rather strange way. Genesis 26:34-35 begins the account by pointing out that Esau brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah by marrying not one, but two local Hittite women. Just as Esau had proven he had little regard for his own birthright by trading it for a bowl of stew years ago, Esau now shows contempt for his grandfather Abraham's desire that his heirs should choose wives from among their own people.
Given his careless attitude for the rites and customs of his people, it is evident that Esau is unfit to lead. This was even predicted by G-d while the babies were still in Rebekah's womb, when He told her that the older would serve the younger (Gen. 25:23). Yet in spite of this, Isaac is intent on giving the blessing to Esau. As a hunter and outdoors man, Esau appears to be Isaac's favorite. (This becomes apparent in Gen. 27:27 when Isaac describes Esau, the son he believes he is blessing.)
Isaac tells Esau to go hunt some wild game and prepare it just the way Isaac likes it, so he can bless Esau. According to the IVP Bible Background Commentary, this feast would provide a celebratory context for the blessing. Rebekah, however, overhears Isaac's plan and decides to take action to ensure that her younger son receives the promised blessing. Just as Sarah did before her, Rebekah decides she must "help" G-d fulfill His plan.
She calls Jacob and tells him of her plan to deceive Isaac and secure the blessing for Jacob. She will prepare some goat's meat stew to taste like wild game and Jacob can bring it to his blind father, pretending to be Esau. Amazingly, Jacob's only objection to this plan is that he might be caught in the lie and punished for it, because he is not as hairy as his brother! Esau may be unfit to lead the family, but Jacob still has a lot to learn about integrity as well.
Jacob's mother disguises him with Esau's clothes and some goat hair. Then, in Genesis 27:18-29 Jacob brings the stew to Isaac and pretends to be Esau. Jacob blatantly lies to his father three times during this exchange (besides the fact that he is dressed in his brother's clothes). In verse 19, Jacob states that he is Esau, in response to his father's query. Then, when the suspicious Isaac asks how he was able to kill and prepare the game so quickly, Jacob invokes G-d in his lie, saying "the L-rd your G-d caused it to happen to me." Isaac is still unsure, and feels Jacob's hands, which now feel hairy like Esau's because of the goat hair. In verse 24, Isaac asks once more if he is really Esau and Jacob lies and says he is.
Finally, Isaac pulls his son close and, convinced it is Esau because of the smell of his garments, proclaims the blessing:
27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments,
he blessed him and said,
“See, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed;
28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,
And of the fatness of the earth,
And an abundance of grain and new wine;
29 May peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you;
Be master of your brothers,
And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those who curse you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”
Almost immediately after Jacob leaves, Esau enters and the deception is uncovered. However, it is too late. The promised blessing has already been bestowed upon Jacob. Esau is distraught and in his fury even vows to kill his brother. Now to our modern minds, this may all seem like a lot of people making a huge deal over something trivial. It's just a blessing, right? Only words spoken by a father over his son. However, the IVP Bible Background Commentary reminds us that in that culture, a patriarch's blessings or curses were considered powerful and binding. These pronouncements were taken very seriously. So Esau had not only lost his material inheritance to Jacob, but a blessing that provided for future good fortune as well.
After hearing of Esau's vow to kill Jacob, Rebekah decides she must send Jacob away for his own safety. She explains to Isaac that she doesn't want Jacob to take a local woman for a wife like Esau did, and arranges for Jacob to go live with relatives for a time. Isaac, who appears not to bear any grudge whatsoever regarding Jacob's deception, blesses Jacob again and sends him on his journey. A happy ending, right? Well, not really. In her haste to "help" G-d, Rebekah's actions drove a deeper wedge between her two sons; and in the end she was forced to part with the son that she, herself favored. Recalling G-d's promise to Rebekah while the twins were still in her womb, is it possible that G-d could have made a way for Jacob to become the leader he was destined to be? Of course. Would it have involved tearing apart an entire family? Probably not. But thanks to Rebekah's scheme to "help" Him, we'll never know exactly what G-d might have done.
My prayer today is that I would trust G-d's way of doing things and His timing, no matter how long the process may take.
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 27:27–29). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
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