A good many years have passed since the happenings of chapter 26.
Isaac was now and old man, for he must have been, at least 130 years old, and lie may have been 150. His twin sons were seventy years old or more. Esau we know was married, but Jacob was still single. Isaac’s eyes were already dim, so that he could not see, though he lived for more than twenty years after this, perhaps thirty or even more, but thinking he would soon (he, or his mind would not remain clear, he thought of giving Esau his blessing, so he asked his favorite son to go hunting, and bring him some of the “venison” he loved, that having eaten it, he might bless him.
Rebekah had evidently been listening when Isaac spoke to Esau, and she thought at once that some way must be found to have Jacob get the blessing. She doesn’t seem to have thought of asking God about it, though He could easily have kept Isaac from giving the best blessing to Esau. He could, for example, have made Isaac cross his hands while blessing his two sons, in the way Jacob did while blessing Joseph’s two sons, in a later chapter in Genesis.
Though Rebekah surely trusted in God, she now made a plan, and presently told it to Jacob, which meant that the old blind father should be deceived into giving his younger son the blessing he would think he was giving to Esau. Isaac with his “venison”, and Rebekah in shameful deceit, don’t seem a very godly couple, do they? But as we have seen before, and if we are privileged to go. on together through God’s Word, we shall see again that “God is not mocked.” Isaac was made to feel-that he was going against God, and to please himself, and Rebekah had to part from her favorite son Jacob, never to see him again. Jacob, too, suffered, for he had to go away from home for more than twenty years, and be deceived himself, and suffer wrong after wrong. But I am getting ahead of the story. Jacob, at his mother’s bidding, killed two fine young goats of the flock, and brought them to his mother, and she fixed up an imitation of her husband’s “venison”, and she sent Jacob in to his father with it, after dressing him in some of Esau’s clothes, and trying to imitate Esau’s hairy skin by putting the goat skin on his hand and neck. One lie followed another, as Jacob talked with his father, who was suspicious that the man who stood beside him was not Esau. Finally Isaac seemed to be satisfied, and went on to give him the blessing he meant for Esau, but which God meant should be spoken of Jacob.
There is no doubt that God gave Isaac the words to say, and if we turn to the Epistle to the Hebrews 11:20,20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. (Hebrews 11:20) we find that God has there recorded that Isaac’s blessing was “by faith.” What Isaac said in verses 28 and 29 of our chapter in Genesis, was partly true long. ago, and it will all be made good when God brings the people of Israel into their land again, as He has said He will.
Scarcely had Jacob gone out of his father’s presence, when in came Esau, who quickly went to Isaac with the “savory meat” he had been asked for. Now the deception which Rebekah had planned, and Jacob had carried out, became known to Isaac who “trembled very exceedingly.” (verse 33) He was startled as it came into his mind that he had been trying to do the opposite of what God meant should be done. Jacob received the blessing Isaac had meant for Esau, and God had meant that it should be so, though the way it was brought about was wrong, of course; so the thoroughly awakened Isaac now said of Jacob, “I have blessed him, yea, and he shall be blessed.”
But because of the wrong done to Esau by his mother and brother in their deceitfulness, Esau received a blessing that told of some trouble for Jacob later (verse 40). This was according to God’s ways, as we have noticed already, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap,” and the actual breaking of Jacob’s yoke from Esau’s neck is told us in 2 Chron. 21:8-10,8In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king. 9Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him in, and the captains of the chariots. 10So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. (2 Chronicles 21:8‑10) though other books—Obadiah 18-21,18And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. 19And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. 21And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. (Obadiah 18‑21) and 9:12 tell of a day when Esau’s nation, the Edomites, shall come under God’s hand in judgment, and their lands be given to Israel, while Jacob’s nation, the Israelites, will be restored and blessed.
Esau must have felt very bitter towards Jacob after this, and we read that he said that when their father died, he would kill Jacob. Rebekah heard of it, and told Jacob that lie would have to go to her brother Laban’s house at Haran for a while, until Esau was over his angry feelings, then she would send for him and bring him back home. She also persuaded Isaac to send Jacob away, as our chapter closes.