40 Days Through Genesis by Ron Rhodes

Author:Ron Rhodes
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736960984
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. Just as God told Isaac, “I will be with you,” so God tells us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). What does that mean to you personally?

2. Do you want to make any changes in your life in view of the spiritual principle that obedience brings blessing?

3. Do you ever experience envy or jealousy? Would you like to make any resolutions in this regard?

DAY 21

Jacob Gets Blessed by Deception

Genesis 27

Scripture Reading and Insights

Begin by reading Genesis 27 in your favorite Bible. As you read, ask God to help you understand His Word (Psalm 119:73).

In the previous lesson, we focused on Isaac’s sojourn among the Philistines. In today’s lesson, we witness Jacob’s deception to obtain Isaac’s blessing. With your Bible still accessible, consider the following insights on the biblical text.

Genesis 27:1-13

Isaac was old and his eyes were dim (27:1): Isaac is now 137 years old. It was not uncommon in biblical days for elderly people to become blind or develop poor vision. Because he felt his death may be near, Isaac wanted to bless Esau before passing from this life.

“Prepare for me delicious food” (27:4): This was apparently a ceremonial meal to accompany the formal blessing of Esau. See Major Themes.

“Bless you before I die” (27:4): Isaac was apparently attempting to tamper with God’s sovereign plan. God had earlier told Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). Esau was to serve Jacob and not vice versa. If Isaac did in fact bestow the blessing on Esau, this would have necessitated Jacob serving Esau.

Rebekah was listening (27:5): Rebekah was eavesdropping for Jacob’s sake. Notice the favoritism in this family—Isaac wanted the best for Esau while Rebekah protected Jacob’s interests (see Genesis 25:28). Rebekah also remembered God’s words to her and was therefore willing to do anything to secure the blessing for Jacob so that he would indeed rule over Esau, as instructed by God.

“Obey my voice” (27:8): Rebekah knew that she was being deceitful, yet she called on Jacob to obey.

“So that he may bless you before he dies” (27:10): Rebekah wanted Jacob to receive Isaac’s blessing while Esau was away. Don’t miss the parallel here. Earlier in Genesis we saw Esau lose his birthright after returning home from a hunt. Now we are about to see him lose Isaac’s blessing as he sets out on another hunt.

“Esau is a hairy man” (27:11): Jacob objected that his physical attributes were entirely different from Esau’s. He feared not passing Isaac’s inspection.

“Bring a curse upon myself ” (27:12): Jacob was initially resistant to the plan. It might backfire, thereby causing Isaac to curse Jacob instead of blessing him. Rebekah disarmed Jacob’s objection by accepting full responsibility for all that would transpire. Jacob then went along with Rebekah’s scheme. Notice that Jacob never said anything about feeling guilty over the deception. He just didn’t want to get caught.

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