"Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, 'The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob'" (Genesis 27:41).

The plan that Esau had in mind was simple: "It won't be long before my father passes away. Once my father dies, I'm going to kill Jacob for what he did to me." But once again, the very same person who overhead Isaac's original plan to bless Esau found out about this new plan as well...

"When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, 'Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you. Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides. 

When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I'll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?'" (Genesis 27:42-45).

Here was the problem that Rebekah was concerned about: if Esau killed Jacob, then Esau would face the death penalty from another member of the family in order to avenge his brother's death. Rebekah didn't want that to happen and that's why she said, "Why should I lose both of you in one day?"

So Rebekah's plan was to get Jacob out of sight as quickly as possible. The way she proposed to do that was by sending Jacob to stay with her brother Laban in the town of Haran. Since Haran was about five hundred miles (800 km) away, it was a good place for Jacob to go and hide out for awhile until things settled down. 

Now it seems that Rebekah was under the impression that Jacob would only had to leave for a short time; then he could come back again once Esau had the opportunity to cool down a little. What Rebekah didn't know was that once Jacob left, it would be twenty years before he would return. Unfortunately, this also meant that this will be the last time that Rebekah will ever see her favorite son. By the time Jacob returns from Haran, Rebekah will be dead.

"Then he asked, 'Haven't you reserved any blessing for me?" Isaac answered Esau, 'I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?' 

Esau said to his father, 'Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!' Then Esau wept aloud.

His father Isaac answered him, 'Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck'" (Genesis 27:36b-40). 

This probably wasn't the kind of blessing that Esau was looking for but there wasn't much left for Esau since Isaac had basically given Jacob everything. However, this "secondary blessing" that we read about here did eventually come to pass.

You see, Esau's descendants came to be known as the Edomites, a name that was developed from Esau's nickname Edom (see Genesis 25:30 and 36:9), As time passed, the Edomites came to populate the area that we know today as the country of Jordan. This location featured some areas with desert-like conditions and fulfilled Isaac's prediction that, "...The place where you live will lack the fertile fields of the earth and the dew from the sky above" (GW).

The Scriptures also go on to tell us that Esau's descendants (the Edomites) came to oppose and revolt against the Israelites, the descendants of Esau's brother Jacob. For example, the Edomites once mobilized their armed forces with a threat to kill the people of Israel when Israel asked for permission to pass through a land area that was under Edom's control (see Numbers 20:14-21). Later on, the people of Edom succeeded in breaking away from the control of Jacob's descendants and established their own government, just as Isaac said they eventually would (see 2 Kings 8:20-22).

Now as you might expect, Esau wasn't very happy about what his brother had done and it wasn't long before he started to think about taking revenge. But someone found out about Esau's plan to pay back his brother and we'll see what that person decided to do about it next. 

"But he said, 'Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.' Esau said, 'Isn't he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!'" (Genesis 27:25-36a). 

Esau's response to his father about what Jacob had done was basically this: "When you named my brother 'deceiver' and 'con-man,' you sure gave him the right name. This is the second time that he has cheated me- first he took my birthright and now he has my blessing too."  Of course, Esau conveniently forgot that he was the one who willingly sold his birthright for a bowl of stew, but that didn't stop him from blaming Jacob for the fact that he made a bad deal.

So what lesson can we learn from Esau's example today? Well, even though it was too late for Esau to reclaim what he had lost, it's not too late for anyone who is determined to avoid his example. 

You see, God has also provided His followers with some blessings as well- things like time, talent, skills, abilities, and opportunities to do some real good in the world. The question is, what will you do with those blessings? Will you trade them for something of little value (like Esau) or will you invest those things in a way that honors God?

Remember that time is short and the opportunities that are available to you now won't last forever. That means that today is the day to do great things for God. There's no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow, and you can't change anything that happened yesterday. 

The Scriptures tell us that "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others" (1 Peter 4:10). This statement is important for two reasons. First, it implies that every Christian has received a gift from God in the form of some talent, skill, or ability. Secondly, that gift -whatever it is- has a specific purpose: to serve others. 

This means that you don't "own" your talents, so to speak- you are simply a manager of those abilities that God has given you. If you aren't using those talents, skills, and abilities that God has given you (or you're using them in an inappropriate way), then you aren't fulfilling your responsibility to use them to help and serve others. 

Esau let a valuable blessing from God slip away- don't make the same mistake.

"Isaac trembled violently and said, 'Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him - and indeed he will be blessed!'" (Genesis 27:33).

Isaac was clearly staggered as he tried to grasp what had just happened. In fact, the shock and astonishment that Isaac felt affected him to the point where he actually began to lose the ability to control himself. 

Why was Isaac so traumatized over what had just occurred? Well, Isaac tried to do what he wanted to do and ignore what God wanted- and he got caught. Even though Isaac tried to manipulate these circumstances for his own purposes, God easily worked around him to do what He wanted to do. This realization shook Isaac to the core as he began to understand just how close he actually came to putting himself on the opposite side of God. That was a very bad place to be and Isaac knew it.

So Isaac was emotionally shaken by what had happened, but Esau had some feelings of his own about what he had lost... 

"When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, 'Bless me - me too, my father!'" (Genesis 27:34).

