Gen. 27:21-32
JACOB was in a very hazardous situation during the searching of his father, for had Isaac’s suspicions been a little more persistent he would have discovered that the one who professed to be Esau was not Esau at all. Jacob knew the consequences of such a discovery and had said to his mother: “My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.” v. 12. There was also the fearful thought that while his father delayed in eating the food bore him, his brother might return and discover him. So, all in all, it must have been a fearful time for Jacob and one which he hoped would soon be over with. The conscience often works to exercise the evil-doer, although he may turn a deaf ear to its pleadings.
In the natural course of events Jacob was more than justified to be apprehensive while in this situation and was also likely to be overtaken in his folly. But God was still above all the scheming and cleverness. If Jacob and his mother sinned grievously in every phase of this story, yet “where sin abounded grace did much more abound,” because God was determined to fulfill His prose of ultimate blessing to the one who seemed to be so undeserving of grace. It was not by chance that Isaac stopped short in his questioning or that Esau delayed his return, but by God’s ordering. According to God’s purposes Jacob thus received the blessing: “God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee:... cursed be every one that curseth thee, an blessed be he that blesseth thee. vv. 28, 29. This prophecy concerning Jacob and his descendants all came to pass in every detail, but there was much in the pathway of experience for Jacob before he could see it begin to unfold.
Jacob, too, was to pay the price of the scheming and deceit that omitted God from his plans. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.” Gal. 6:7,8. This was as true in Jacob’s day as it is in ours, and everyone who reads the solemn passage should give it serious consideration. The young man in our story was about to embark on a long period of trials and testings that would prove this inflexible principle, for his treachery was about to be discovered and change his entire life.
“And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting... and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau.” vv. 30,32.
What a startling disclosure was thus brought before Isaac! What course should he now take after so suddenly discovering that Jacob had betrayed him?
ML-07/31/1966