Moving On: Genesis 28:1-5
Our mistakes may cause us to deal with consequences, but we can move past them. This is the beauty of forgiveness. It starts with an honest apology. In that act, a single moment of humble honesty has the capability of moving aside a huge quantity of brokenness. Then, restoration – which might take a while, admittedly – can ensue.
As Esau’s anger smoldered, Isaac calls Jacob to him and affirms what Rebekah told him. Jacob needs to go to Laban – the house of Bethuel – and find a wife. He needs to go away to escape Esau’s wrath. He needs to go away so he doesn’t marry a Hittite woman – or any other kind of Canaanite woman, for that matter.
This leads to a very tragic fact. Rebekah and Isaac send Jacob away. They think that Isaac will be back in short order like Abraham’s servant before him. However, Jacob stays away for twenty years. Rebekah will die prior to Jacob’s return. The last interaction Rebekah has with Jacob is sending him away to spare him from Esau’s wrath.
This fact is the final testimony for the blessing story. Because everyone sinned and nobody stood up for righteousness, Jacob is made to flee the land. Had the situation resolved honorably, Jacob could have been sent away to find a wife and told to return quickly. Instead, Isaac’s choice to bless Esau and Rebekah’s choice to circumvent Isaac’s sin led to Rebekah being separated from her favorite son for the rest of her life.
Sin breaks relationships. Broken relationships are harder to mend the longer they stay broken. As relationships break, the consequences of the broken relationships reach out and make greater impacts in other areas of life. None of us ever know the true reach of our sinfulness until we are confronted by its effects.
While Jacob and Esau have trouble mending their relationship, Isaac seems to move past his sin with respect to Jacob. When Isaac speaks to Jacob, there is no feeling of tension in his words. Isaac no longer appears to be bothered by Jacob’s role in Rebekah’s scheme, and Jacob seems to have forgiven his father for his role in the blessing. Isaac asks God to continue to bless Jacob, to make him a company of many people, and to allow him to eventually possess the land.
Whatever we think about Isaac, he learns his lessons as Abraham did before him. He makes mistakes, but he moves past them. He understands consequences. He knows the consequences are created by the choices he makes. Once caught in his transgression, he recognizes God’s truth and he puts it in his past.
What a difference between Isaac and Esau! What an important lesson to learn about humanity. We make mistakes all the time. Sometimes our mistakes are enormously huge. Yet, so long as we are willing our mistakes can be overcome. Our mistakes may cause us to deal with consequences, but we can move past them.