As we've already seen, Esau was the kind of guy who didn't care very much for spiritual things. We saw a demonstration of Esau's uncaring attitude towards the things of God when he decided to sell out his spiritual heritage in exchange for bowl of stew (see Genesis 25:29-34). However, when it came time to receive a blessing that included things like, "...an abundance of grain and new wine..." and the opportunity to have "...nations serve you and peoples bow down to you...." then Esau was definitely interested. 

But Esau lost his opportunity to receive those other blessings when he turned his back on the things of God. That's one reason why the Scriptures provide us with this warning... 

"Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful" (Hebrews 12:16-17 TLB).

"May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness - an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed" (Genesis 27:28-29).

Some of the phrases used in this blessing (like "[the] earth's richness" and "an abundance of grain and new wine") imply that the "blessee" will enjoy a tremendous amount of prosperity. So Isaac clearly wanted to make sure that Esau received "the best of the best" in this blessing.

But it didn't stop there: "May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed” (Amplified Bible). As you might expect, this blessing was designed to provide Esau with a leadership position within his family. But this blessing actually went far beyond that because it also provided Esau with a leadership position among others as well. 

So Isaac had now officially completed his responsibility to pass along the inheritance and promises that he received from his father Abraham who had received them from God (see Genesis 12:3). From Isaac's point of view, everything had worked out great. First, he got to enjoy a great meal and then he was able to successfully pass along the family inheritance to his favorite son- not the other son who was his wife's favorite. 

But Isaac is about to find out that things had not worked out quite the way that he planned...

"After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father's presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, 'My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.' His father Isaac asked him, 'Who are you?' 'I am your son,' he answered, 'your firstborn, Esau''' (Genesis 27:30-32).

Uh-oh. Isaac must have been feeling pretty good about the way things had worked out- at least until Esau showed up to receive the blessing that he had unknowingly just given to Jacob.

"Then he said, 'My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.' Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, 'Come here, my son, and kiss me.' So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, 'Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed'" (Genesis 27:25-27). 

Apparently, Esau wasn't the kind of guy who was interested in smelling good because Isaac basically said that Esau smelled like a pasture. But Esau's personal hygiene wasn't Isaac's problem- what was Isaac's problem was the fact that he was about to make a decision based only on what his senses told him- what he could touch, smell, and taste.

So what's the issue with that? Well, the issue was that Isaac never asked God for His guidance, direction, or input before making this decision. Isaac never prayed or asked God to verify the truth of what his senses were telling him. You see, the person who only relies on what he or she can see, hear, or feel may not be getting all the information that God can provide. While it's true that there is a basic reliability to sense perception, it's also possible to be fooled by what our senses tell us, just as Isaac was here. 

Isaac could have avoided this deception simply by asking God to help him detect the truth about what was going on. But he chose not to. The most likely reason for this is that Isaac already knew what God wanted him to do but he didn't want to do it. 

Isaac was determined to give this inheritance to Esau even though God had earlier told his wife Rebekah that his younger son (Jacob) would have authority over his older son (Esau -see Genesis 25:23). Since Esau was Isaac's favorite son (Genesis 25:28), giving this inheritance to Jacob probably wasn't something that Isaac really wanted to do.

It's possible that Isaac didn't ask for God's help because he already knew that God would tell him something that he didn't want to hear. Unfortunately, Isaac didn't realize that his responsibility was to get in line with what God wanted to do and not the other way around. That's one reason why he was open to this deception. 

Jacob lied four times during the short conversation that he had with his father in Genesis 27:18-24, so it seems that he didn't have a problem with telling as many lies as necessary to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, things haven't changed very much because many people seem to share this very same attitude today. In fact, lying comes so naturally to so many people in our world that it's sometimes surprising to find examples where people actually tell the truth.

While lying often seems to be easier than telling the truth (at least in the beginning), people who lie sometimes find that this is not always true. For example, one problem with lying is that "small" lies don't always stay small. You see, small lies have a tendency to get out of hand quickly and many people who have been caught in a lie know that small lies can turn into big lies really fast. 

Then there are the excuses that people sometimes use to rationalize a lie. For instance, people will often try to explain away a lie by saying that they lied about something small or unimportant. Of course, the problem is that once someone lies about a small thing, then how do you know that he or she won't lie about something big as well? The truth is that telling a lie (even a small one) still makes the person who told the lie a liar. A lie is still a lie even if it had to do with something small.

Another problem is that lying eventually causes others to become suspicious and distrustful of the person who told the lie. Wherever suspicion and distrust exists, it's almost impossible to have close, God honoring friendships and relationships with others. 

This is one reason why the New Testament book of Ephesians says, "So from now on, there must be no more lies: You must speak the truth to one another since we are all parts of one another" (Ephesians 4:25 JB). In a world where lying is so widespread and honest answers are hard to come by, people will give you respect if you develop a reputation for telling the truth.

Remember that God is a God of truth (Psalm 31:5) and does not lie (Titus 1:2). This means that lying is something that is totally outside the character of God and someone who tells the truth (even when it may be uncomfortable) is someone who is following God's example of honesty and integrity. 

Isaac asked his son, 'How did you find it so quickly, my son?' 'The Lord your God gave me success,' he replied. 

