Study From the Book of Genesis,27

Study From the Book of Genesis,27

Today we study chapter 27 of the Book of Genesis. I choose one biblical principle and its lesson which is useful in Biblical Counselling.

Isaac was old but actually did not die for many years. His action was precautionary. His failed vision allowed Jacob and his mother to trick him. Ordinarily, a father would give the primary blessing to the firstborn which in this case was Esau. Yet God worked contrary to the cultural expectation and Isaac’s favouritism. God had already blessed the younger Jacob in ch.25:23.

Isaac wanted to memorize his blessing to Esau with a ceremonial meal. However, Rebekah wanted to circumvent the blessing that her husband planned to give to Esau. Here Rebekah appears to be calculating and devious. Yet God had told her that her younger son would have precedence over the older.

Jacob wanted to know how he could pass the test because Esau had been hairy from birth. Jacob feared that he would be discovered, not that he was doing wrong. Jacob lied by saying to his father that he was Esau then his lies led him to blasphemy. Isaac had to feel Jacob, hear him and question him kiss and smell him, before he finally discovered Jacob’s repeated lies.

Isaac predicted that Jacob’s descendants would obtain supremacy over other peoples, Jesus as the king of kings and a descendant of Jacob, ultimately fulfilled this prediction. Unwittingly, Isaac blessed Jacob with the words originally spoken by the Lord to Abram in ch.12:3. Jacob became the heir to the everlasting covenant between Abraham’s descendants and the Lord.

Isaac in despair, realized he had been duped by his own son. Isaac’s words of blessing had power-indeed, they were backed by the power of the Lord in vv27:29. They could not be withdrawn.

Esau anguish was unbearable. Surely Isaac had reserved some blessing for Esau. But the blessing of Esau was weaker likes Ismael’s blessing. Jacob had stolen the greater blessing Isaac had intended for Esau. Later, Jacob would be deceived by his uncle Laban in ch.29.

Jacob lived up to the meaning of his name as he grasped the heal of Esau. The blessing was irrevocable. Esau repeated his plea for blessing.  The blessing affirmed that Esau descendants would serve his brother.

Apparently, Esau revealed his evil decision to kill his brother to someone. Again, Rebekah intervened to help her favourite son. Rebekah would lose both her sons if Esau killed Jacob-the one to death and the other-like Cain- to exile. So, she advised Jacob to escape to Haran, her brother Laban’s home land. Sadly, she died before Jacob returned.

Structure

Verses: 1-29: Isaac blesses Jacob.

Verses 30-40: Esau’s lost hope.

Verses 41-46: Jacob escapes from Esau.

Principle 47: verse 27:41: ---“So Esau hated Jacob because the blessing with which his father blessed him---.”

Lesson 47: Jacob knew little peace in his life until he learned not to use deception to get a blessing, but to obey God to receive a blessing.15/3/2026.