And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
Rebekah took upon herself the curse Jacob feared from discovery and urged him to obey her voice and fetch what she needed to deceive Isaac and gain the blessing by fraud. Her willingness to bear the curse did not make the scheme right or remove his responsibility, for the deception to take the blessing meant for Esau was his own sin. The plan showed lack of faith, since they should have trusted God to fulfill His foretold purpose in His own way and time without selfish rivalry and underhand dealing, which He will never use or connive at to carry out His plans. The fraud brought lasting sorrow and danger, forcing Jacob to flee for his life into long exile and to face crushing self-reproach at Esau's approach, yet because he knew his sin and repented God had not forsaken him and heard his prayer and spared his life. That night of anguish over his sin represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble, and commandment-keeping people must not copy the example but must cleanse mind and heart from all such pretense, fraud, and dishonesty, which will hurt and finally ruin every soul who engages in it.
Deceptive Plan and Words
Rebekah took upon herself the curse Jacob feared would follow if his deception was discovered, and insisted that he obey her voice and go fetch what she needed to carry out her plan to deceive Isaac and obtain the blessing by fraud. She urged him to follow her deceptive counsel even after he feared the fraud would bring him a curse, pressing him to obey her and do her bidding in order to secure the blessing. Her wrong counsel set the fraud in motion and led to their separation, so that she never saw him again.
The fraud aimed to secure the father's blessing intended for Esau, and her willingness to bear the curse did not make the scheme right or remove Jacob's responsibility for his deceit. The deception was his own sin, and it brought the danger that followed him. It was an act of partiality and hypocrisy that causes the angels of God to veil their faces.
Trust, Repentance, and Warning
Rebekah's urging Jacob onward despite his fear of a curse showed lack of faith, for she and Jacob should have trusted God to fulfill His foretold purpose in His own way and time without deception. God was fully able to provide for Jacob without fraud, and His blessing did not depend on obtaining the privileges of the firstborn, for had Jacob lived righteously and loved and feared God, God would have blessed and prospered him. God did not prompt the deception to gain the advantage over a brother, which was selfishness, rivalry, conniving at evil, and underhand dealing. He will not use such selfishness to carry out His plans and will not connive at it, for He has not changed.
The fraud brought lasting sorrow and danger, for alarmed by his brother's deadly threats and anger Jacob fled for his life and remained many years an exile. That wrong counsel led to separation from his mother, whom he never saw again. When he later returned, the crushing weight of self-reproach for that sin was added to his anxiety and fear at Esau's approach, leaving prayer to God's mercy as his only hope and defense. The fraud was sin for which Jacob had to repent, and he knew he had sinned and did repent, but God had not forsaken him. Because he had repented of that wrong, his later prayer for deliverance was heard and his life was mercifully spared and preserved, which could not have happened without that prior repentance.
That sin gave Satan a claim to destroy Jacob and ground to accuse him before the angels of God. During the long night of wrestling Satan pressed the guilt upon him to discourage him and break his hold upon God, while the Angel reminded him of the sin to try his faith. But Jacob cast himself upon God's mercy, pointed back to his repentance, and pleaded for deliverance with tears and agonizing cries until he prevailed. Jacob's night of anguish over that sin represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble.
God's commandment-keeping people must not copy this example but must cleanse mind and heart from all such pretense, fraud, dishonesty, intrigue, and bribery, for this unholy work will hurt and finally ruin every soul who engages in it. The same kind of deception is practiced by men standing in high places of trust who handle men as machinery, bind their freedom by methods and terms, harness men and drive them as horses, pervert right principles by selfishness and covetousness which is idolatry, follow their own spirit, turn the work from straightforward channels into crooked paths, and rule as lords over God's heritage while supposing their councils stand as the voice of God. God will in no case justify turning man from his rights and will not excuse grasping all that can be gotten by deceptive reasoning irrespective of agreements and of the result upon the disappointed and wronged. The time has come to investigate Christ's teachings to ancient Israel about such dealing.