Then Isaac said to Jacob, 'Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.' Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, 'The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.' He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 'Are you really my son Esau?' he asked. 'I am,' he replied" (Genesis 27:18-24).

There are so many lies in this short conversation that it's tough to know where to begin. Let's start with the obvious stuff first. First, Jacob begins by falsely identifying himself as Esau- that's lie #1. Then Jacob said to his father, "I have done as you told me"  which, of course, is untrue because Isaac didn't tell Jacob to do anything. So that's lie #2. 

Isaac then asked, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" Isaac apparently realized that it was unlikely that someone could...

1. Hunt down an animal
2. Kill it
3. Butcher it
4. Cook it
5. And get it home-delivered as fast as Jacob did. 

Of course, if Isaac only knew that his son's entire "hunting trip" consisted of chasing down two goats outside the tent, then he wouldn't have had to ask the question at all. But even so, Isaac seems a little suspicious and Jacob responds with lie #3: "The LORD your God helped me find it" (GNB).

So it wasn't enough for Jacob to try and deceive his father- he also had to bring God into his deception as well. But Isaac still wasn't convinced, so he asked once more, "'Are you really my son Esau?' 'Yes, I am,' Jacob answered" (CEV). This false representation was lie #4 and it was a repeat of the first lie that Jacob spoke to his father. So when you add everything together, you find that Jacob told four lies in the five sentences that he spoke to his father during this conversation.

So Jacob prepared the steaks and Rebekah cooked them up into a meal that her husband was sure to love. Then she took Esau’s best clothes and gave them to Jacob to wear. And for the finishing touch, Rebekah covered Jacob's arms and the smooth part of his neck with some goatskins. That would allow Jacob to effectively impersonate his brother if Isaac were to somehow come into contact with him. 

Now when you think about everything that Rebekah did to prepare for this deceptive scheme, it's clear that she came up with a very skillful plan. To illustrate just how clever this plan really was, think about the five senses that human beings possess: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. In order to successfully fool Isaac into giving Jacob this blessing, Rebekah knew that she would have to deliver some convincing (but false) information to these senses- and one mistake could result in some really big trouble.

The key to making this plan work was the fact that Isaac had lost his sight. Since Isaac was no longer able to tell Esau and Jacob apart by sight, that left only four other senses to worry about. So by placing Esau's clothes on Jacob, Rebekah knew that Isaac would be able to pick up the outdoor scent of Esau's clothes. Since Esau was a hunter and outdoorsman, Isaac would immediately associate that scent with him.  

Then there was the meal that Rebekah prepared- that would take care of the taste part. The goatskins on Jacob's arms and neck would cover Isaac's sense of touch. The only remaining sense was Isaac's sense of hearing. Unfortunately for Rebekah, the only thing that she really couldn't do was disguise the sound of Jacob's voice. That represented the one potential flaw in Rebekah's plan to convince Isaac that Jacob was really Esau. 

So Rebekah covered three out of Isaac's remaining four senses. Would that be enough to trick Isaac into doing something that he didn't want to do? We'll get the answer to that question over the next few studies.

You see, Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob have spent this entire chapter planning and scheming over who would receive Isaac's inheritance and the blessing that went along with it. But here's the thing that everyone seems to have forgotten: if it wasn't for God, there wouldn't be any blessing or inheritance at all! 

It appears that each of these four people were under the impression that "Isaac's blessing" was like some kind of mystic formula or magical enchantment that would automatically guarantee a blessing to whomever received it. But the truth is that "Isaac's blessing" didn't obligate God to do anything. The reality is that Isaac could have given this blessing to Esau (or anyone else), and it would have meant nothing if that person wasn't God's choice to receive it. 

So while each of these family members wanted God to get on board with their plan, the truth was that it really should have been the other way around. They were the ones who were responsible for getting on board with God's plan- and they were messing up their opportunity to honor God and become a part of what He wanted to do. 

"(Jacob said) '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.' 

His mother said to him, 'My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me'" (Genesis 27:12-13).

If we were to rephrase what Rebekah said with some more up to date language, we might understand her meaning to be this: "If your father figures out what's going on and decides to put a curse on you, I'll take that curse upon myself."  Unfortunately, Rebekah is going to deeply regret saying those words, but we'll talk more about that when we get to the end of this chapter.

So now this secret plan is in place but Rebekah still hasn't addressed the one big flaw in this plot to deceive her husband. If Isaac somehow came into contact with Jacob during this stealth operation, Isaac would immediately know that Jacob was trying to fool him. We'll find out how Rebekah intended to get around that problem next.

"Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, 'But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I'm a man with smooth skin. 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'" (Genesis 27:11-12). 

Look carefully at Jacob's response in these verses. When Rebekah told him about her plan to deceive Isaac, Jacob didn't respond by saying,"Is this plan right? Is this plan good? Does this plan honor God?"  Instead, Jacob's only concern seems to be, "What if I get caught?"  

In other words, Jacob basically responded by saying, "If Dad catches on to the fact that we're trying to trick him, he's going to curse me rather than bless me." Notice that Jacob doesn't seem to care if he is being deceptive- he just doesn't want to get caught being deceptive.

