Jacob the Deceiver

Genesis 27:19 “Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.””

Jacob is a very puzzling character in the Bible who gains his birthright and his blessings by deception but still does not face the wrath of God.

The life of Jacob starts at Gen 25:21 where Rebekah was barren and God answers Isaac’s pleading with the two sons. It was not God’s intention to give Isaac the two sons who quarreled and contradicted each other. God’s intention should have been something different. For Abraham’s God’s intention was only Isaac but there were Ishmael and many other sons. None of these sons were part of God’s plan in Abraham. Similarly, God intended something for Isaac. Isaac had known that he was the God intended son who was born in Abraham’s ripe old age but still he was pleading God just when he was sixty. So, God gave the two sons as an answer to Isaac’s pleading. Asking God is not a bad idea. But Isaac was the son of promise and he should be sure of God’s execution than complaining.

The next problem with Isaac was to love Esau for food (25:28). God had clearly mentioned that Jacob is the promised son in verse 23. But yet Isaac was not that wise in dispensing his favor. Isaac had clearly intended in blessing Esau based on the results of his own eyes and mouth. Strength and material productivity does not make anybody deserve God’s favor. The problem with Esau was that he did not value his inheritance properly. He thought food was important just because his father taught him so. Our children take our priorities as theirs and grow. Only a very few learn from their father’s mistakes. When food or our preferences take importance in our lives, we slowly lose God’s plan in our generations and God chooses another generation completely. The reason for Jacob to get the birthright as soon as the opportunity came was because his knew what he had lost. If we understand that we have lost holiness and God’s presence and long for it, we will gain. This is explained in Mathew 5:7 where we need to have hunger and thirst after righteousness. If we do not have this thirst, we will lose all our opportunities. God hated Esau (Malachi 1:3) because of his only sin recorded which is he despised God’s plan.

In Romans 9:10-14 we read how God is not unjust in choosing Jacob over Esau. It is His divine will that one seed will be chosen to bring in salvation and revival. We are luckily that seed that is designated to progress in Christ. We need to remember that it has cost a lot for our father God to gain us. There were many disappointed and rejected generations so that we could become the chosen generation. The grace of God is so high now that the God who had rejected Esau because of just lack of interest is now very patient to all extremes through our deliberate disobediences.

Esau and Jacob should be compared with the Jews and the Christians. The Jews are the firstborn. But it is God’s plan that we who are meek and without strength to become mighty and be chosen because the Jews despised God’s discipline and did not value His divine presence because all they wanted was protection from their emperors.

In 27^th Chapter, we read the second incident. In verse 13, Rebekah tells Jacob that “Let this curse be on me”. This character should be compared with Christ who loved us enough to take all our curses upon Himself. Christ is the one who made us to look and even smell like Jews, the firstborn. Isaac should be compared with the law which was partial and had the intent of Jews to become the chosen people. But we are in disguise like the Jews and without any effort just had used resources from the Father to satisfy Him. When the Law checks us, we are just like Jacob in Esau’s unfitting clothing and goat’s skin cover. But God has promised all blessings to us so that we will be mighty, powerful and able to build and rule a kingdom. Christ knows what the Law needs and we do not. So, we allow Him to prepare us so that the Law would be satisfied with the offering given which we did not earn or prepare.

In verse 20, Jacob says that “Your LORD GOD bought it to me”. This answer is not a lie because it was God who intended Jacob to rule. Even if we are rejected by the law or our own parents, the divine purpose we have from the Almighty Father will ensure that we receive every blessing at the right time. Also this qualification to inherit is very quick. Just because we had obeyed the voice of Jesus once, we become worthy to be blessed. This is God’s plan.

Let us honor the salvation that we have received and prioritize that above all the earth.

Amen.