Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing

There are multiple places in the Bible where God is referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Exodus 3:15 (NLT)
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.

Matthew 22:32 (NLT)
 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”

Acts 7:32 (NLT)
‘I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’

This name of God is special because it emphasizes God’s covenant with Israel and showcases the special role Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the Israelites fill as God’s chosen people.

Being chosen by God does not guarantee protection from Satan’s temptations.

Being chosen by God does not guarantee making right choices.

Being chosen by God does not eliminate sin from a person’s life.

Today’s lesson includes:

Theft
Haughty eyes
Deception
Trickery
Scheming
Plotting evil
Lying
Wrongdoing
Sowing family discord

God hates the behaviors taking place in this lesson.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)
¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates—
no, seven things he detests:
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
¹⁸ a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.

 Genesis 25:28 (NLT)
Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (discord in the family)

 Reminders:

• God’s sovereignty supersedes manipulative or godless behaviors.
•  Sin has many consequences and sin is always destructive.

Genesis 27:1-29 (NLT)
Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing
27 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.”
“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.
² “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. ³ Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”
⁵ But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, ⁶ she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ ⁸ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. ⁹ Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. ¹⁰ Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.”
¹¹ “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. ¹² What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”
¹³ But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!”
¹⁴ So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. ¹⁵ Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. ¹⁶ She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. ¹⁷ Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.
¹⁸ So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.
“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”
¹⁹ Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”
²⁰ Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied.
²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” ²² So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. ²³ But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. ²⁴ “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.
²⁵ Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. ²⁶ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.”
²⁷ So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed!
²⁸ “From the dew of heaven
and the richness of the earth,
may God always give you abundant harvests of grain
and bountiful new wine.
²⁹ 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.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 27:1-29 (NLT)
Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing
27 One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, “My son.”
“Yes, Father?” Esau replied.
² “I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die. 

 At this time Isaac was between the ages of 130-137.  He died at the age of 180.

Genesis 35:28-29 (NLT)
²⁸ Isaac lived for 180 years. ²⁹ Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

³ Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat.
Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die.”

The blessing that belongs to the firstborn son.

Isaac intended to bless Esau even though this was contrary to God’s plan.

• Isaac was willing to bless Esau, even though this blessing was not a part of God’s plan for Esau.

Genesis 25:23 (NLT)
And the Lord told her (Rebekah), “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

 Isaac’s blessing for Esau in verse 29 clearly contradicted God’s plan.

• Esau knew that he had given up all of his rights as the firstborn.

Genesis 25:31-33 (NLT)
³¹ “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
³² “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
³³ But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

 All his rights would include the birthright as well as the blessing.

⁵ But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, ⁶ she said to her son Jacob, “Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ⁷ ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ ⁸ Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. 

 Listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you.

Rebekah is responsible for her behaviors.

Jacob is responsible for his behaviors.

• Rebekah was willing to resort to deception and trickery to secure the patriarchal blessing for Jacob.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?

 Galatians 6:7 (NLT)
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

 1 Peter 2:1 (NLT)
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

 This behavior is never acceptable.

⁹ Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. ¹⁰ Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies.”

¹¹ “But look,” Jacob replied to Rebekah, “my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. ¹² What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, 

• Jacob knew that he was trying to deceive his father.

 Jacob is responsible for his behaviors.

 and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me.”

¹³ But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you.

 Let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you.

Go out and get the goats for me!” 

• Rebekah intentionally schemed against her husband. 

¹⁴ So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. ¹⁵ Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. ¹⁶ She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. ¹⁷ Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread.
¹⁸ So Jacob took the food to his father. “My father?” he said.
“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who are you—Esau or Jacob?”
¹⁹ Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son.

 Jacob replied, “It’s Esau, your firstborn son. (lying)

 I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.”
²⁰ Isaac asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
“The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied.

 “The Lord your God put it in my path!” Jacob replied. (lying)

 ²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” ²² So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. ²³ But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob. ²⁴ “But are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied.

“Yes, I am,” Jacob replied. 

• Jacob lied repeatedly to his father.

 ²⁵ Then Isaac said, “Now, my son, bring me the wild game. Let me eat it, and then I will give you my blessing.” So Jacob took the food to his father, and Isaac ate it. He also drank the wine that Jacob served him. ²⁶ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come a little closer and kiss me, my son.”
²⁷ So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, “Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the Lord has blessed! 

²⁸ “From the dew of heaven
and the richness of the earth,
may God always give you abundant harvests of grain
and bountiful new wine.
²⁹ 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.”

 Consequences Jacob suffered:

Jacob never saw his mother again after this event

Esau wanted him dead

Laban his uncle deceived him.

His family life was full of conflict

He was exiled for years from his family.

• Sin has many consequences and sin is always destructive.

Reflect on the following verses.

 Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

 Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)
There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

 Romans 6:23 (NLT)
For the wages of sin is death, (separation from God)

Psalm 19:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
¹⁴ May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.