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QUEST TO UNDERSTAND ELEMENTARY SCRIPTURAL TRUTH

Jacob & Esau: Greed, Rage, and a Hairy Arm

Genesis 26:34-28:9 · Pastor Craig R. Jarvis

 

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1Some Stuff we Missed

  • Isaac and Abraham share experiences
  • Isaac takes refuge in 26:1
  • Isaac is given a similar verbal blessing as Abraham 26:2
  • Isaac lies about his wife because he “was ” 26:7
  • Abimelek Isaac for his lies 26:8-11
  • Isaac flourished financially 26:12-14
  • Isaac’s prosperity threatened the inhabitants so they stole his wells 26:20-22

2Note the person of Isaac

  • Unlike other patriarchs, Isaac is portrayed as timid, fearful, and ready to lie to save his own skin
  • But…despite the weak character displayed by Isaac, the Lord is clearly with him, protects him, and blesses him.

3The Enmity Between the Chosen Family

  • Esau’s story kicks us off so that the we may be reminded of the drama to this point
  • There are major rifts inside this chosen family
  • Jacob has been named with a name 25:26
  • Esau has forfeited his birthright to Jacob, the swindler 25:28-34
  • The parents have personal among the twins 25:28
  • The importance of marrying pure blood is again an issue 25:34-35
    • Abraham was intensely concerned that Isaac marry within the family
    • Esau ends up marrying !
  • Now, Isaac is “old” and wishes to pass on the family “ ” 27:1-5
    • Isaac rejects family protocol and God’s promises by only inviting son – the wrong son – in for the blessing
    • Typically, the entire family was summoned together for the final blessing
    • Typically, the blessing was reserved for the time of death (Isaac indicated that he did not “know when he would die”)
    • Typically, some blessing would be reserved for son (vv.34, 38). Why did Isaac only want to bless Esau and not Jacob?
    • These factors add to the assumption that Isaac was not the father that Abraham was
    • These factors only give weight to the theory that Esau and Jacob’s character being raised by Isaac and Rebekah was far from what Isaac’s was reared under Abraham and Sarah
    • Isaac rejected God’s by wishing to pass the blessing to Esau and leave nothing for Jacob.

4The Plot for Preeminence

  • Isaac and Esau’s desires are pitted against Rebekah and God’s desires
  • Isaac and Esau share a common taste for stew and sensuality – gratification 26:3-4
    • Isaac prepares to thwart God’s plan (I have a hard time even writing that) by including Esau in the blessed line instead of God’s choice: Jacob
    • The reader is left with a cliff-hanger exit… “Esau went out into the field to hunt game…”

    • Will Isaac triumph or will God triumph?

  • Rebekah’s domineering personality kicks into full gear 26:6-14
  • Some observations:
    • Rebekah may have had a point in what she did because of Isaac’s blatant disregard for
    • But ultimately, she used deceit to the situation
  • Note the use of language to highlight the family rift (“her” son vs. “his” son) v.6
    • Jacob cannot be excused from in the plot
    • Traditionally, the father is the one who determines direction in the family – Jacob should have had more regard for his father’s wishes
    • Instead of expressing his moral doubts, he only indicates his fear of being found out. His only concern is for receiving some sort of curse for deceiving his blind father (cf. Deut.27:18)

    • Why would Rebekah invoke the curse on herself (if there were to be one)?

    • She ends the initial conversation abruptly invoking her paternal authority (“Just go. Obey me. Get it for me.”)

5The Deceitful Scheme Takes Shape

  • Jacob is persuaded to participate and the plan goes into motion
  • Rebekah puts her plan into action 26:15-17
    • Notice how is the one who does almost everything
    • Isaac’s condition is brought into question

6The Ruse is Close to Being Discovered

  • Jacob seems so nervous about the deception that he seems to out of control and his talking almost blows the plan 26:18-25
    • He speaks times, Isaac speaks times
    • After Isaac indicates his suspicions about his voice, Jacob only speaks to say word (“I am” – v.24)
    • Perhaps he is beginning to think that his is betraying him
    • Isaac may have been failing in eyesight, but his perceptions seemed to be keen still
    • He recognized the discrepancy in the voice of his son
    • He questions how Jacob could have killed the game so quickly

    • Notice here, Jacob takes the Lord’s Name in vain. How?

    • This is not a very convincing response – Isaac is not so dim as he may have thought
    • All this causes the reader to wait with bated breath to see if Jacob will be discovered
    • It isn’t until the final blessing is pronounced that the reader finally can relax – Jacob has been successful in his brother’s blessing

7The Climax – The Blessing is Given to the Younger Son

  • Isaac gave the blessing to Jacob 26:26-29
    • The Blessing is peculiar
  • Some standard ingredients in passing on a blessing:
    • There is no talk of numerous
    • There is no talk of gifts of
    • Only the last clause reminds us of the passed-on blessing of Abraham
    • “Blessing” is the emphasis of the blessing of Isaac
    • This follows the motif of Genesis as a whole
    • This reaffirms the fact that indeed was God’s chosen to continue the blessing

8The Deceit is Discovered

  • Esau returns only late to find that he has been cheated 26:30-40
    • The Scripture goes into some detail concerning emotions
    • Esau arrives with the stew in emotion
    • Esau seems to for some terrible reality
  • Isaac v.33
    • Esau (extreme panic met by extreme distress)
  • Esau down in v.38
    • The language is important to the story
  • Isaac’s language reveals his knowledge that there was a preconceived crime committed against him v.35
    • Esau’s language plays a pun on Jacob’s name (bq[y bq[ ‘[ed me])
    • If this were a proper blessing, the should have been invited to receive a part, but it was not a proper blessing

9Esau Picks up the Scraps

  • Isaac’s blessing seems to be more of a state of Esau’s future life – but not involving a promising existence 26:39-40
    • Condemned to
    • Hunting in the wilderness
    • Edom is ultimately promised to live by the sword, which it does

10The Attempts to Live with Consequences of Deceit

  • Esau plans to act out 26:41
    • He says that he will wait for his father to die (out of some respect?)
    • He is bent on murder – the murder of his brother (Cain?)
    • He seems to let others know of his intent (v.42 – when Rebekah heard…)
  • Rebekah seems unwilling to find out if Esau will indeed wait for the death of Isaac v.42-45
    • Rebekah got Isaac on her side by appealing to what they both agreed on – the Canaanite women were their sons!
    • She refers to the wives as the “women” so as to detach any part of these women “ ” to Esau
    • Rebekah gets Isaac to send Jacob away
    • Jacob married as he should – Esau married seeming to spite his parent’s wishes… Esau is in bad shape
    • Esau marries a daughter of the Ishmaelites
    • The blessing is forever lost to his brother, now he moves on to plot for
    • Isaac’s failures cannot be dismissed – the reader is meant to see his flaws.
    • …But, let the reader understand…
    • Despite failures and lack of character, God still works through the frailty of His Chosen

© 2026 Craig Jarvis. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the author. Not for resale.