Genesis 27 ~ He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”

Jacob looks for Esau,  painted by James Tissot

Genesis 27:1-45

When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, 4 and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”

14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
28 May God give you of the dew of heaven
and of the fatness of the earth
and plenty of grain and wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” 34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob?[a] For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,
and away from the dew of heaven on high.
40 By your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother;
but when you grow restless
you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away— 45 until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”

A Mess of Potage, by James Tissot

John 2:25
He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.




If life is problem solving, 
Isaac is having a heck of a time. 
He knows and believes he is the Keeper of Abraham's Blessing "Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you." 

And he knows he is surrounded by Rebecca, who is his love, yet is a self-interested, chess player. 

And Jacob, the shifty son who already has Esau's birthright for a bowl of stew. You'd think Isaac would have put a caveat saying if you're Jacob, no dice on the blessing. 

However, Isaac did think he was dying, but held on for Jacob to grow up and return with all his sons. And Rebecca did herself in, that Leah, daughter in law was a long time in coming and then, oi vay, the bickering of two of them. More sibling rivalry.  More trouble.

We know from the Scriptures - Rebekah and Isaac will have troubles in life; the Scriptures tell us are part of life. In the midst of signs, births, prosperity, betrayal, all trouble and stages of life; we learn from Isaac’s life, forgiveness allows the Holy Spirit to help Isaac to end well. We can almost hear Father God say to Isaac, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Is this a love story? Yes, we know it. We all root for Rebekah, in Genesis, to complete the sign and become Isaac’s wife. We all want the signs of God’s approval in our life. We know Rebekah will place her son’s prosperity over her husband’s peaceful illness and anticipated death. We know Isaac will still have Rebekah as his wife, when a life-time of years pass before the family is reunited in forgiveness. 

We know this miracle only can come from God.

 

Jacob deceives Issac, painted by James Tissot

A mess - Rebekah’s human nature will cause and allow, God knew what was in Rebekah’s heart and chose her to be part of His plan in fulfilling His promise to Abraham. Amazing.

 In Jesus, we are heirs of Abraham, we are grafted into God’s tree of life. God chose Rebekah and God chooses us, asks us, wants us to be part of His plan in this life and heirs to His eternal kingdom.


 





You would think the Scriptures would be more like Dick and Jane go to summer camp, meet and marry. Instead you see life does strange things to families trying to get by. The one thing you can say for this Biblical family, they are still together after Lamon gets finished, decades later, working out his own issues on his son-in-law.

Romans 8:38
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

Ephesians 3:19
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-
-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.


Father God what delights You?
You delight with pleasure in those who have great understanding in Your might, wisdom and power. You delight in those who hope in Your steadfast love.

Father God, You take delight in Your people;
Father God, You crown the humble with victory.

Father God, You are With us. You are For us. You are the Mighty Warrior who saves.
Father God, take delight in us.

In Your Great Love, cover our transgressions with complete mercy and forgiveness. In the name of Jesus we are flawless. In Your Righteousness. Father God, Zephaniah 3 says You will rejoice over us in singing.

God's Spirit loves worship of Him and truth. He delights.

We will stay with You, Father God. You bring us forth to a spacious place. You rescue us because You delight in us. The Lord our Father God will rescue us because of His Righteousness.

Father God firmly establishes the feet of those on His path of those who Delight in Father God.

Father God You delight, in the ones You have chosen, in the one You Love, where You place Your Holy Spirit, where the one you love proclaims Your Justice to the nations.

So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Jesus said, "Do not be afraid! It is I."

Father God will make known His delight and will continue to make known - His order and His love - Father God has for us, that this may be in us all and that Jesus may be known in us.

Father God delights so in Jesus that He is our Father. We are His Beloved Children in Jesus who says, "Your Father and Mine."

We greatly thank You, Father God. For the LORD your God has blessed us in all the work of Your hands. Father God knows your path through this great wilderness and journey. These many years the LORD your God has been with you. God has carried you these many years and He will safely lead you Home.

Father God, please dwell mightily in us and in our prayers to exalt You. We lift up Jackson and all the ones we love to You in Expectation. We pray for our nation and this World to continue to know You.

Amen in the Highest Name of Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †