Genesis 27:1-38
When we are given children, even those of us who are the most inept, even those of us who are self-centered, even those of us who think of ourselves as the most inadequate, there are things we want to give our children. It is built into the parenting instinct. There are just things we want for them, although these things may not always be wise. There are things from which we want to protect them. There are things we want to provide. There is one thing they need above everything else, and that is to be blessed by you, to feel blessed by you, to sense they are blessed.
In the twentieth chapter of Genesis there is a family saga. For many of you it is a very familiar story. For some of you it may be brand new. Abraham's son, Isaac, is now at the point of death, or at least he thinks he is dying. Before he dies he wants to give to his eldest son the blessing of God. We do not have a ceremony that has its counterpart today, although we have the desire. What mother has not stood with her daughter getting into her wedding dress and wanted some way of touching her, focusing her, pointing her, energizing her and giving her advice? What Dad has not stood by the old jalopy now packed for his son who's going to college, but for all practical purposes is leaving home for good, and hasn't wanted some ritual for blessing, for passing on values, for prophesying prosperity and success? We understand the incident.
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The problem was, in this family there was not an agreement as to which of the sons should be blessed. Esau was the oldest, and while Isaac was a momma's boy himself, he favored the son who was more athletic and more of an outdoorsman. Rebekah favored Jacob, who was more like her, more sensitive, and probably more spiritual and brighter.
I think Isaac and Rebekah had had this conversation many, many times when the children weren't there. "Now Isaac, just take a look at Esau. He's not what Abraham had in mind in terms of God blessing us."
When she overheard Isaac promise Esau to bless him, she set up a deception with which she was to get the blessing for her favorite, Jacob. She said, "Son, you go serve him. Your Dad is senile already. He can't see well. He can't hear. He can't tell the difference between goat and deer, and, anyway, he lost his taste buds years ago." The boy was as bright as he could be and he said, "But mother, you know my skin is fair and I don't have a lot of hair. Esau has hair all over his hands. My Dad may be many things, but when he puts his hand down on my soft wrist, he's going to know he has Jacob." So she puts the skin of a goat over his arm, and she said, "When he smells this goat, he'll think that it is Esau, and he will bless you."
And they did it. Isaac blessed Jacob thinking it was Esau. This had hardly transpired when Esau came in, having done exactly what his father asked him to do with the festive meal. He learned his father had already blessed Jacob. He had been deceived. Esau knew his father could not take back the words. So Esau asked his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father" (
Genesis 27:38).