Now at this point, it might be good to step back for a moment and take another look at the players in this little family drama: 

• First we have Isaac. He was trying to allow his favoritism of Esau to override what God clearly wanted to do. 
• Next up is Isaac's oldest son Esau. His lifestyle choices indicated that he wasn't very concerned about the things of God. He was also willing to accept the benefits and privileges that went along with being the eldest son even though he traded those rights for a bowl of homemade stew. 
• Then there's Rebekah, Isaac's wife. She was the mastermind behind a secret mission to cut her oldest son out of the family inheritance by deceiving her husband. 
• Finally there's Jacob, Esau's twin brother. Jacob doesn't seem to be concerned about doing something wrong- his main concern seems to be, "What if I get caught doing something wrong?" 

Unfortunately, it seems that no one in this family was willing to trust one another; all they seem to be interested in is double-crossing other family members in order to get what they want.

So that covers all the members of Isaac's family, but there is one additional character in this story who has seemingly been forgotten by everyone else. This fifth person has quietly remained behind the scenes, but has seen and observed everything that's happened so far. We'll identify that person and talk about his importance to this story next.

We've already talked about what Rebekah could have done in this situation; now let's talk about what she didn't do. 

For example, one thing that Rebekah didn't do was speak the truth to Isaac and Esau with an attitude of love. In other words, Rebekah wasn't willing to communicate directly with Isaac and/or Esau about the consequences of their actions in a truthful, loving manner. This concept is something that the Bible will talk about later on in Ephesians 4:15.

You see, Rebekah apparently didn't understand that there are times when the most loving thing that you can do for someone is to tell them the truth in no uncertain terms. Remember that real love always seeks another person's highest good, and there may be times when a dose of cold, hard truth spoken with an attitude of love is the only thing that can save someone from really serious trouble.

Something else that Rebekah didn't do in this situation was to show respect for her husband Isaac. Instead of speaking the truth in love and then trusting God to handle the situation, she chose to engage in a covert operation and secretly undermine her husband with an act of deception. People who respect each other don't interact with little plots and schemes like this, but that's exactly what Rebekah did. 

So Rebekah immediately contacted her son Jacob and said to him, "...listen carefully and do what I tell you" or, "...listen to me as I command you" (NASB), as it says in another translation. This tells us that Rebekah was using her authority as Jacob's mother to get him to go along with the plan that she was putting together. 

And what was that plan? Well as we see in the verse quoted above, Rebekah's plan was to take an inferior piece of meat and turn it into a meal that was as delicious as anything that Esau was able to hunt down in the field. Then she would give that meal to Jacob who would use it to trick his elderly, blind father into giving him the blessing that he had originally planned on giving to Esau. 

However, there was one big problem with this plan- while Isaac may have lost his ability to see, he still hadn't lost his sense of touch. We'll see how Rebekah proposed to overcome that problem next.

For example, we've seen Isaac express his desire to pass along his inheritance to a son (Esau) who didn't deserve it. We've also seen how Esau was perfectly willing to accept this inheritance anyway despite the fact that he signed those rights away in exchange for a bowl of his brother's homemade stew. 

Now the next player is ready to make her own contribution to this messed up situation... 

"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, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, 'Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 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.' 

'Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 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. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies'" (Genesis 27:5-10).

Unknown to her husband Isaac, Rebekah was secretly monitoring this conversation between Isaac and Esau. After hearing what Isaac what Isaac had in mind, she immediately launched into an undercover counter plan as soon as Esau left. 

Now before we continue, let's stop and think about the other options that Rebekah had in choosing her response to Isaac's plan. For instance, Rebekah could have spoken to Esau and Isaac together and reminded them of what God had said about her children before they were ever born. 

She also could have reminded Esau that he no longer had any rights as the oldest son because he had sold those rights to his brother and even swore to it with an oath (see Genesis 25:30-33). 

But even if Rebekah didn't want to confront Isaac and Esau together, she still could have stopped Esau before he left and then spoken to Isaac privately. Unfortunately, Rebekah didn't choose any of those responses. And as we'll soon see, her decision to undertake this stealth mission involving Jacob is actually going to make things worse.

Well, remember that Esau had earlier chosen to sell his rights as the first born son. In Isaac's family, these rights also included the responsibility of carrying on the spiritual blessings and promises that God had originally given to Abraham. The problem was that Esau apparently didn't think very much of these rights as the first born son. However, Esau's brother Jacob saw the importance of getting this birthright for himself and arranged to buy it from Esau in exchange for a bowl of stew.

Later on we saw how Esau decided to marry two local women named Judith and Basemath. Since there is no indication that Esau gave any concern to the character or spiritual beliefs of these women before he married them, it should come as no surprise that "...Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah" (Genesis 26:35 NLT). So it seems that Esau was a spiritually unconcerned person in regard to his personal relationships as well.

These things should have told Isaac that Esau was not the person that God had chosen to carry on the spiritual responsibilities for his family after his death. Nevertheless, Isaac told Esau to, "…get your weapons… (and) hunt some wild game for me. 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" (Genesis 27:3-4). So it seems that Isaac was determined to give this blessing to Esau despite God's message to Rebekah and the evidence of Esau's own life. The question is, why?

