Ep. 14. Genesis 27 | Stolen Blessing

EPISODE 14

STOLEN BLESSING: GENESIS 27

Of course, it is only fitting that Jacob receives his father's blessing. God had already stated that the older would serve the younger. This was a move of God and, therefore, could not be thwarted. I am convinced it was unnecessary for Rebekah to help her son deceive Isaac. But the story is filled with deception and lies. We can not justify Jacob's lies or Rebekah's deception, and it does us little good to speculate how God may have brought about Jacob's blessing under more savory circumstances, so we will accept the narrative and move on.

In this blessing to Jacob, there is a repeating of the blessing God gave to Abraham, "Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you." I will remind you that this blessing carries more weight in its spiritual meaning rather than its temporal meaning.

I grew up believing Jacob fled from home for fear of his brother's reprisal, but that is only part of the story. In verse 44, Rebekah says to Isaac, "I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?" When we read the first two verses of chapter 28, we find that Isaac instructs his son to "go to Paddan-Aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother." It is under this pretext that Jacob "flees." He is able to disguise his running away as a fulfillment of his parents' desires.

ADDITIONAL READING: Genesis 12:1-2; Genesis 25: 23; Genesis 28:1-2