A Broken Family Series

Richard Blake and his wife, from San Luis, California, were at a wedding where their neighbor’s son, Robert, was one of the ushers. He seemed young to be an usher at a wedding, but a veteran usher gave him some quick pointers. He instructed Robert to ask the person he was escorting, “Are you a guest of the bride or groom?” That way he would know where to seat them.

Robert took the advice, but something got lost in the translation. When the first arrival came, he graciously offered his arm and asked, “Madam, whose side are you on?” (Richard Blake, San Luis Obispo, California, “Rolling Down the Aisle,” Christian Reader)

As we get ready for Thanksgiving, we have to stop asking the question, “Whose side are you on?” and start appreciating what God is doing in our lives even if there are those with whom we disagree. An attitude of gratitude is so important, because when people don’t appreciate what they have and start battling others to get what they want, chaos ensues.

We see this in Isaac’s family, where Isaac and Rebecca, his wife, find themselves on opposite sides, fighting each other for what they think is right. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 27, Genesis 27, where an Old Testament couple shows us how not to handle conflict.

Genesis 27:1-4 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” He said, “Behold, 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, and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” (ESV)

Isaac decides to bless his older son, Esau, in direct contradiction to what God had told his wife in Genesis 25:23. There, God made it very clear that the youngest son should get the blessing, but Isaac determines to bless the oldest son instead. Isaac is defying God, and it puts his wife in a tough spot.

Genesis 27:5-10 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” (ESV)

She is telling her son to lie to his dad! Well, Jacob is not so sure.

Genesis 27:11-17 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.” So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. (ESV)

This is nothing but pure manipulation. Rebekah is deceiving her husband. Oh, she wants God’s will for her son, but she has resorted to deceptive manipulation to get it.

Genesis 27:18-25 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, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. (ESV)