A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
GENESIS 27
Lesson #42
WHEN REPENTANCE IS INSUFFICIENT
- Memory verse: 2Corinthians 7:10
- Background:
- Remember that when the twins were born, God had indicated that Jacob was his choice to receive the birthright over his older brother Esau. (25:23)
- Remember that Jacob purchased the birthright deceptively from his older brother, Esau, for a bowl of red stew. (25:27-34)
- We saw in Gen 25 that Esau and Jacob were representative characters:
- Esau represents the unbeliever:
- Esau was “a cunning hunter” (25:27)
- This indicates a restless nature, a rebel.
- Remember, the same was said of Nimrod in Gen 10:9. The term hunter is always related to evil in the Bible. (1Sam 24:11 Job 10:16 Psa 140:11 Pro 6:26 Mic 7:2 Eze 13:18)
- Esau was “a man of the field” (25:27). This indicates he was a man of the world. (Mat 13:38).
- Jacob represents the believer:
- Jacob was “a plain man” (25:27). In other passages, this Hebrew word (tam) is translated as perfect or upright.
- Jacob was “dwelling in tents” (25:27). Jacob was a stranger and pilgrim in the land. Spiritually speaking this means a man of faith whose home is in heaven.
- Esau represents the unbeliever:
- The events of chapter 25:
- Esau returns from the field hungry and faint. There is nothing in the world (field) that can satisfy man’s deep need.
- Jacob was making a bowl of stew (pottage). Pottage was the food of God’s prophets.
- Jacob offers to buy from Esau what was his by the free grace of God.
- God had already chosen Jacob to receive the birthright.
- We do not know if Jacob or Esau told their parents of this legal transaction.
- I would assume Jacob would have told his mother, who would have told Isaac.
- In any event, we are not told if either of the parents knew of it.
- Meanwhile, Esau marries.
- Read Gen 26:34-35
- Esau marries 2 Hittite women.
- These women are non-believers. He is, therefore, true to his rebellious worldly character despite the grief these marriages brought to his parents.
- Read Gen 27:1-33 The stolen blessing
- An important key to understanding this chapter:
- The birthright was material wealth while the blessing was spiritual wealth.
- The two were inseparable and irrevocable.
- Isaac’s spiritual condition:
- If we give Isaac the benefit of the doubt and assume he did not know Jacob bought the birthright in chapter 25, he certainly knew of God’s choice from the time of the twins’ birth.
- We do not see Isaac praying and asking God before he pronounces the blessing.
- Instead Isaac is pre-occupied with a feast of venison.
- Isaac has made it clear that his favorite was the worldly son, and he himself desires to eat of the fruit of the world.
- Isaac’s eyesight is “dim” physically and spiritually.
- The end of Isaac’s life resembles the carnal Christian who drifts away from God.
- In chapter 27, Isaac is between 120 and 180 years old. He died at 180.
- The New Testament says that we, as believers, are to walk by faith and not by sight. (2Cor 5:7) in other words we are to rely on God and not what seems right to the physical senses.
- Isaac relied on the 5 physical senses instead of faith in God.
- -1-. Seeing — his weak eyesight. (27:1) relying on physical eyesight is never as good as spiritual insight.
- -2-. Tasting — his taste for savory food colored his judgment (27:4)
- -3-. Touching — he wanted to touch the son’s skin (27:21)
- -4-. Hearing — he thought he recognized Jacob’s voice (27:22)
- -5-. Smelling — he smelled the clothes of Esau. (27:27)
- Rebekah’s spiritual condition:
- Like Sarah before her, she knew the promise of God concerning her sons.
- However, she went ahead of God to help God bring about His will.
- She did not trust God to fulfill His will.
- She thought the end justified the means.
- She thought it was acceptable to use lying and deception to bring about God’s will.
- She taught her son falsely that following the way of the flesh nature to produce good was pleasing to God.
- She taught her son falsely that to deceive his father for God’s will would gain God’s blessing.
- Jacob’s spiritual condition:
- We have discussed the nature of the generational sin passed from father to son: Abraham to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob to his sons.
- The generational sin in this family was lying and deception to obtain what you wanted..
