Review of Genesis 27

— by Victor Fawole

Welcome to Genesis 27, another dramatic chapter in the family of Isaac, as every member of the family tried to deceive one another over God’s blessings. Interestingly, God is “silent” in this chapter despite the many schemings. One who reads this chapter will agree that we all are flawed and we need the salvation that Jesus offers. One will also agree that it is only by God’s mercy and grace that even the “patriarchs” were qualified. More so, one will agree that God can advance His plan in spite of men’s selfish agendas.

1. ISAAC’S PLAN

Gen. 27:1-4 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

It’s now many years since Esau’s marriage (that grieved Isaac and his wife). Isaac should have seen clearly that Esau was already out of line for the blessing. He must have also known of God’s promise to Rebekah that “the elder shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23). Yet, he intended to give the blessing to Esau, and not to Jacob. The very fact that he thought he was dying at age 137 (he eventually lived till age 180) reveals how weak he had become spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Notice that:

A. His Mission Was Wrong:
This is a premeditated plot on Isaac’s part to overthrow the revealed purpose of God. Isaac viewed the blessing as his personal possession to pass on as he pleased, instead of seeing it as a covenantal pack from God. He was just a steward who must pass it on according to God’s plan. The way we treat God’s blessings in our lives will reveal whether we are carnal or spiritual believers. Although both the carnal and spiritual believer recognize God as the source of their blessings, the carnal one feels that he has the absolute power to use the blessings as he pleases, while the spiritual one recognizes that he is a steward under divine authority to use and distribute his blessings properly.

I’ll recommend that we listen to Pastor Dammy’s sermon titled: “Excelling In The Grace Of Giving — Part 4”

B. His Means Was Worldly:
Isaac was willing to trade the blessing (actually belonging to Jacob) to Esau in exchange for food. The same weakness we have seen in the son (Esau traded his birthright for food) is evident in the father. He was gratifying his fleshly desires in opposition to God’s plan.

C. His Motive Was Warped:
Isaac wanted his way, not God’s way. His favouritism for Esau blinded his eyes to the facts that Esau was a godless man who had sold his birthright and married Canaanite wives. He was not only physically blind, he was also spiritually blind.

2. REBEKAH’S PLOT

Gen. 27:5-6 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

Rebekah knew that Jacob was God’s choice, but her quest to make him get the blessings was inspired by selfish reasons. Jacob was her favourite son. She was willing to deceive her blind husband and to draw her son into deception to gain her goal. Give it to Rebekah: She was a master strategist!

She came up with a foolproof strategy. More like a computer program. She wrote codes to conquer Isaac’s taste buds and skin sensors. She even wrote a code to divert any curse to her in case the program fails.

In verses 19 and 20, Jacob told three lies.

• He called himself “Esau, your firstborn”.
• He told Isaac “I have done as you told me”.
• He said “the Lord your God caused it to happen to me”.

The preparation was topnotch. The presentation was tactical. Isaac wanted to debug Rebekah’s program. He used his active sense organs – sound, touch, taste, and smell. But he failed. He could not discern. He passed the blessing on to Jacob. The four-fold blessing included Prosperity, Power, Preeminence, and Protection.

This chapter presents a drama with four consistent themes:

1. URGENCY
Isaac thought his death was “very near”. Esau “hurriedly” went out on his mission. Rebekah “quickly” summoned Jacob. The preparations were done in a “haste”. In fact, there was also a sense of urgency when Rebekah told Jacob to “…arise, flee to Haran…!” Whenever people try to carry out their own schemes (even if it’s under the guise of doing God’s will) there is often a sense of haste. As believers, we should learn to trust God to work things out for us, rather than scheming.

2. SECRECY
It is clear that secrecy births deception and conspiracy. Isaac called Esau to his bedside secretly. He sent Esau out secretly. Rebekah secretly eavesdropped on them. Then, she secretly called Jacob and worked out her plot. Esau secretly planned to kill Jacob, and when Rebekah got a wind of it, she secretly sent Jacob away to Haran. Throughout the whole drama is this web of secrecy, deception, and conspiracy.

3. HYPOCRISY
Secrets and manipulations (especially in a family) ride on the wings of hypocrisy and lack of trust. Isaac didn’t trust Rebekah or Jacob, so he excluded them in the plan to give away his blessing. Rebekah didn’t trust Isaac, so she went all the way to deceive her husband. Jacob knew that Isaac wouldn’t trust him. Jacob and Esau didn’t trust each other. It was a home filled with hypocrisy and distrust because they related in deception and secrecy, instead of honesty and transparency.

4. PREFERENCY
Favouritism fuelled the parents’ feelings and actions. Isaac spoke to “his son” Esau and Rebekah spoke with “her son” Jacob. Favouritism is a tendency that creates problems in the home, and ignites hatred among children. Favouritism is natural but not noteworthy. It leads to division. In this drama there are seven dialogues, in seven separate scenes. In these seven dialogues, we can see the deep division in a family:

• Parents meet secretly with their favourite sons.
• Husband and wife don’t speak to each other about family decisions.
• The twin brothers don’t speak to each other.

Dear Gogolights, as I round up this review, I want us to observe how God works through human deception and errors to advance His own plan and purpose. God’s purposes triumph in spite of sin, not because of it. Rebekah schemes and Jacob’s lies may have worked for them, but they ultimately worked to fulfill the Word of God. Man’s schemes do not nullify God’s purposes but actually make those purposes come about, for God is sovereign over even our sins. Think of the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers. Think of the betrayal of Jesus that led to His death. God is sovereign and wise; He can ordain that certain things happen through sin without himself sinning or being the author of sin.

This chapter reminds us that God’s people are not perfect and they don’t get it right every time, but that God keeps blessing His people even when we get some things wrong. This chapter reminds us that God’s grace is greater than our sin.

Grace to you, Church!