Gen 27

Lying and deception finally is complete. The die is cast and now Jacob has stolen the blessing from his brother Esau. The sale of the birthright was done earlier and now the blessing is at stake.

Isaac became an old man.

From the commentary: He thought that he might die soon. (But in fact, he would live for many more years.) Isaac wanted to give a special blessing to Esau, who was Isaac’s first son. Esau was also Isaac’s favourite son. The whole family realised that this blessing was an important matter. Isaac was a holy man. God would be present when Isaac gave his blessing. And Isaac’s words would not just come from his own imagination. Isaac’s words would be a prophecy that came from God’s Holy Spirit.

Rebekah wanted Jacob to receive the blessing instead of Esau. And Jacob himself was desperate for the blessing. Previously, he bought the birthright (the rights of the oldest son) from Esau (Genesis 25:33).

Jacob obtained Isaac’s blessing by methods that were not honest. But the blessing that Jacob received really came from God. And it seems that Jacob received nothing from Isaac except the blessing. Esau received great wealth in Canaan (Genesis 36:6). But Jacob left Canaan with very few possessions (Genesis 28:20).  Jacob left home quickly, because he had to escape from Esau. But the blessing was all that Jacob really needed. And, as Jacob escaped, he received an even better blessing. God himself spoke to Jacob. The God of Abraham and Isaac became Jacob’s God too (Genesis 28:13-21).

Jacob used the tact, "by whatever means necessary". Deception, like the apple, doesn't fall far the tree. God did not object to this so it must have been ordained. The importance of the blessing was far more than even Jacob realized. There was no mention of a relationship between Jacob and God or even with Esau and God. So we don't know if God was even in the plans of Jacob when he and his mom devised it. I am sure that Rebekah knew God and the importance of the blessing - otherwise she wouldn't have gone to the lengths to ensure Jacob's place.

Good weekend despite the snow and the shoveling. Minimal damage to the property due the freakish storm but the neighborhood saw some decent road closures and down branches and trees. No cable and internet. At least we have phone and power. Saw Courageous on Friday and loved it - very moving film. Saw In Time and was relatively pleased (6-7 out of 10). Made a great dinner on Sat and just rested.

Prayers for Megin as she and Jesse plan their future.

Praise for today: For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see His face. Ps 11:7