Wednesday 15 November 2023
- Bible Book:
- Genesis
Then his father Isaac said to him, 'Come near and kiss me, my son.' So he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, '… blessed be everyone who blesses you!' (vs 26-27, 29)
Background
This week we are reading some of the book of Genesis and the next story in the saga of the descendants of Abraham is the one in which second-born Jacob steals the inheritance meant for his elder brother, Esau. Isaac (the son of Abraham) is now an old man, is blind and believes himself near the end of life. The time has come to pass on his blessing to his heir – traditionally the eldest son. Remember that Esau and Jacob are twins, Esau being the elder by just moments. The situation has been made less clear by Esau having previously sold his birthright to Jacob for a plate of stew (Genesis 25:29-34), although there is no evidence that the action was intended as serious or binding at the time.
Isaac tells Esau to prepare a meal at which the blessing shall be given. Isaac's wife Rebekah, perhaps aware of the previous events, overhears the exchange between Isaac and Esau. Before the twins were born, the Lord told her that the younger son would one day rule over the older. Rebekah decides to step in to help that prophecy along. She sets Jacob up to take his brother’s place. Isaac is not easily duped, it takes some time before he is convinced that the son before him is Esau and bestows his blessing. When Esau returns, Isaac is beside himself with rage. (v. 33) The blessing, however, cannot be undone and must stand. Esau begs his father for some kind of blessing of his own. That blessing, though, reads more like a curse. Esau and his descendants will be wanderers, living away from moisture and the fat of the land. They will live by the sword and only at some point in the future break free from the rule of his brother. The continued story of this family strife, lived out through the nations of Israel and Edom, is summarised in the book of Obadiah.
What becomes clear in the subsequent story of Esau, Isaac and their descendants, is that God uses the situation to give hope. In later life, Esau and Isaac are reconciled. It is not a reconciliation which acts as if nothing was wrong, there is consequence, there is restitution, and there is grace.
To Ponder:
- What experience do you have of overcoming the kind of difficult relationships that are shown in this story?
- Do you recognise the possibility of God using our difficult situations as a springboard to hope?
- To where do you turn when you are seeking hope in a difficult situation?