Wow, there is a lot to cover here! As I learned last week Abraham had faith that God would provide a sacrifice for the alter, and He did. He didn't have to sacrifice his son Isaac! So now Issac grows to be a man and gets himself a wife and has twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Esau is a Hunter and Jacob a Farmer. Esau is hairy and a rough, wild dude and Jacob a soft gentle man who stays close to home. One day Esau comes home hungry and wants feed and Jacob tells him he will give him stew he prepared if he gives him his firstborn birthright. Very conniving. Esau, is very dramatic and says he will die of hunger, so gives up his birthright for a bowl of stew. Can you imagine. I don't know how hungry Esau could have been to give up his birthright. After all he is a hunter. He had to have opportunity to have a meal while he was away. The Bible does not say there had been a time of famine from game, so why was he so hungry as to give up his birthright? Or was he just not interested in it to begin with. The Bible says he despised his birthright. I wonder if that means the responsibility that comes with it as he loved the outdoors and being free?
So, we move on to Chapter 27 when their mother gets involved. It seems to me these woman are a greedy lot. (I can't wait to read about the more honorable woman in the Bible) She has Jacob pose as Esau on Isaac's death bed, when he could no longer see clearly. She had Jacob put goat fur on his arms, neck and chest to fool his father into believing he was his older brother, so he could receive Issac's blessing. Which he did.
Chapter 27 verse 27
27 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.
28 May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness—
an abundance of grain and new wine.
29 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.”
“Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness—
an abundance of grain and new wine.
29 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.”
Now, when Esau found out he was furious and wanted to kill Jacob. I have to ask why? He gave his birthright up freely just a while ago for stew. Why is it so important now? Or is it just jealousy? Esau most likely doesn't want the responsibility, but he probably does love his father and wanted the blessing that the father had for him. He didn't want to be the servant of his brother either as I am sure he heard about. I am sure he wasn't happy about that. So now he wants to kill Jacob.
After Rebekah hears about Esau's plan to kill Jacob she tells Isaac she doesn't want him to marry a Hittite, a Canaanite woman, once again manipulating the situation. So they send Jacob away to Paddan-Aram the house of his mother's father Bethuel to find a wife.
Meanwhile Esau heard that Canaanite woman were displeasing to father so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath , Nabaioth. He had other prior wives.
Back to Jacob, he set out for Harran and stopped along the way for the night. When he slept he lay his head upon a rock. He had a dream of angels going up and down from heaven to earth, back and forth.
"13 There above it[c] stood the Lord, and he said:
“I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham
and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your
descendants the land on which you are lying.
14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the
earth, and you will spread out to the west and to
the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples
on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[d]
15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,
and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you
until I have done what I have promised you.”
When Jacob woke he said,
16.... “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not
aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome
is this place! This is none other than the house of God;
this is the gate of heaven.”
So he built an pillar and placed the rock on top and named this land Bethel. Jacob then makes a vow to give a tenth to the Lord since the Lord promises to protect him and return him safely to his father's household. He vow's to keep the Lord as his God. And that the Stone set on the pillar will be God's house.
So it seems even though this may not have been the original plan of God, or was it, God kept His promise of Isaac's blessing. Maybe Esau would not have been a good leader being he was a wild child and didn't appear to like responsibility. God would have seen that, but more importantly, God keeps His word. He told Abraham that he would bless him with a great nation and through him it has come to this point Jacob's turn to carry that out, all be it not in the best way, God can turn anything around right! He will make lemonade out of lemons! Jacob stole the birthright but God must have seen some good in Jacob to allow it to be carried out. When the Lord appeared to Jacob he proved he would be faithful to the Lord and dedicated himself back to him much like we do at our baptism! He repented, he rejoiced, he dedicated his life anew! Amen! He had faith to carry on and so the story continues next week......
Thanks for coming and sharing with me this week. It was a long this time, wow! This lesson reminds me of the Song"On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand", in so many places in the Bible we get the same picture, that God is our Rock! Click above and enjoy the song!
Have a blessed week!
Deb B
The Crafting Fool!!!
