What if Jacob Had Not Tricked His Father Isaac?

“When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called his elder son Esau and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” He said, “See, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me. Then prepare for me savory food, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.” Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father say to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me game, and prepare for me savory food to eat, that I may bless you before the Lord before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; and you shall take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies…obey my word, and go, get them for me.” So he went in to his father, and said, “My father”; and he said, “Here I am; who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went up to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. He said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” Genesis 27:1-13, 18-29 (not inclusive)

It is hard to know if the inclination to deceive Isaac was already in the heart of Jacob, or if it was his mother’s (Rebekah) influence which even put the idea initially into his head. No matter, it was not hard for her to convince him to do this deed. Why? Why was Isaac so willing a conspirator in this deed? It is hard to say. We can gather from the texts about the brothers that Esau was a hunter, an outdoorsman, while Jacob was more prone to staying at home with his mother. We also learn that Isaac loved Esau, “…because he was fond of game”; but Rebekah loved Jacob. And most likely Rebekah would have shared what the Lord had told her, that “…the elder shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23)

But, what if Jacob had a backbone and stood up to her and said “No?” What if Jacob did not trick Isaac? It is obvious to readers of the scriptures that the blessing from the father to the son was significant. The blessing was not only a familial custom, it was determined to indicate the favor of G-d upon the one receiving the blessing. And once Esau learned that Jacob had received his blessing, he was ready to kill Jacob. Everything that happens from here on out to both Jacob and Esau is contingent upon Jacob fleeing to his uncle Laban’s place – where he will meet Rachel and Leah – and thus the first of the twelve Sons of Israel will be born. Esau, in his fervent effort to gain favor with his father, marries the daughter of his uncle Ishmael.

Jacob is known for his cunning and deceit, but his lying and deceitful ways do not remove him from G-d’s favor – after all, it was foretold that the Elder would serve the Younger – and so it was. Was Jacob simply following his destiny? Had Jacob not tricked Isaac, who knows what the progeny of both would have been – but the descendants of Esau, not Jacob, would have carried the promise. Who knows, if Esau gets the blessing, then the descendents of the promise would have been called Edomites, not Israelites.

Pastor Dave