Genesis 27:1-14 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Genesis 27:1-14. Let’s go!
Genesis 27:1-14 (NIV)
1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered.
2 Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.
3 Now then, get your weapons–your quiver and bow–and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.
4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back,
6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau,
7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.’
8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:
9 Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.
10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin.
12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.”
14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.
On verses 1-14: Isaac, up in years and eager to give his blessing to his firstborn son Esau before he dies, tells Esau to prepare his favourite meal so that he can give Esau his blessing. Rebekah overhears Isaac’s plan, thinks about the fact that the older twin Esau was always meant to serve the younger twin Jacob. So Rebekah decides to take matters into her own hands. Instead of trying to reason with her husband Isaac as to why their firstborn Esau should not get the blessing, Rebekah chooses a dishonest, deceitful shortcut approach to trying to secure the blessing for her younger son Jacob. She thought, “I’ll just go behind Isaac’s back and trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing instead of Esau.” While it is true that in the short-term Rebekah would get what she wanted, her plan also led to several painful long-term consequences that Rebecca never intended:
First, Rebekah’s marriage would suffer, since undoubtedly by deceiving her husband Isaac Rebekah would lose much of her husband’s trust.
Second, Rebekah’s reputation would suffer. Nowadays when people think of this Rebecca they often see her as someone who deceived others.
Third, her relationship with her older son would suffer. Esau would feel betrayed by his own mother and would lose respect for her. From then on, Esau would do things just to spite his parents.
Fourth, the relationship between her sons would suffer. They would go from not getting along to Esau plotting to kill Jacob.
Fifth, Rebekah’s own relationship with Jacob also suffer. Rebecca took this shortcut because she wanted to save and protect Jacob. Yet because of this shortcut, Rebecca had to send Jacob away and never got to see Jacob again. By taking a wrong shortcut, Rebecca ended up losing the very person she was trying to protect.
Rebekah of course meant well. She was trying to protect her younger son and his destiny. But because she took a wrong shortcut instead of trusting God, everyone suffered as a result. Her shortcut turned out to be the long way around. Her clever plan turned out to be a very foolish thing. Though she knew God’s will, she didn’t act God’s way.
This story is meant to teach us that when you take a wrong shortcut, the long-term damage will outweigh the short-term benefit. Is there a situation where you are tempted to take a wrong shortcut?
If we really want God’s blessing, we need to do God’s will in God’s way. The end does not always justify the means.
How do you know if you are taking a wrong shortcut? Ask yourself: does the shortcut I’m considering require that I lie or cheat? Does the shortcut require that I go back on commitments I have made? Have I prayed about going in this direction? Have I gotten advice about going in this direction? Am I basing my decision on fear instead of faith?
Instead of taking wrong shortcuts, what should you do? Trust God to provide in His way and in His time.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I would not take immoral shortcuts but that I would trust You to work things out in Your way and in Your time. Thank You for showing me that if I take a wrong shortcut, I might in the short-term get I want, but the long-term problems that will result will not be worth it. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
