Today I read Genesis 27 where Isaac wishes to bless Esau but ends up blessing Jacob instead. This story has always bothered me. It basically teaches that you can get rewarded for deception and I have a hard time understanding how God is pleased by what Jacob does in this chapter. It also baffles me that Rebekah would do this to her own son, Esau. I can understand having favorites, every parent does who has more than 1 child, but this is taking it to the extreme in my opinion. Now, Rebekah did have a vision while her sons were still in her womb stating that the eldest would serve the younger perhaps that is why. I really don't know.
This chapter also makes Isaac out to be an idiot in my opinion. Isaac is apparently blind in his old age but also apparently his wits are not as sharp as they once were. He recognizes that the voice speaking to him is Jacob, but is fooled by some skins of goats tied to his arms. When I read that the first thing that came to my mind was that Esau must be ridiculously hairy if touching him is like petting a goat. Isaac is also fooled because Jacob puts on Esau's clothes so he smells like Esau does. Perhaps Isaac is so innocent that he does not think Jacob capable of such a trick, I don't know but the way it is written in the scriptures is that he is quite simpleminded for such simple tricks to have fooled him.
I have no difficulty however understanding Esau's anger towards his brother for what Jacob does to him. I do think it is a little extreme that Esau wants to actually kill Jacob for it, but I can understand how mad he gets. There is something about family that can push all the right, or perhaps the wrong, buttons and get us upset and angry in no time flat. I know growing up my siblings and I, with the exception of my little brother, did not get along at all until they moved out of the house. Once my brothers and later my sister, moved out on their own and I didn't see them as often, we started becoming friends and now, being over 300 miles away from them I miss them terribly and love to visit with them when I come into town with my wife and daughter. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, even if it's just towards family.
And in all of this, I can't help but feel sorry for Esau. He is truly the victim in this story. It is true that he marries outside the covenant and that he is a murderer in his heart, but he is treated poorly by his brother and yes, we don't know all the facts and this is only one story out of Esau's 40 something years of life at this point, but still the story is written in such a way that he does not deserve this treatment from his mother and brother. Perhaps when we know the full story it will all make more sense. I sure hope so anyway. Until tomorrow.
Where do you get the idea that every parent has a favorite. I certainly don't I love all my children and would rather DIE than have to name a favorite. Isn't it possible that Rebekah was inspired as to who the birthright son should be? Mothers do get inspiration from time to time! Don't say such nasty things about old people! Give yourself 30 or 40 years and see if your opinion changes. I know mine has as I've aged.
ReplyDelete