Well, one possible reason was that Isaac simply liked Esau more than he liked Jacob. Remember that Esau was an outdoorsman and Isaac liked to eat what Esau brought back from his hunting trips according to Genesis 25:27-28. So Isaac was willing to pass along his family's spiritual heritage to a son who didn't really deserve it in exchange for a good meal. Unfortunately, this sounds a lot like the same kind of exchange that Esau made when he traded his inheritance to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew. 

In any event, what Isaac didn't know was that a quick thinking counter-agent was also monitoring this conversation between Isaac and Esau. That person is about to formulate a daring plan to derail what Isaac wanted to do- and we'll take a look at that plan next.

Isaac was about 137 years old at the time when the events of Genesis chapter twenty-seven took place. Now even though Isaac will actually go on to live for another 43 years, the idea of putting his affairs in order seems like a reasonable thing for a 137 year old guy to do- and the way he sought to accomplish that was by pronouncing a blessing upon his oldest son Esau. 

This blessing not only included the first-born son's share of Isaac's money and property, but  also included the rights to those promises that Isaac had received from his father Abraham. These promises were first given to Abraham by God in Genesis chapter 15 when God said to him, "… a son coming from your own body will be your heir"  and "'Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be'" (Genesis 15:4,5). 

Later on, God confirmed these promises to Isaac when He said, "...to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.  I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed" (Genesis 26:3-4). These were the promises that Isaac wanted to pass down to Esau by giving him this blessing.

However, there was a big problem with what Isaac wanted to do. You see, in giving this blessing to Esau, Isaac wanted to follow the normal practice of giving all authority to the first-born son in the family. The problem was that God had already spoken to Isaac's wife Rebekah and told her that the younger son (Jacob) was to have authority over the older son (that's Esau -see Genesis 25:23). 

This should have told Isaac that God had some very different plans in mind for his family. But there were a few other warning signs that Isaac should have noticed as well, and we'll look at those signs next time.

The first two characters in this family drama are Isaac and his wife Rebekah. You may remember that Rebekah had earlier become pregnant with twin boys. God told Rebekah during this pregnancy that her first-born child would end up serving the child that was born second. 

When the time of their birth arrived, Rebekah's first child was born with so much hair on his body that his parents named him Esau (a word that literally means "hairy"). The second child quickly followed his brother by grasping on to Esau's foot during his own birth. This second child was named "Jacob," (or "heel-catcher"), a name that is connected with someone who is a fast-talking, deceptive kind of person.

Now as we read about the things that happen with Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob in this chapter, we'll see some examples where one family member lies to another, two members form an alliance to plot against another family member, one person pulls off an elaborate plan to trick another member of the family, and one sibling actually makes the decision to try and murder his brother.

The motivation behind all this scheming and deception is really not so difficult to explain. As we'll see, these things happened because each family member wanted to have his or her own way without any input, guidance, or direction from God. In other words, no one in this family wanted to pray, talk about their concerns, or ask themselves, "Am I really acting the way that God wants me to in this situation?" 

Knowing this, it may be easy to ask why this chapter is included within the Bible at all. Well to answer that question, we need to take a look at the New Testament book of 1 Corinthians where we can find one reason why the Bible includes the story that we're about to read in Genesis 27...

"These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days" (1 Corinthians 10:11 CEV)

The next verse then goes on to say, "So be careful. If you are thinking, 'Oh, I would never behave like that' -let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin" (1 Corinthians 10:12 TLB). So it's important to pay close attention to what happens in Genesis chapter 27 so you can avoid making these same kinds of mistakes in your own life. 

The last few verses of Genesis 26 focus on the relationship choices of Isaac's son Esau. Now you may recall that when it was time for Isaac to get married, his father Abraham arranged to bring him the right marriage partner. Abraham had some specific qualities in mind in seeking the right kind of partner for Isaac so he sent his servant off to find someone who fit those characteristics. If you remember the story from Genesis 24, then you remember how God blessed that effort with success and how Abraham's servant found that person in a woman named Rebekah.

Now compare Isaac's example to Esau's approach: it says that, "he married Judith… the Hittite, and… Basemath… the Hittite" (emphasis added). Notice that there's no indication that Esau prayed and asked God for His direction before making these decisions. There's no indication that he sought any advice from his Godly parents about Judith and Basemath. In fact, there's no indication that Esau was concerned about their character or spiritual beliefs at all- it just says that he got married to Judith and Basemath. 

Because of this, it's not surprising to read that, "...Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah" (NLT). We're not told why Isaac and Rebekah were so unhappy, but it's possible that it was related to the fact that Judith and Basemath both came from a local people group known as the Hittites. Since the Hittites were not normally followers of God (as Esau's parents and grandparents were), it's likely that Judith and Basemath did not exert a very good spiritual influence on Esau and that led to problems later on.

So how can we take this Biblical example and apply it to relationships today? Well, let's say that you are in a dating relationship with someone and your parents approach you with some concerns about the person you are dating. If your parents are uneasy about someone you are dating, then it would be a good idea to step back, listen to their concerns, and take their advice seriously. 

This is not to say that your parents are always correct, but it's right to honor your parents and take their concerns seriously, especially when it comes to the area of relationships. Otherwise, you may eventually find that the person that you were once so in love with has become a source of grief not only to your parents, but to you as well.

