Disobey Your Mother

This passage sets up for us a very important event in the life of the people of God in Genesis. Abraham, Isaac’s father, had received a promise and covenant from God that he would be the father of many nations and the whole earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12). That promised covenant passed from Abraham to Isaac. We are told in verses 1 and 2 that Isaac was old and he was sure he would die soon. He wanted to make his favorite son, Esau, his heir.

Now to be honest, this is a bit confusing since God told Rebekah before the boys were even born:

READ GENESIS 25:23 (ESV)

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

Maybe Becky didn’t share with Ike about the children or maybe Isaac did not understand, but clearly the covenant promises were going to be passed from Isaac to Jacob. This was God’s will. It was God’s declared will that the covenant blessings would pass from Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob. Why the blessing passed from Isaac to Jacob and not Isaac to Esau is a long discussion for another day, but for now, let’s just say Esau’s path was always veering away from God and never towards Him (Hebrews 12:15-17). And yet, Isaac asked Esau to prepare for the blessing.

This blessing is a big deal. Isaac has asked Esau to prepare to receive a binding blessing from his father. The picture we get is that this blessing is a prayer of the father mixed with God’s blessing and was considered a binding thing that God would honor as the family to whom God gave a covenant. This is a big deal. Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob all know this is a big deal.

Esau goes out to prepare for a blessing. Now, here is where we begin to learn our lesson for the day: Disobey Your Mother. Verse 5 shares with us that Rebekah eavesdrops in on Isaac and Esau and knows what is about to happen. Rebekah wants her favorite son to receive the blessing and not her oldest hairy rug-of-a-son. In verse 8, Rebekah invokes her authority as a mother and commands her son to listen to her as she devises a plan to cheat Esau. She devises a way to deceive her husband. This takes lying, some sewing, and some on purpose deception.

Rebekah plans on purpose to help her son deceive his father dramatically, lie, cheat, and steal. May I suggest to you that if your mother wants you to lie, cheat, and steal that you are free to disobey her. Rebekah knows what they are doing is wrong and in verse 13 even boldly declares that if there is a curse or consequences in any of this, it should fall on her. Bold. Boldly stupid, but bold.

TRANSITION: The narrative continues.

NARRATIVE: THE CHEATERS DO THE DEED (VERSES 14-29)

READ GENESIS 27:14-29 (ESV)

14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15 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. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 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.” 20 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.” 21 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.” 22 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.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 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. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed! 28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. 29 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!”