Blessing Well, Genesis 27:1-29

Just as it’s better to give than receive; so too, it’s better to give a blessing, than receive one. Today we’ll look at some characteristics of blessing well.

We pick up in the last two verses of chapter 26; where the spotlight swings from Isaac and friends, to Isaac and family.

Genesis 26:34 When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. ³⁵ And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Isaac was 60 when the twins, Jacob and Esau, were born (Gen. 25:26). So, now he’s 100 when Esau marries.

Esau marries at 40. Isaac did too.

Isaac married within the family of Abraham.

Esau, did not; he married a couple Hittite women. The daughter of Beeri, and the daughter of Elon. For beer and money. Budweiser & Tesla. Just kidding. The Hittites were from Noah, through Ham, then (cursed) Canaan.

This is the 3rd clue, as to who should receive the Abrahamic Blessing. (The Promise God made with Abraham, that through his seed, would come the Seed, that would bless all nations of the earth. Referring to Jesus Christ the Messiah. Genesis 12:2-3).

The 1^st clue was before they were born. When they were womb-mates, wrestling in Rebekah’s womb. She asked God, what’s going on? He told her, two nations are duking it out in there, and the older shall serve the younger. Esau shall serve Isaac.

The 2^nd clue was when Esau cared more about feeding his flesh that his soul and for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Genesis 25:33; Hebrews 12:16.

The 3rd clue is here, when he marries outside Abraham’s family line. God is creating from scratch a new breed of people, a new race, a new nation. So, this early in the game, they need to stay close to Abraham’s bloodline and belief.

All clues pointed to Jacob, not Esau.

However, hindsight is 20/20. Whereas, insight can be pretty dim.

So, in Isaac’s defense.

1.     Clues are not nearly the same thing as God coming right out and spelling it out like He did with Abraham and Sarah.

“I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year. Gen. 17:21.”

“In Isaac your seed shall be called.” Gen. 21:12.

2.     Isaac may not have remembered, or considered the prebirth prophecy to be related to the Abrahamic blessing.

3.     He may have simply dismissed the selling of the birthright as nothing more than sibling squabbling.

4.     Furthermore, they probably didn’t know back then, what we know today about races, and bloodlines, of people and animals, thoroughbreds and purebreds and Heinz 57.

One thing’s for sure; they weren’t happy about his choice of women. They were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 27:1 
Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

And he answered him, “Here I am.”

Now it came to pass; 37 years in fact, came to pass, between chapters 26 and 27.

Through some mathematical gymnastics most calculate Isaac is probably around 137 years old. That makes the boys, Jacob and Esau, 77.

His eyes were so dim, he could not see. Old age and ailments can make it hard to see, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Isaac needs to make a decision. To whom to hand the reigns. The birthright.

The birthright was material and spiritual. The son of the birthright received a double portion of the inheritance, he became head of household and spiritual leader upon passing of the father. Deuteronomy 21:17, 1 Chronicles 5:1-2. In this case, it also includes the Abrahamic Blessing.

So, what we should read is: Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, so he called on the name of the Lord to see who the Lord had chosen…

Unfortunately, that’s not what we see.

Pretend you’re Isaac. Who do you choose?

Esau the older, or Jacob the younger (by a minute or so). Custom of the day, points to the older.

Who do I choose? Hairy or Heel Grabber? (Esau means hairy; Jacob means Heel Grabber. Gen. 25:25-26).

I’m old, I’m blind; Hairy the hunter, can provide for me, and protect me.

I’m vulnerable, Heel Grabber makes me nervous, I already trip on stuff, enough.  

So, the decision seems clear.

You call for Esau…

² Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death.

Of course, it’s wise to think ahead, get your house in order, make a will. Isaac’s old and thinking about this.

Behold, I’m old, don’t know when I’ll die… That’s for sure. He doesn’t die for over four decades, until he’s 180 (Gen. 35:28).

 ³ Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. ⁴ And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Supposedly, the purpose of this conversation is to bless Esau.

However, notice the focus of Isaac’s words. Me, my, I, time after time, ten times (NKJV) Isaac uses those words. Who is he really thinking about?  

Physical blindness isn’t nearly as debilitating as the blindness that comes when one turns their sight in upon themselves. Only thinking of oneself is a short and sure road to being depressed, dim-sighted, dimwitted.

Isaac’s eye problem may have become a, me, myself and I, problem.

It’s the devil’s specialty. I. I. I. Isaiah 14:13-14. I will ascend, I will exalt, I will be…

Jesus has the remedy. Deny self, take cross, follow Me. Matt. 16:24.

Seek first God’s kingdom, consider others’ needs before your own, and see your eyes opened, your heart refreshed, your mind renewed, your strength restored. (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 2:3-5).

Blessing well, must be done selflessly.

⁵ Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. ⁶ So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ⁷ ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ ⁸ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. ⁹ Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. ¹⁰ Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.”

Now, just to be clear, Rebekah is right about Jacob being the one who should receive the blessing; the one God chose to carry the seed, that’ll lead to the Seed, Jesus Christ the Messiah.

But, she’s wrong about how she goes about getting it.

It’s never right to do what’s wrong, no matter what

However, Isaac is to blame, at least in part.

