May 10

A study in separation - Jacob, part 4

Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt…So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau…obey my voice according to what I command you.” Genesis 27:5-8 (NKJV)

The perfect storm finally breaks. Rebekah overhears Isaac telling Esau to kill and prepare his favorite meal, and she seizes the moment. While Esau is away, she hatches a plot to trick Isaac into conferring the sacred family blessing upon Jacob, who wasn’t in line to receive it. It’s interesting how we can see a lot of Jacob’s personality traits displayed in his mother, Rebekah.

Space and time doesn’t permit us to re-hash all the details, but suffice it to say they succeed in convincing Isaac that Jacob is Esau, and the family blessing is officially passed on to the not-much-younger but much-more-conniving son. This is where Jacob’s nature comes to full-flourish. Out of his compelling passion to take care of himself, he deceives his dad and cheats his brother. And they all lived happily ever after…right?

Just the opposite. Jacob’s instinct to serve himself destroyed his family. He was forced to run away from home because Esau, a skilled hunter, was enraged and vowed to kill him. And in a rare moment of wise judgment, Esau nails Jacob’s self-serving nature:

And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” (Genesis 27:36 NKJV)

Esau wasn’t a picture of righteousness, but he was right in this case. Jacob’s name really did suit him. When push came to shove, Jacob was all about supplanting and stepping over others in order to get ahead. It didn’t matter that he was sinning against his own family. All that mattered to Jacob was Jacob, and he relied on his own resources to get where and what he wanted instead of trusting in God.

Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?

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