Have you ever found yourself in a deceitful situation?
Sadly, most of us will probably say yes to that question.
Were you or someone else the one practicing the deceit?
Again, most of us, if we are truly honest, have experienced both being deceived and being the deceiver.
What motivated the deceit to occur?
Deceit occurs because we believe we have no other option to get or do something we want.
How can choosing God’s ways help us overcome deceitful situations?
Read Genesis 28:1-5.
Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” 5 Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. [1]
Prior to Isaac passing on the Abrahamic blessing to Jacob in the first few verses of Genesis 28, a significant amount of deceit occurred within this family.
Review the opening verses of Genesis 27.
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.” 2 He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, 4 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.” [2]
Isaac initially called Esau, not Jacob, to receive a blessing.
What changed from Genesis 27:4 to Genesis 28:1?
Truthfully, a bunch of family deceit.
Isaac is practicing some deceit by attempting to bless Esau without the rest of the family taking part.
Rebekah, after eavesdropping on Isaac and Esau, plans an elaborate deceit to have her preferred son, Jacob, receive the blessing instead.
Remember Genesis 25:28 revealed that Isaac and Rebekah each favored the opposite son.
Both Isaac and Rebekah were acting deceitfully to promote their own desire for their preferred son to receive the desired blessing.
Jacob agreed to go along with his mother’s plans to deceive his father. Jacob did initially resist his mother, but it was only because he feared being found out by Isaac, since Esau’s skin had more hair than his own.
Esau was deceitful when he claimed Jacob had cheated him two times. Truthfully, Jacob did not steal Esau’s birthright, but bartered for it with a bowl of lentil stew and some bread. Scripture is blunt that Esau had despised his birthright by agreeing to the exchange.
Worse yet, out of hatred towards his brother, Esau made plans to kill Jacob once their father had passed.
Rebekah discovers Esau’s plan and instructs Jacob to flee to stay with her brother, Laban, in Haran until Esau’s hatred subsides.
Further, instead of sharing with Isaac what Esau was planning, she instead brings up the fact that Jacob has yet to marry and her loathing that Esau had married local women. This tactic makes sense, given Genesis 26:34-35 reports that Esau’s wives had been a source of grief for both Isaac and her.
It also makes sense because of how Rebekah and Isaac came to be married.
This brings us to Genesis 28, where Isaac calls Jacob to bless him a second time and direct him to leave to get a wife from his mother’s family.
Read again the opening verses of Genesis 28.
Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” 5 Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau’s mother. [3]
What reasons can you think of that explain why scripture does not include a reprimand by Isaac for Jacob’s deception?
Is Isaac so blind and frail that he has caved under the pressure of so much deceit, including his own?
I do not think so. Why do I not think so?
Consider the following from Hebrews 11:20.
By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. [4]
If Isaac had only been caving into Rebekah’s deceitful scheming, I do not think Hebrews 11 would list Isaac as a faith hero.
Also, the initial blessing given by Isaac when Jacob was pretending to be Esau did not specifically mention Abraham. (See Genesis 27:17-29). But in Genesis 28:4, Isaac intentionally transfers the Abrahamic covenant forward.
Isaac had favored Esau and had arranged for a private passing of a special blessing to promote Esau’s welfare. After realizing the deception that Jacob had succeeded at, Isaac’s blessing over Esau did not reverse what he said over Jacob but did offer Esau the hope of breaking free from Jacob’s rule at a future time.
What is the key for Isaac to have made the turn toward choosing God’s announced plan for Jacob and Esau back in Genesis 25:23?
Look back at Genesis 24:63.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming.[5]
What was Isaac doing?
The purpose of spiritual meditation is to choose to focus on God’s works and words. One slows down and gives undivided attention to God.
I believe Genesis 27 provided a wake-up call to Isaac to choose God’s ways over his own favoring of Esau.
This is how Isaac overcame his own and his family’s deceitfulness.
What other things do you see in Genesis 27-28:5 that encourage you to choose God to overcome any deceit you are experiencing in your life, whether because you are the deceiver or the one being deceived?
May you have many opportunities in the week to come to spend time deeply meditating on God’s works and words to develop a depth of insight and awareness of His guidance on your own path.
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn
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[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 28:1–5.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 27:1–4.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 28:1–5.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:20.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 24:63.