That night the Lord appeared to him and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.' Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well" (Genesis 26:22-25).

Even though his neighbors had treated him unfairly, we can see that Isaac still maintained his focus on God. That helped put him in a position to receive God's direction and encouragement: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you..."

"Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces" (Genesis 26:26). 

So Isaac was minding his own business and who suddenly appears but Abimelech, the very same guy who asked him to get out of town just a few verses earlier. Only this time, Abimelech shows up with the commander of his military forces as well- and that naturally led to some suspicion on Isaac's part... 

"Isaac asked them, 'Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?' 

They answered, 'We saw clearly that the Lord was with you; so we said, 'There ought to be a sworn agreement between us' - between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the Lord.' 

Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace" (Genesis 26:27-31). 

When God blesses someone for living the kind of life that honors Him, other people will notice. They may not always be happy about it, (like the Philistines who wrecked Isaac's water supply), but they will recognize it. That's what happened with Isaac and Abimelech, and their peace treaty serves as a living illustration of something that God would later inspire another Biblical author to write...

 "When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7 NKJV).

To receive a hundredfold return on a crop planting was a terrific result, especially if it occurred during a famine (see Genesis 26:1). So Isaac was clearly experiencing God's blessing, but this didn't mean that everyone was happy... 

"He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, 'Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.' So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there" (Genesis 26:14-17). 

Back in those days, anyone who had possession of a well also had the right to any unoccupied property in the the area where the well was located. But instead of allowing Isaac to maintain those property rights, a group of people who lived in that area known as the Philistines (pronounced "phil-is-teens") decided to sabotage Isaac's wells by filling them up with dirt. Without the use of these wells, Isaac would not have enough water to plant his crops or sustain his livestock.

So Isaac's neighbors sent an obvious message that they didn't want him around, and they soon followed that message up with another message... 

"Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. 

But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, 'The water is ours!' So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah" (Genesis 26:18-21).

Isaac's experience serves to remind us that others may not always react very well when someone is blessed for living a God-honoring life. The truth is that a relationship with God doesn't always provide an automatic immunity from things like unfairness, difficulties, or problems, just as we see here with Isaac. The good news is that Jesus has given us a promise to remember when these things occur...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

This verse has been translated differently depending on the particular Bible version you may be reading. For example, the New King James Version (NKJV) of this verse says that, "Isaac (was) showing endearment to Rebekah his wife." The King James Version (KJV) says, "Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife." The Revised Standard Version (RSV) tells us that "Isaac (was) fondling Rebekah his wife." The Living Bible says, "Abimelech… looked out of a window and saw Isaac and Rebekah making love."  

So we're not totally sure about what Abimelech saw Isaac and Rebekah doing, but whatever it was, it obviously involved some kind of physical intimacy that's seen between husbands and wives and not brothers and sisters. In any event, Isaac suddenly had some explaining to do...

"So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, 'She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? Isaac answered him, 'Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.' Then Abimelech said, 'What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.' So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: 'Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death'" (Genesis 26:9-11).

Perhaps Abimelech was thinking about a similar situation that occurred with Isaac's father Abraham back in Genesis chapter 20. In that incident, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman" (Genesis 20:3). That might help to explain Abimelech's strong reaction here in Genesis chapter 26: "Don't you know what you've done?" Abimelech exclaimed. "If someone had slept with her, you would have made our whole nation guilty!" (CEV).

Just as we saw earlier with Abraham, this incident with Isaac and Abimelech should serve as a warning and example for those who claim to follow God today. Isaac didn't represent God very well during this time and his example reminds us that we should be careful about how we represent God to others. 

This is one reason why Philippians 1:27 says, "...conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ" (NAS). If you conduct yourself in a manner that's worthy of the gospel of Christ, then you'll always be sure to provide others with the right example to follow.

• Abraham and Isaac both had beautiful wives and they both feared for their own safety because of it. 
• Each misrepresented the truth about their relationship by saying that his wife was his sister. 
• They both made this same choice during a severe food shortage.

Now it may seem strange to make a big deal out of these similarities, but there is something important to learn from both of these examples. That "something" has to do with the effect that our choices and actions have on others. 

For instance, let's think about this idea in terms of a parent/child relationship. One saying that has been used to describe the effect that a parent has on a child is, "Like father, like son." This saying came into existence because children often grow up to imitate their parents in many ways. 

A small child will often try to imitate the things that he or she sees his or her parents do. Later on when that child is older, he or she will probably tend to reproduce the same attitudes and character traits that were picked up from his or her parents while growing up. That's because our parents often have a large influence on the way that we develop as children and young adults for better or worse.  

We can see an example of this in Isaac's life as he went on to imitate the same mistake that his father made by misrepresenting his wife as his sister. The problem for us is that every parent makes mistakes, just as we see here with Abraham and Isaac. When this happens, it may be tempting for someone to say, "My parents messed up so that's why I'm messed up"  to justify their own mistakes and shortcomings. 

But the truth is that we are not automatically locked into making the same mistakes that our parents may have made. You see, it's possible to look at the mistakes that our parents have made and not reproduce them in our own lives by asking God to help us in those areas where we may be falling short. We know this because the New Testament book of Philippians tells us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). Remember, Jesus said that we can do nothing apart from Him (see John 15:1-8) but through Him, we can do everything. 

