27 “And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison; and 29 Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came 30 in from the field, and he was faint; and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint; therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, 32 Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall the birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware 34 unto him; and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way; so Esau despised his birthright.”
1 “And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him, My son; and he said unto him, Here am I. 2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day 3 of my death. Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me 4 venison; and make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I 5 die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I 7 heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and 8 bless thee before the Lord before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command 9 thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savory meat for thy 10 father, such as he loveth; and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death. 11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my 12 brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son; 14 only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother; and his mother 15 made savory meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took the goodly raiment of Esau her elder son, which were 16 with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son; and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his 17 hands, and upon the smooth of his neck; and she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the 18 hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, My father; and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first-born; I have done according as thou badest me; arise, I pray thee, sit 20 and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God sent me good 21 speed. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son 22 Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands 23 are the hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands; so he 24 blessed him. And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he 25 brought it near to him, and he did eat; and he brought him wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, 26 Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said,
See, the smell of my son
Is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed;
28 And God give thee of the dew of heaven,
And of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of corn and wine;
29 Let peoples serve thee,
And nations bow down to thee;
Be lord over thy brethren,
And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee;
Cursed be every one that curseth thee,
And blessed be every one that blesseth thee.
30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from 31 his hunting. And he also made savory meat, and brought it unto his father; and he said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. 32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy first-born, Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. 35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou 37 not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him; and what shall I do for thee, my son? 38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. 39 And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him,
Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling,
And of the dew of heaven from above;
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother;
And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose,
That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.”
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What were the occupations of Esau and Jacob? Gen. 25: 27. (2) Which was the elder? What revelation was made concerning them? How old was Isaac at the time of their birth? Vs. 23, 26. (3) Whom did Isaac love? and why? Whom did Rebekah love? Whom did God love? Verse 28; Rom. 9: 13; John 3: 16. See note. (4) Narrate the circumstances by which Esau despised the birthright. Vs. 29-34. (5) What did Isaac purpose to do for Esau before his death? What did he ask Esau first to do for him? Gen. 27: 1-5. (6) Who overheard what Isaac said to Esau? V. 5. (7) To whom did she make this known? and what did she tell him to do? Vs. 6-10. (8) What objection did Jacob raise to this plan? Vs. 11, 12. (9) What reply did his mother make? V. 13. (10) What did Jacob then do? V. 14. (11) What special precautions were taken to make this deceptive scheme complete? Vs. 15-17. (12) Give the introductory conversation between Jacob and his father. Vs. 18-24. (13) How complete was the deception? Vs. 23, 25. (14) When Jacob at Isaac’s request came near and kissed him, what blessing did Isaac pronounce upon him? Vs. 26-29. (15) Who came in just after Jacob went out? What had he also done? What conversation took place? Vs. 30-32. (16) What effect did this have upon Isaac? Yet what did he say? V. 33. (17) What effect did Isaac’s words have upon Esau, and what request did he make? V. 34; Heb. 12: 17. (18) What did Isaac say Jacob had done? V. 35. (19) What did Esau say about it? and what question did he ask? V. 36. (20) What was Isaac’s reply? V. 37. (21) How did Esau still urge his request? V. 38. (22) What blessing did Isaac bestow upon him? V. 39, 40.
Suggestive Readings.—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” pp. 177-182, 207, 208; “Spirit of Prophecy,” vol. 1, pp. 105-118.
NOTE.—“There was no arbitrary choice on the part of God, by which Esau was shut out from the blessings of salvation. The gift of his grace through Christ is free to all.” Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. This was his own voluntary act. The success of Jacob in defrauding Esau of the blessing which he desired did not deprive him of the privilege of securing God’s blessing. See Isa. 55: 6, 7; Rev. 22: 17. “Man turns from God, not God from him.” The responsibility now is with man. God hated Esau only in the sense that he hates sin.
ADDITIONAL STUDY.
(1) Read Genesis 26, and note how Isaac followed in the way of his father. (2) What was the nature of Isaac’s love for Esau? Gen. 25: 28. What effect did Isaac’s love for flesh meat have upon his spiritual discernment? (3) Note carefully the meaning of the birthright. See “Patriarchs and Prophets,” pages 178, 179. (4) What class of people did Esau represent? Jacob? Was Jacob converted at this time? Was his course such as to win Esau to righteousness? What is the meaning of their names? (5) What effect does godly sorrow have upon heart, mind, and character? See 2 Cor. 7: 9-11. Is weeping a sure sign of repentance? What is? (6) Why was Esau called Edom? (7) Trace the steps taken in Rebekah’s and Jacob’s wrong course of action. (8) What lessons are there in this chapter for you? (a) In the life of Esau? (b) In the life of Jacob? (c) In the life of Rebekah? (d) In the life of Isaac? (9) Note that Isaac blessed Jacob in the name of God, but Esau only in his own name, and that this was in harmony with their desires. The one was spiritual, the other carnal. Isaac’s words were prophetic. Heb. 11: 20. (10) Look up quiver, bow, venison.
