In the End, He Wins: Genesis 27:26-29
If we are God’s people, our words and actions should be about Him. While true, it doesn’t always play out that way. People focus on their own agenda. People lose sight of the ideals of God. Human will often surpasses God’s will, at least in the short-term.
Rebekah’s deception works. When Jacob comes near and kisses Isaac, Isaac smells Esau’s scent on the clothes. This is the proverbial nail in the coffin. The deal is sealed. Jacob wins the day through deception.
From the first moment of Isaac’s blessing, Jacob should have felt dishonorable. Isaac says that the smell of his son is like that of the Lord’s blessing. The only reason Jacob is being blessed is because he smells like his brother. While Isaac is trying to give praise to his son, Jacob’s own testimony equates the Lord’s blessing to deceit. This is not what Isaac meant, naturally, but it is what Jacob’s deceit turned it into.
Isaac then blesses Jacob with material possessions. This is fitting. With his mother’s help, Jacob has stolen the blessing of the father. This blessing, though, is penultimate. Isaac blesses Jacob with the things of this world, not genuinely spiritual considerations. Jacob’s worldly act steals a worldly blessing from a man disregarding God’s directive by trying to bless Esau instead of Jacob. It’s a fitting conclusion.
This point is made more predominant with the next portion of the blessing. Isaac says the nations will bow to him. Even more significantly, his brothers will bow down to him. Isaac wants to bless Esau in such a way as to make Jacob bow to Esau. He’s trying to work his own agenda rather than work God’s agenda. The problem for Isaac, though, is through Jacob’s deception Isaac unintentionally works God’s agenda. Isaac tries to follow his own agenda, but God’s will still happens.
Isaac finishes the blessing with a general conclusion statement. Anyone who curses Jacob will find themselves cursed and anyone who blesses Jacob will be blessed. While this is a common conclusion to a blessing, it’s likely that Isaac wanted to give this blessing to Esau to elevate Esau over Jacob. Isaac could only imagine Jacob’s reaction to hearing that Isaac blessed his older brother. This ending to the blessing sets up Jacob for being cursed. Unfortunately for Isaac, the deception turned the tables on his intent. Instead of setting up Jacob for the curse, he ends up setting up Esau instead. As God tells Rebekah, the younger shall rule over the older.
In the end, this story is a tragic example of how mixed-up things get when we try to assert our will over the will of God. God’s followers should have God’s will at the center of their desires and actions. We should want what God wants. We should strive for God’s will to be done on earth. His will shall be done, anyways. If we are God’s people, our words and actions should be about Him.