So Isaac decided to try and pass off his wife as his sister, but we'll see that it won't be long before this "brother" and "sister" get caught.

If you've been reading carefully, you may have noticed that Genesis 26:1 mentions another character that we've seen before. That person is Abimelech and we first met him back in Genesis chapter 20 where we were told...

"...For a while (Abraham) stayed in Gerar,  and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, 'She is my sister.' Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her" (Genesis 20:1-2). 

This incident with Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech took place about 100 years before Isaac's time. This means that it's highly unlikely that the Abimelech that Isaac met in Genesis chapter 26 is the same Abimelech that his father Abraham dealt with in Genesis chapter 20. So how can we account for this? Well, the most likely explanation is that "Abimelech" probably served more as a title than a personal name during that time. 

To illustrate this idea, take a look at the following sentence: 

"The President of the United States lived in Washington, D.C. in 1795, 1895, and 1995."  

Is that a truthful statement? Sure it is, but that statement applies to three different people, doesn't it? In a similar way, the "Abimelech" mentioned in Genesis chapter 26 is probably a different person than the one we saw in chapter 20, but someone who held the very same title.

So Isaac did what God said and stayed in the city of Gerar, but here's what happened next...

"When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, 'She is my sister,' because he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife.' He thought, 'The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful'" (Genesis 26:7).

Is there anything about this passage that sounds familiar? If so, it may be because this is the same mistake that Isaac's father Abraham made twice- once in Genesis chapter 12 and again in Genesis chapter 20.

In fact, Isaac's deception with his wife Rebekah is even worse than what Abraham did with his wife Sarah. You see, when Abraham misrepresented Sarah as his sister, he was telling a literal half-truth because Sarah was actually Abram's half-sister- they both had the same father but different mothers according to Genesis 20:12. However, there was no truth in Isaac's statement because his wife Rebekah was actually his 2nd cousin.

"Now there was a famine in the land - besides the earlier famine of Abraham's time - and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. 

"For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.' So Isaac stayed in Gerar" (Genesis 26:1-6).

If this situation sounds as if you've heard it before, it may be because this is almost an exact repeat of something that happened to Isaac's father Abraham back in Genesis chapter twelve. 

Now when someone lives to be 175 years old like Abraham (Genesis 25:7) or 180 years old like Isaac (Genesis 35:28), it's probably safe to assume that he or she will experience some really extreme weather conditions during his or her lifetime. For Abraham and Isaac, these weather extremes took the form of rainfall shortages that occurred from time to time during their lives. 

Besides the negative effect of these droughts on the drinking water supply, they also served to limit the amount of food that could be grown and the areas where livestock could graze. In Abraham's case, his solution was to head over to Egypt to wait out a famine that occurred during his lifetime and it seems as if Isaac was thinking about doing much the same thing. 

But Isaac suddenly got a message that changed any travel plans that he may have been thinking about: "Do not go down into Egypt. Live in the land which I shall tell you of" (MKJV). 

So rather than allow Isaac to escape from this difficult situation, God instead told Isaac to stay where he was and to follow His instructions. This reminds us that God doesn't always allow people to escape from difficult situations in their lives- sometimes God asks people to stay within those difficult situations and trust Him to deliver on His promises for their lives.

Remember that God had already promised to give Jacob the family birthright before he was even born. Because of this, there was no reason for Jacob to try and manipulate his brother into giving him this birthright. For whatever reason, Jacob felt that he needed to secure this inheritance on his own instead of trusting God to deliver on what He had already promised. In fact, Jacob even went so far as to ask his brother to take an oath...

"But Jacob said, 'Swear to me first.' So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob" (Genesis 25:33). 

So Jacob clearly took advantage of his brother when he was hungry and maneuvered Esau into giving him something that God already said that he could have. But Esau foolishly traded his future for something that looked good at the moment. Later on, Esau will attempt to reclaim this birthright only to find that Jacob had tricked his father into giving him the inheritance that ordinarily should have gone to Esau. 

"Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:34).

It seems that Esau simply finished his meal and then left as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. This tells us just how little Esau thought of his privilege as the first-born son. Unfortunately, Esau will definitely come to regret this choice later on.

So what's the lesson that we can learn from this episode? Well, Esau was someone who made choices based on what looked or felt good at the moment, and he provides us with a good example of what can happen when someone lets "what feels good" dictate his or her actions. Esau's example tells you about what can happen when you let your physical desires get in the driver's seat and take you where they want to go. 

This is why the New Testament book of Hebrews says that Esau's life serves as an important warning to others...

"Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful" (Hebrews 12:16-17 TLB).

So Esau grew up to be a great hunter and outdoorsman. That made him a favorite of his father Isaac who enjoyed eating the game that his son hunted. OTOH, Esau's brother Jacob was kind of a homebody who liked hanging around the house. He was the favorite of his mother Rebekah who was more partial to him. 

This parental favoritism is going to cause some real problems for this family later on, but first, we're going to see an episode that clearly reveals the personalities of both Esau and Jacob...

"Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, 'Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!' (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, 'First sell me your birthright.' 