- Jacob was such a master at the deception that he used the name of God in it, but he did not claim that God was his God. (Gen 27:20)
- Note also the traitor’s kiss in verses 26-27. (reminiscent of the kiss by Judas Iscariot)
- The prophetic blessing (27:28-29)
- Dew of heaven — spiritual blessings from God
- Fatness of the earth — material wealth
- Plenty of grain and wine — material provision
- People will serve thee — position of authority
- Nations will bow down to thee — tribal leadership, honor, and victory over enemies.
- Preeminence over his brothers, including Esau.
- A curse to everyone who curses you, and a blessing to everyone who blesses you.
- Isaac’s reaction to the truth
- Isaac trembled greatly (27:33).
- He may have been angry at the deception, but his trembling was most likely due to the fact that he woke up to what God’s will was.
- If he trembled out of so much anger, we would have seen him rebuke Rebekah and Jacob for what they did.
- Isaac never did that. In fact it is Rebekah who sends Jacob away, not Isaac.
- According to Heb 11:20, Isaac bows to the will of God by faith and the blessing stands.
- Isaac trembled greatly (27:33).
- An important key to understanding this chapter:
- Read Gen 27:34-46 Esau’s remorse
- Once the birthright and blessing are given, they cannot be retracted. It was a legal agreement even though it was oral.
- Neither can the blessing and birthright be separated, one to one son and the other to the other son.
- The secondary prophetic blessing to Esau (27:39-40)
- -1- Your home will be “away from the fatness of the earth” = no material blessing
- -2- “Away from the dew of heaven” = no spiritual blessing
- -3- “By your sword you shall live” = he will have to fight and struggle for everything he gets.
- -4- “You will serve your brother, Jacob”
- This was fulfilled in 2Sam 8:14
- David was a descendant of Jacob.
- -5- “When you have dominion, you will break the yoke from off your neck.”
- This was fulfilled in 2Chr 21:8 2Kin 8:20-22
- King Herod was also a descendant of Esau.
- Esau and repentance
- Read Heb 12:14-17
- If God is moved by repentance, why did Esau find no forgiveness?
- God is always willing to forgive a repentant soul, however, sometimes sin, though repented of and forgiven, carries unchangeable consequences. But sometimes repentance is not a heart-felt repentance. It is only empty words. This is the case with Esau.
- If Esau represents the unbeliever, the day will come when there will be no more grace for forgiveness. At the second coming of Christ, the door of salvation is closed.
- The consequences from the situation:
| Isaac | Rebekah | Esau | Jacob | |
| What was lost to this person as a result of this incident? | -1- he lost having jacob in his home.
-2- he lost the respect of his wife who did not see him as a godly man. -3- he lost a strong witness as a man of god. |
-1- she lost jacob, the son she loved most. She never saw him again in her life.
-2- she lost the respect of her husband. -3- she lost authority over esau who couldn’t trust her. |
-1- he lost respect for both of his parents.
-2- he lost material blessing as well as spiritual blessing. -3- he lost a relation-ship with god. |
-1- he lost his home, his mother, whom he loved, and his father.
-2- he lost his brother. -3- he lost A close relation-ship with god that would take years to repair. |
| What was gained by this person as a result of this incident? | He woke up to the perfect will of God. | Hopefully she learned that it doesn’t pay to go ahead of God. | Nothing. | -1- Material wealth and a spiritual promise.
-2- Years of chastisement that would drive him to God. |
- What does this passage teach you about inter-personal relationships? Discussion
- Mother / son:
- Father / son:
- Husband / wife:
- Brother / brother:
Homework
Genesis 28
- Application of Gen 27
- Examine your own personal relationships in your family. Which member of Isaac’s family do you relate to the most? Why?
- What changes does God want to make in your attitudes and actions?
- Preparation of Gen 28
- Read Gen 28:1-22 Jacob at Bethel
- What was Esau’s motivation in verse 8-9?
- Why was it not successful?
- Jacob’s dream is an important milestone in his life. Of what significance is it?
- What parallel does Jacob’s dream experience have in your life?
- Read Gen 28:1-22 Jacob at Bethel
- Memory verse: Psalms 52:8
