Genesis 27

Blessing Gained and Hope Lost

We have already noticed in the book of Genesis that God is sovereign in the salvation of his people. He is in control of every aspect of their redemption, and all their hope and confidence are in him alone. He chose Abraham out of Ur, and undertook to provide for all his spiritual and physical needs. He showed himself as a covenant keeping God. Out of Abraham's household, Isaac, the son of the promise, was the one by whom and in whom the blessing of that salvation were to be revealed to the human race.

Now, in chapter 27, the revelation of God's covenant salvation is taken a stage further with the choice of Jacob as the heir of covenant promise. The promise had already been given that the older son of Isaac (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob), and we see now how that promise came to be fulfilled in Jacob's experience.

The Triumph of Grace

Jacob was a devious man. He was the son whom Rebekah loved; and when she heard Isaac asking Esau to bring him some venison from the field so that they could discuss the future of the family and the transference of responsibility and headship to Esau, she immediately planned to secure that blessing for Jacob instead. The drama unfolded in a remarkable way. Rebekah devised a plan to make Isaac think that he was blessing Esau, when in reality he was blessing Jacob. Their appearances were different - even their skin was different. But Rebekah encouraged Jacob to steal away Isaac's blessing by altering his appearance and providing the venison which Esau had asked for.

The result of this was that Jacob did receive the blessing (27:27-29). Through his father's benediction, the covenant line was taken a stage further in human history. The blessing of God's covenant salvation was to be revealed and made known through Jacob and his descendants.

The first thing to note here is that Jacob was wrong to do what he did. The blessing he enjoyed was secured through deception and sin; and his deception would have repercussions in his own life, when he too would be deceived into thinking that Joseph was dead. Again the narrative of Genesis reminds us that sin brings nothing good upon us. Far better to leave our case with God than to do what is wrong in order to secure what we want.

The second thing to note, however, is that even in the sin of Jacob, God was working out his purposes. As he was to say later in the Old Testament (Malachi 1:2): "Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated". The choice of God had fallen in a sovereign, distinguishing way, on Jacob. There is in this chapter the clearest indication that grace triumphs even in our sin.

This is the great encouragement for the church, struggling to maintain her witness in a fallen and hopeless world. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). The security of the church, and the success of the Gospel depend not upon the works of man, but the wonderful works of God, and the clear, discriminating purposes of God's salvation through Christ.

To read Genesis 27 is to realise that Jacob is responsible for all his actions. Nothing can detract from this; we are responsible to God for all that we do and all that we are. Yet to read the Bible is also to see that the wonder of God's salvation is seen in the fact that in spite of all we do, and in spite of all we are, the love of God reaches even to us. This is the triumph of grace indeed.

The Tragedy of Sin

Esau realised that he had been deceived. Yet he had already sold away his birthright (25:29-34), and was now reaping the consequence of that action. God did not allow him to enjoy the blessing that he might otherwise have had. Sin's greatest tragedy is that it cuts us off from the blessings of God's fellowship and of God's love. It cuts across our enjoyment of covenant blessings and privileges, and means that we have forfeited every right and every privilege.

But the tragedy of sin is in its human consequences too. For now Jacob and Esau were sworn enemies. "I will kill my brother Jacob" is Esau's resolve now. Once we are out of the way with God, we will be out of the way with men. Sin always reaps a bitter, bitter harvest.