Rebekah took upon herself the curse Jacob feared from discovery and urged him to obey her voice and fetch what she needed to deceive Isaac and gain the blessing by fraud. Her willingness to bear the curse did not make the scheme right or remove his responsibility, for the deception to take the blessing meant for Esau was his own sin. The plan showed lack of faith, since they should have trusted God to fulfill His foretold purpose in His own way and time without selfish rivalry and underhand dealing, which He will never use or connive at to carry out His plans. The fraud brought lasting sorrow and danger, forcing Jacob to flee for his life into long exile and to face crushing self-reproach at Esau's approach, yet because he knew his sin and repented God had not forsaken him and heard his prayer and spared his life. That night of anguish over his sin represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble, and commandment-keeping people must not copy the example but must cleanse mind and heart from all such pretense, fraud, and dishonesty, which will hurt and finally ruin every soul who engages in it.
Deceptive Plan and Words
Rebekah took upon herself the curse Jacob feared would follow if his deception was discovered, and insisted that he obey her voice and go fetch what she needed to carry out her plan to deceive Isaac and obtain the blessing by fraud. She urged him to follow her deceptive counsel even after he feared the fraud would bring him a curse, pressing him to obey her and do her bidding in order to secure the blessing. Her wrong counsel set the fraud in motion and led to their separation, so that she never saw him again.
The fraud aimed to secure the father's blessing intended for Esau, and her willingness to bear the curse did not make the scheme right or remove Jacob's responsibility for his deceit. The deception was his own sin, and it brought the danger that followed him. It was an act of partiality and hypocrisy that causes the angels of God to veil their faces.
Trust, Repentance, and Warning
Rebekah's urging Jacob onward despite his fear of a curse showed lack of faith, for she and Jacob should have trusted God to fulfill His foretold purpose in His own way and time without deception. God was fully able to provide for Jacob without fraud, and His blessing did not depend on obtaining the privileges of the firstborn, for had Jacob lived righteously and loved and feared God, God would have blessed and prospered him. God did not prompt the deception to gain the advantage over a brother, which was selfishness, rivalry, conniving at evil, and underhand dealing. He will not use such selfishness to carry out His plans and will not connive at it, for He has not changed.
The fraud brought lasting sorrow and danger, for alarmed by his brother's deadly threats and anger Jacob fled for his life and remained many years an exile. That wrong counsel led to separation from his mother, whom he never saw again. When he later returned, the crushing weight of self-reproach for that sin was added to his anxiety and fear at Esau's approach, leaving prayer to God's mercy as his only hope and defense. The fraud was sin for which Jacob had to repent, and he knew he had sinned and did repent, but God had not forsaken him. Because he had repented of that wrong, his later prayer for deliverance was heard and his life was mercifully spared and preserved, which could not have happened without that prior repentance.
That sin gave Satan a claim to destroy Jacob and ground to accuse him before the angels of God. During the long night of wrestling Satan pressed the guilt upon him to discourage him and break his hold upon God, while the Angel reminded him of the sin to try his faith. But Jacob cast himself upon God's mercy, pointed back to his repentance, and pleaded for deliverance with tears and agonizing cries until he prevailed. Jacob's night of anguish over that sin represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble.
God's commandment-keeping people must not copy this example but must cleanse mind and heart from all such pretense, fraud, dishonesty, intrigue, and bribery, for this unholy work will hurt and finally ruin every soul who engages in it. The same kind of deception is practiced by men standing in high places of trust who handle men as machinery, bind their freedom by methods and terms, harness men and drive them as horses, pervert right principles by selfishness and covetousness which is idolatry, follow their own spirit, turn the work from straightforward channels into crooked paths, and rule as lords over God's heritage while supposing their councils stand as the voice of God. God will in no case justify turning man from his rights and will not excuse grasping all that can be gotten by deceptive reasoning irrespective of agreements and of the result upon the disappointed and wronged. The time has come to investigate Christ's teachings to ancient Israel about such dealing.