We should notice here that the blessing Jacob received from his father was an earthly blessing and tells us of what is in store for the nation of Israel in a coming day. This promise and many others will have a full fulfillment when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns in power over the earth in a coming day. Jerusalem will then be the center of earthly glory and blessing. Moreover it is true even now that God blesses the nations which befriend the Jews, and curses those who persecute them. We might mention, however, that the blessings of those who are saved during this present period of grace, which began at the day of Pentecost and will end when the Lord Jesus calls His own to meet Him in the air, are heavenly blessings. We should not expect “the fatness of the earth.” God has only promised us food and raiment (1 Timothy 6:8), although He often exceeds His promises, blessing us even in temporal things far beyond this.
Failure Overruled
After Jacob had received the blessing of the firstborn, then Esau came in from hunting, made his savoury meat, and brought it to Isaac his father. Poor Isaac! No wonder he “trembled very exceedingly,” but God in His goodness seemed to reveal to him that He had overruled his failure, and he said to Esau, “I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him [Jacob] yea, and he shall be blessed.”
Esau then broke down and cried. He had sold his birthright some years before, and now it was too late to get it back. What a day of weeping it will be for those who have sold their “birthright” and rejected Christ, when they find the door of mercy shut, and shut forever. Here Esau received a measure of blessing, but if you are unsaved, dear reader, there will be no blessing for you — never, never, never. Oh, do come to Christ today.
Contention Between Esau and Jacob
Esau’s descendants are the Edomites, and Isaac’s prophecy is now being fulfilled, “By thy sword shalt thou live ... and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.” The Jews are the descendants of Jacob, and they are suffering at the hands of their enemies today, but things will change before long, for the Lord’s coming is near, and after that, He will take up His people (the Jews) again and Jacob shall rule. Nothing can hinder the fulfillment of God’s Word, dear children. Men may say that the Bible is outdated and untrue, but let us assure you that it will be fulfilled to the very letter when all the books written by men have been burned up. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35)).
Bitter hatred and murder filled Esau’s heart, and he said he would kill Jacob as soon as his father had died. Rebekah, who had had her part in deceiving Isaac, then told Jacob to go down to Laban, his uncle, and remain there until Esau’s anger had passed over. God was over these circumstances, and Rebekah had to reap what she had sown with sorrow, for Jacob did not return home again until after her death, and so she never saw him again. She told him to stay for only a few days, but he did not return for twenty long years.
Further Meditation
1. What did Esau do after he found out Isaac had blessed Jacob?
2. Our actions have long-lasting consequences for bad but also for good. What were the results of Caleb’s decision not to complain against his fellow Israelites when he was forced to go through the wilderness with them for nearly 40 extra years?
3. The Patriarchs by J. G. Bellett is a lengthy book but packed with very sweet meditations on the beauty of the Lord’s ways with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others in the book of Genesis. If you’ve never read it, then you’re in for a treat. You can read it for free by going to bibletruthlibrary.org and selecting Bellett from the Authors section. You’ll then get a selection of his books and can select the one entitled The Patriarchs.