Fathers, you have a powerful influence on your family

Walk with God!

They’re following your footprints

Isaac acted selfishly without seeking God’s guidance.

His wife and family followed his lead.

Also, notice her urgency. Now, obey my voice. Go now, to the flock. So, he may bless you before he dies.

Blessing well, must be done, patiently.

Giving or receiving God’s blessing, comes with His peace, not stress and pressure to hurry up and get it done or you’ll miss the boat.

Don’t listen to someone who says, hurry give now, today, in the next hour, and God will bless you

Listen to God. 

He is not impatient or in a hurry, He abides outside of time. He operates in the fullness of time.

¹¹ And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. ¹² Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.” ¹³ But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” ¹⁴ And he went and got them and brought them to his mother…

We saw the devil’s specialty used on I-I-Isaac (it’s all about me, myself and I).

Now, the devil whips out his favorite weapon against Jacob and Rebekah.

Deception.

Blessing well, must be done, honestly.

¹⁴… and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. ¹⁵ Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. ¹⁶ And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. ¹⁷ Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when at first, we deceive.

The plot thickens.

She takes a couple kids (baby goats) and tries to make them taste like wild game (KJV says: venison).

Then, she takes her smooth-skinned son and tries to make him feel and smell like his hairy brother; Esau.

All that to receive the blessing, from Isaac, who receives what to say from God, who sees everything that’s going on…

What could possibly go wrong?

¹⁸ So he went to his father and said, “My father.”

And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

Then, Jacob says: I’m your son, Jacob. I was going to deceive you, that’s why I’m all dressed up like a werewolf, and stink like Esau. But instead, dad, I just want to ask if you’ll pray with me, to see who should receive the blessing of grandpa Abraham.

Well, that’s what Jacob should have said. But, alas, he didn’t.

This is the first of multiple opportunities he receives to come clean.

Let’s see what he does:

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; (1^st lie) I have done just as you told me (2^nd lie); please arise, sit and eat of my game (3^rd lie), that your soul may bless me.”

This scheme wasn’t simply delivering dad some food and getting blessed. It was an escalating deception beginning with three outright lies, straight out of the gate.

²⁰ But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”

And he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.”

Isaac might be old and blind but he’s not dumb or dead and feels something is off.

Jacob lies again for the 4th time.

There’s no such thing as an innocent white lie. One leads to another and now, it escalates to the point of, watch out for lightning bolts; he just brought God into it and lied about Him.

²¹ Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 

Isaac’s on the right track.

Jacob’s having a heart attack.

²² So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

²⁴ Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?”

He said, “I am.”

The deeper we get into deception, the more calloused our heart becomes. Before long, you can look someone straight in the eye, and lie.

It’s dangerous territory. It’s the path that speeds to the point of no return; where the conscience is seared and the heart is numb (1 Tim. 4:1-2).

²⁵ He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. ²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” ²⁷ And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:

“Surely, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the Lord has blessed.
²⁸ Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
²⁹ Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”

Isaac blessed his son, Jacob, believing he was actually blessing, Esau, but God knew, and allowed it to continue.

He concludes with a warning to those who curse Israel and a promise to those who bless Israel. (Jacob’s name will be changed by God, to Israel).

We bless, and love, and pray, for Israel.

Blessing well, must be done, selflessly, patiently, honestly, and...

Blessing well, must be done, by God.

Isaac couldn’t make any of those things happen. But God could.

Blessing well, must be done, by God.

James 1:17; Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

He wills to bless well through you if you are willing to be a blessing.

We will not chase the blessing; we will chase God and be a blessing.

Isaac was blind in more ways than one. Rebekah and Jacob were deceptive. They all sinned, they all fell, and later we’ll see they all suffer consequences. Through it all they stick with God, and He is still able to use them. We can be certain they will be of those we’ll see in heaven.

However, there’s another character we overlooked. He’s the only one who seems to be innocent in this story.

Yet, he’s the one we won’t see in heaven.

All the religious folks were too busy fighting for their own blessing, their own perfect parking spot, and pew.

But, not you. No, you won’t overlook him, you know him, you’ve seen him, that hairy, smelly guy.

Folks call him Hairy.

I met him.

We called him, hog farmer. His words, and his odor, were so foul, it’d make your ears burn and your eyes water.

One day, he walked in, everyone scattered; I was one of them. But just as I was about to walk out the door, I glanced at hog farmer, he looked white as a sheet, and I heard these words loud and clear: “Go tell him, about Me.”

But he was so stinky.

I walked outside.

The next day they said, “Did you hear the news? Hog farmer, left here, went home, sat down… and died.”

It’s been decades, but the memory still makes my heart burn and my eyes water.

Lord willing, next week we’ll meet, Hairy, up close and personal. In the meantime, there’s more Hairy’s and Isaac’s and Rebekah’s and Jacobs, and Hog Farmers, that desperately need a blessing from God, through you.

BE A BLESSING

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for delivering Your Message, to us, and through us, the messy, messed up and smelly.

Help us walk with You, selflessly, patiently and honestly, so we never miss an opportunity when You say, “Go tell them about Me.”

Thank You.

We love You, forever.

Amen.

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

Thank you for sharing.