JACOB STEALS THE BLESSING (GEN 27)
When Isaac was old and blind and knew he didn’t have much time left, he decided to overlook what YAHUAH had told Rebekah about their younger son ruling over the older (the ‘birthright’ Jacob had already cunningly acquired himself) and intended to go ahead anyway and give Esau the firstborn `blessing’ because he was his favourite son.
IF ISAAC GAVE ESAU THE FIRSTBORN BLESSING IT WOULD HAVE NULLIFIED JACOB HAVING THE BIRTHRIGHT BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE THE TITLE BUT NO REAL AUTHORITY WITHOUT THE FAMILY WEALTH TO BACK IT UP!
So he called for his son Esau, saying, “I am very old my boy and could die any time. Take your weapons and go hunt some wild game for me, then bring it back and make one of those amazing tasty dishes that I love. I want to eat and drink with you tonight and have a lovely time, because I’m going to pass the blessings and promises onto you as my firstborn son before I die”.
(ESAU AND JACOB WERE AROUND 66 YEARS OLD HERE!)
And Rebekah heard the whole conversation from outside and was ‘flabber-gasted’. She wasn’t going to take this betrayal of her favourite son’s future laying down, so she ran to Jacob and said, “You’re father is ignoring what Yahuah told me about your birthright and intends to give the blessings to your brother tonight. You’ve only got one shot at this boy, so if you want to get the blessing from your father, you’d better do everything I tell you. Now go out quickly to our flocks and bring back two young goats and I’ll make a stunning dish that your father will love, so you can get the blessing from him after he eats it”.
But Jacob had his doubts, “Mum, my brother Esau is a big boof’in hairy bigfoot of a man, so what if my father touches me and feels my smooth skin? He will know that I lied to him and he’ll curse me instead of blessing me”.
But Rebekah said, “Just do what I tell you and let any curses fall on me Jacob, now go and get those goats for me!”
And Jacob did as his mother instructed, and after she cooked a magnificent meal for him to serve his father, she put one of Esau’s finest garments on him and stuck some of the skin from the goats on his hands, arms and the back of his neck, so he felt and smelt like his older brother. Then she handed him the dish to serve his father and sent him into Isaac’s tent.
“Hey Dad the meal you asked for is ready, check out this beauty . . . smells amazing”.
“Huh? Who’s there?” Isaac was having forty-winks.
“It’s me Esau your firstborn son, come, get up and let’s eat this before it gets too cold, so you can give out the blessings to me”.
But Isaac said, “Wow that was really fast, how did you hunt it so quickly?”
And thinking on his feet Jacob responded, “Yahuah must have brought the goat straight onto my path today, so I could hunt quicker”.
But Isaac ‘smelt a rat’ and thought “It sounds alot like Jacob. Is he up to his old tricks again?”
So he said, “Come closer my son and let me embrace you.”
.....
And hugging his son, he touched his arms and thought, “It feels like the hands of Esau” (for his hands were covered in goat’s fur).
So he said, “Is it really you Esau?”
And Jacob lied, “Yes it’s really me Dad”.
So the two of them ate and drank some wine and then Isaac embraced his son and kissed his neck, “He even smells like my rugged son who’s been out hunting all day in the field”, he thought.
Then Isaac blessed Jacob, saying “May Yahuah the Creator of all the earth and the skies give you every richness of blessing and abundance from the harvest, and vineyards full of beautiful wine. And may you be so rich and powerful and blessed in Yahuah that all the nations become your servants and bow down to you, for you will possess authority over your brothers.* Let anyone who blesses you be blessed and anyone who curses you be cursed”.
*SAYING THIS PROVES THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO ESAU, FOR HE KNEW HIS OLDER SON HAD SOLD AWAY HIS BIRTHRIGHT, AND HE WAS GIVING ESAU AUTHORITY OVER HIS YOUNGER BROTHER ANYWAY!
And no sooner had Isaac finished blessing Jacob that Esau rocked up with his delicious dish ready to serve his father. But when he announced himself and Isaac realised the grand deception that had just taken place, he was horrified, went pale and started to tremble uncontrollably, saying “I’m so sorry my son but I’ve already blessed your younger brother Jacob, for he just tricked me, and the power of my spoken blessing cannot be removed. He has indeed been blessed as my first-born son and I have made him the Master over everything I own and all his brothers too”.
And when Esau heard these words he cried out loudly, pleading with his father to please bless him too, but Isaac said “I’m sorry my son, but you will be away from the blessings of the earth and from above and you shall live by your sword and serve your brother, but one day you will remove his burden from your neck”.
And Esau wept bitterly, screaming and cursing the name of Jacob, saying “That lying deceiver not only cheated me out of my birthright but now he has stolen my blessing too, he is indeed called ‘Jacob’ (the deceiver)”.
