And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
Rebekah overheard Isaac privately telling Esau to prepare food so he could give him the blessing of the firstborn before he died, and she at once repeated what she had heard to her son Jacob to begin their plan. She knew God had declared that the elder would serve the younger and that Esau had sold his birthright, and she was sure Jacob was to stand in the line of promise and that Isaac in favoring Esau was acting against the will of God. From partiality and lack of trust she urged Jacob to gain by deceit the blessing God had promised him, yet God did not prompt or approve that fraud and they should have waited for Him to fulfill His purpose in His own way and time. That wrong course forced Jacob to flee for his life from Esau's anger, separated him from his mother so she never saw him again, and gave Satan ground to accuse him and claim the right to destroy him. Because Jacob had repented of the fraud God heard his prayer and preserved him, showing that God's people must have no concealed, unconfessed sins and that such scheming to gain advantage over brethren must never be followed as an example.
Rebekah Overhears and Schemes
Rebekah overheard Isaac's private charge to Esau to prepare venison and food so that he could give him the firstborn blessing before his death, and she immediately told Jacob what Isaac had said, beginning their plan. She remembered God's word that the elder would serve the younger and knew Esau had sold his birthright. She had been divinely instructed that Jacob was to stand in the direct line of promise through which the Redeemer would come, so she was confident that Isaac in favoring Esau was going contrary to the will of God and could not be changed by reasoning.
Without due reflection she determined that the father's partiality must not avert God's purpose and that they must act to prevent Isaac from finally and irrevocably blessing Esau. From partiality toward Jacob and lack of trust she urged Jacob to follow her directions to obtain by stratagem and fraud the blessing God had promised him, believing it could not otherwise be obtained. Jacob was at first unwilling to deceive his father but finally agreed to her plan.
God did not prompt or approve Rebekah and Jacob in this course, for He does not connive at selfishness to carry out His plans and was fully able to provide for Jacob by His own methods. They should have waited for Him to fulfill His purposes in His own way and time. Isaac later became convinced by the conduct of Esau and Jacob that the blessing rightly belonged to Jacob.
Consequences, Repentance, Warning
The deception set in motion when Rebekah told Jacob what Isaac had said to Esau was sin and a wrong course to obtain the father's blessing. That wrong forced Jacob to flee for his life to escape his brother's anger and deadly threats. The flight separated him from his mother so that she never saw him again. It left him fearful and without a sense of God's protection.
Jacob had previously repented of that fraud in obtaining the blessing. Because he had repented, God heard his prayer and mercifully saved and preserved his life from Esau. Without that prior repentance God would not have heard him, and could not have heard him. The fraud in obtaining the birthright by deceit had given Satan ground to accuse Jacob before the angels of God and claim the right to destroy him, and Satan moved Esau to march against him. During the long night of wrestling Satan tried to force the guilt of that sin upon him to discourage him and break his hold on God, and the Angel reminded him of his sin to try his faith. But Jacob had learned that God is merciful, and he cast himself upon mercy, pointed back to his repentance, and pleaded for deliverance with tears and earnest agonizing cries until he prevailed.
The account illustrates that in the time of trouble God's people must have no concealed, unconfessed sins. Their forgiven sins have gone beforehand to judgment and been blotted out, so accusers cannot bring them to remembrance. God's blessing depends on a person's course rather than firstborn privileges. Esau would be blessed or face adversity according to whether he loved and revered God, while Jacob could be blessed for righteousness even without the privileges of the firstborn. Their devising and planning must not be followed as an example for gaining advantage over brethren. Such conniving, underhand dealing hurts and finally ruins every soul who engages in it. The same partiality, hypocrisy and secret working, open to the eye of God, is practiced by those standing in high places of trust who turn the work into crooked paths and rule as lords over God's heritage.
Rebekah overheard Isaac privately telling Esau to prepare food so he could give him the blessing of the firstborn before he died, and she at once repeated what she had heard to her son Jacob to begin their plan. She knew God had declared that the elder would serve the younger and that Esau had sold his birthright, and she was sure Jacob was to stand in the line of promise and that Isaac in favoring Esau was acting against the will of God. From partiality and lack of trust she urged Jacob to gain by deceit the blessing God had promised him, yet God did not prompt or approve that fraud and they should have waited for Him to fulfill His purpose in His own way and time. That wrong course forced Jacob to flee for his life from Esau's anger, separated him from his mother so she never saw him again, and gave Satan ground to accuse him and claim the right to destroy him. Because Jacob had repented of the fraud God heard his prayer and preserved him, showing that God's people must have no concealed, unconfessed sins and that such scheming to gain advantage over brethren must never be followed as an example.
Rebekah Overhears and Schemes
Rebekah overheard Isaac's private charge to Esau to prepare venison and food so that he could give him the firstborn blessing before his death, and she immediately told Jacob what Isaac had said, beginning their plan. She remembered God's word that the elder would serve the younger and knew Esau had sold his birthright. She had been divinely instructed that Jacob was to stand in the direct line of promise through which the Redeemer would come, so she was confident that Isaac in favoring Esau was going contrary to the will of God and could not be changed by reasoning.
Without due reflection she determined that the father's partiality must not avert God's purpose and that they must act to prevent Isaac from finally and irrevocably blessing Esau. From partiality toward Jacob and lack of trust she urged Jacob to follow her directions to obtain by stratagem and fraud the blessing God had promised him, believing it could not otherwise be obtained. Jacob was at first unwilling to deceive his father but finally agreed to her plan.
God did not prompt or approve Rebekah and Jacob in this course, for He does not connive at selfishness to carry out His plans and was fully able to provide for Jacob by His own methods. They should have waited for Him to fulfill His purposes in His own way and time. Isaac later became convinced by the conduct of Esau and Jacob that the blessing rightly belonged to Jacob.
Consequences, Repentance, Warning
The deception set in motion when Rebekah told Jacob what Isaac had said to Esau was sin and a wrong course to obtain the father's blessing. That wrong forced Jacob to flee for his life to escape his brother's anger and deadly threats. The flight separated him from his mother so that she never saw him again. It left him fearful and without a sense of God's protection.
Jacob had previously repented of that fraud in obtaining the blessing. Because he had repented, God heard his prayer and mercifully saved and preserved his life from Esau. Without that prior repentance God would not have heard him, and could not have heard him. The fraud in obtaining the birthright by deceit had given Satan ground to accuse Jacob before the angels of God and claim the right to destroy him, and Satan moved Esau to march against him. During the long night of wrestling Satan tried to force the guilt of that sin upon him to discourage him and break his hold on God, and the Angel reminded him of his sin to try his faith. But Jacob had learned that God is merciful, and he cast himself upon mercy, pointed back to his repentance, and pleaded for deliverance with tears and earnest agonizing cries until he prevailed.
The account illustrates that in the time of trouble God's people must have no concealed, unconfessed sins. Their forgiven sins have gone beforehand to judgment and been blotted out, so accusers cannot bring them to remembrance. God's blessing depends on a person's course rather than firstborn privileges. Esau would be blessed or face adversity according to whether he loved and revered God, while Jacob could be blessed for righteousness even without the privileges of the firstborn. Their devising and planning must not be followed as an example for gaining advantage over brethren. Such conniving, underhand dealing hurts and finally ruins every soul who engages in it. The same partiality, hypocrisy and secret working, open to the eye of God, is practiced by those standing in high places of trust who turn the work into crooked paths and rule as lords over God's heritage.