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Birthright and blessing

At this point, this unfolding drama focuses on the birthright and blessing. One perspective of the birthright suggests that it gave the firstborn claim to a double share of his father’s property. Even though it’s unclear what the birthright entailed, we know Jacob valued and desired it.

Genesis 27 records Jacob’s second opportunity to take something from his brother Esau. Isaac told Esau he was getting old and could die at any moment. He asked Esau to go into the open country, hunt wild game, and prepare a tasty meal for his aging father as a prelude to giving Esau a blessing before he died.

Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to Esau, and once Esau had left to go hunt, she went to Jacob and told him what she had heard. She instructed Jacob to find two choice goats so she might prepare a meal for Isaac instead of Esau’s food. She told Jacob he must do this to gain the blessing Isaac was prepared to give Esau.

Rebekah prepared Jacob to present the meal to Isaac by dressing Jacob in Esau’s clothes and covering him with goat skins to trick his father into thinking he was Esau.

Jacob agreed to the plot and took the prepared food to his father, dressed in Esau’s clothes, including goat skins covering his arm. Isaac was deceived and proceeded to give Jacob the blessing of Earth’s richness, abundance of grain, new wine, nations who would serve him, lordship over his brothers, cursing for those who cursed him, and blessings for those who blessed him.

Esau arrived shortly after the blessing with the food he had prepared and asked for Isaac’s blessing. In Genesis 27:32-36, we read Isaac’s confusion and the reality that Esau would not receive his father’s blessing.

Esau vowed to wait until his father died to then kill Jacob. When Rebekah heard of his plans to kill Jacob, she instructed Jacob to flee to Haran and stay with her brother Laban until Esau’s fury subsided (vv. 41-46).

Isaac and Rebekah's parenting approach clearly shows a moral lapse. Yet God maintains his commitment to Abraham’s clan despite the declining solidarity of the family to whom the covenant promise was given.

Jacob and Rebekah gained nothing by interfering with God’s plan and lost much in the process.

Over time, Jacob, the deceiver, was deceived by Laban into giving his firstborn daughter, Leah, in marriage, according to local custom. Then, after Jacob had provided labor for seven more years, Laban allowed Jacob to marry Rachel, the one he loved (Gen. 29:14- 30). Jacob was blessed as his father pronounced but struggled with Laban, his father-in-law.

Jacob and Laban finally reconciled, but Jacob wrestled with God and finally prepared to meet his brother Esau. Jacob humbly bowed before his brother in fear and bore gifts for him. The two reconciled and went on their way.

Even with all the human interference, mean deception, slyness, blundering unbelief, and profane worldliness of the human transaction between family members, God’s truth and mercy find a way.

Questions for Reflection:

- How do the families of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau resemble modern-day families?

- How can your family, with its own uniqueness, be a part of God’s plan in human history?