Genesis 27:19, commentary and pictures

Jacob falsely claimed to be Esau the firstborn, said he had brought the meal Isaac asked for, and urged his father to eat so he would give him the blessing meant for Esau. He did this under Rebekah's plan out of distrust of God's promise, though God had already foretold that the elder would serve the younger and had not prompted or approved the deceit. The fraud was sin that demanded sincere repentance, and it reacted upon the doer in brotherly hatred, guilt, exile, and years of being himself defrauded. Because he had truly repented, Jacob could later plead for mercy when his sin gave Satan ground to accuse him and Esau approached, and he received pardon, preservation of life, and the new name Israel. His night of anguish over this sin represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble, who must wrestle with confession and hold on the covenant promises for assurance of pardon.

Deception to Gain Blessing

Jacob came to his father claiming to be Esau the firstborn, declaring he had done as Isaac had bidden him, presenting the venison meal and urging him to arise, sit, eat and bless him. He did this to obtain the blessing intended for Esau. He carried out the deception under Rebekah's plan and with her help, though he feared the consequences.

The deception aimed at the blessing in keeping with the foretold word that the elder would serve the younger, after Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob. That birthright was already his by God's promise. God did not prompt or approve Jacob and Rebekah to deceive Isaac. He could have provided for Jacob in His own way.

Unbelief, Retribution and Mercy

Jacob's lie to his father showed unbelief, for he and Rebekah did not trust God's promises but sought by their own efforts to bring about what God would have accomplished in His own time and way. He acted wrongly instead of trusting God to fulfill His purpose despite discouraging circumstances, and what he obtained by fraud he would have received by trust. The blessing connected with the firstborn could not itself guarantee prosperity, for God would bless or bring adversity according to a person's conduct. Jacob could have received God's blessing through a righteous life of love and reverence even without the privileges ordinarily given to the firstborn.

The deception was sin and wrong that required sincere repentance. As secret working by deceptive reasoning to grasp all that can be gotten, turning a man from his rights irrespective of agreements and of harm to those disappointed and wronged, it is partiality and hypocrisy and perversion of right principles by selfishness and covetousness. All such secret working is open to the eye of God, who will in no case justify or excuse it and holds it up as no model for gaining advantage. Deeds react upon the doer, and the fraud reaped retribution. It brought brotherly hatred and deadly threats, crushing guilt and self-condemnation, and forced Jacob to flee for his life as a fugitive from his native land into many years of exile.

Twenty years followed in which Jacob himself was wronged and defrauded until forced to find safety in flight, and a second harvest came as the evils of his own character cropped out in his sons. That deception was the direct cause of his twenty-year exile, and when he left Padan-aram in obedience to God's direction and retraced the road back, the memory of that sin was ever before him day and night, with the reproaches of an accusing conscience making his journey sad. When Esau approached with warriors, his self-reproach proved his own sin had brought the danger. The sin gave Satan ground to accuse Jacob and claim the right to destroy him, and during the night of wrestling guilt was pressed upon him and reminded of to try his faith.

With mercy and prayer as his only hope, he was still required to make every effort to atone for the wrong to his brother and avert the threatened harm. Because he had previously and sincerely repented of the fraud, he could plead with God in later distress, point back to his repentance, cast himself on mercy, and receive a hearing. God heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life from Esau, and with the memory of the sin came also the thought of God's favor toward him and the promises of divine help and guidance. Concealed, unconfessed sin would have left him unable to trust God for deliverance, and without that repentance God could not have heard him.

Pardon was evidenced by his name Jacob as reminder of sin as supplanter and deceiver being changed to Israel. Jacob's night of anguish over this sin represents the experience of God's people in the time of trouble, who with confession, humiliation, and persevering hold on the covenant promises must wrestle for assurance of pardon. Yet hope remains because God will not contend forever nor be always wroth, but sees the ways of the covetous and froward and promises to heal, lead, restore comforts to him and his mourners, and give peace to him that is far off and to him that is near.