'Look, I am about to die,' Esau said. 'What good is the birthright to me?' But Jacob said, 'Swear to me first.' So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:29-34).

So Esau came in from chasing around whatever it was that they hunted in those days and he was really, really hungry. Jacob apparently was pretty handy in the kitchen and had already whipped up a meal that was just right for a starving hunter. Esau asked to have some of the stew that Jacob had been working on but instead of saying, "Sure, sit down and help yourself," Jacob took this as an opportunity to make try and negotiate a deal: "First sell me your birthright" (Genesis 25:31).  

Now before we go on, let's take a moment and think back to something that happened before Esau and Jacob were born. During the time that Rebekah was pregnant with Esau and Jacob, remember that God told her, "...the older (son Esau) will serve the younger (son Jacob)" (Genesis 25:23b). If Rebekah's partiality toward Jacob led her to tell him about what God said about him before he was born, Jacob may have looked at this situation as his chance to fulfill God's revelation on his own.

The word used for "jostled" in this verse carries the idea of intense activity or competition. In fact, one source says that the Hebrew word used here suggests a violent struggle that was out of the ordinary. ₍₁₎  This was obviously something more than just normal movement for an unborn baby, so Rebekah did a very smart thing: "...she went to ask the LORD for an answer" (GNB). 

Here's the answer that she received... 

"The Lord said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'" (Genesis 25:23).

God told Rebekah that she was pregnant with twins and that each child would go on to establish separate people groups. One of these groups would eventually become stronger than the other and the older child would go on to serve the younger child. This was very different from what you would normally expect to see in that culture because the priority was always given to the first born son during that time. So Rebekah was told to expect something that was completely opposite from the normal arrangement for that society.

"When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them" (Genesis 25:24-26).

It was common for people to name their children after the circumstances of their birth during that time and this occurred with both Esau and Jacob. The name "Esau" means rough or hairy-feeling. ₍₂₎ "Jacob" means "heel-catcher" or "supplanter" ₍₃₎ and it refers to someone who takes the place of another. Today we might use a word like con-artist, cheater, or swindler to define the meaning of this name. 

Esau will later be described in the New Testament as a godless, sexually immoral person (Hebrews 12:16). Jacob will eventually go on to become a fast talking deceiver as his name implies. These unfortunate personality traits will go on to be revealed in each of their lives- and what happens next is a good example.

(1) NET Notes, The NET Bible® Copyright© 2005 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=25&verse=22

(2) "Esau" Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(3) "Ya`aqob"  New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary

You might remember that Beer Lahai Roi was the place where Hagar was stopped by the angel of the Lord as she ran away from Sarah in Genesis chapter sixteen. Hagar named this place Beer Lahai Roi which means "the well of the Living One who sees me" in recognition of God's appearance to her there.

Genesis 25:13-15 then goes on to provide us with a list of people who descended from Hagar and Abraham's son Ishmael. Verse sixteen wraps up that section by saying...

"These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps" (Genesis 25:16).

This is another good example of how God came through on His promises to Abraham. You see, God made a specific promise to Abraham back in Genesis 17:20 when He said this:  "…as for Ishmael,… I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation." 

So instead of simply being a long list of barely pronounceable names, Genesis 25:13-15 actually serves as a record that documents the fulfillment of this promise that God made to Abraham. 

Now the next few verses will introduce us to two people who will go on to become very important characters in the book of Genesis. But before we get to those introductions, Genesis 25:19-21 gives us some important background information first... 

"This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant" (Genesis 25:19-21). 

So Rebekah had gone for twenty years without being able to have children. Remember that it was a tremendous social disgrace for a woman to go childless in that society, so this was something that made Rebekah an outsider in her own culture. But that was about to change because God answered Isaac's prayer and Rebekah became pregnant.

So God gave Rebekah something that she really wanted and they all lived happily ever after, right? Well, not exactly. As we'll soon see, this will turn out to be a case where an old saying will definitely apply: Be careful what you ask for because you might get it! 

After his remarriage, Abraham went on to have a number of children that are listed for us in the verses quoted above. While it may seem unnecessary to list the names of all these children, remember that God had promised Abraham that he would be, "…a father of many nations" in Genesis 17:4. So these verses tell us how God followed through on His promise to Abraham in establishing the people groups mentioned above. The most well known son born to Abraham and Keturah was named Midian and we'll see his descendants (known as the Midianites) a number of times later on in the Old Testament.

"Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east" (Genesis 25:5-6).

So Abraham decided to divide up his wealth among his sons but there was one big condition: everyone had to leave the land that God had promised to give to Abraham and his son Isaac. By sending his other sons away to live in the east, Abraham made sure that Isaac wouldn't have to put up with any future competition or rivalry from his half-brothers. 

"Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah" (Genesis 25:7-10). 

So here we have the end of Abraham, one of the most important people in all the Scriptures. Abraham is mentioned at least seventy times in the New Testament and he is even identified as "the friend of God" in James 2:23. At the time of his death, we're told that Abraham was "...an old man and full of years," a phrase that carries the idea of a long, satisfying, and fulfilling life. Abraham maintained a close relationship with God and it paid off in a life that was long and rewarding for him.