Gen. 27; 28:1-5
Full Lesson HERE
INTRODUCTION. When Isaac was old and his eyes dim, he directed Esau, his elder son, to take his bow and quiver, go to the field and bring him some venison. He would then give Esau his blessing before he died. This special blessing was part of the birthright of the firstborn son. However, when Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob, he not only gave away his right to the double portion of inheritance, he also lost his right for this special blessing.
Rebekah overheard Isaac's instructions to Esau, and to ensure that her favorite son Jacob received the blessing, she and Jacob devised a scheme to deceive Isaac. Rebekah told Jacob to bring her two good kids from the flocks, and she would prepare for Isaac some food that he loved. After Jacob brought the kids to his mother, he dressed in Esau's clothes. To complete the deception, Rebekah then put the skins of the goats upon Jacob's hands and neck, for Esau was a hairy man.
Disguised in this manner, Jacob took the food his mother had prepared to his blind father. Then Isaac, deceived in this manner, gave Jacob the blessing he had intended to give to his favorite son Esau.
Later when Esau brought Isaac the venison and Jacob's deception became known, Esau
begged his father for a blessing. Isaac could not take away the blessing he had given to
Jacob, but he could give Esau a lesser blessing. Esau then resolved to kill his brother Jacob after their father died, but Rebekah heard about his plan. She persuaded Isaac to send Jacob away to her brother Laban in Haran that Jacob might take a wife from her brother's family.
Although Esau and Jacob eventually were reconciled, their conflict was carried on by their descendants after them. The Edomites (descendants of Esau) and Israelites
(descendants of Jacob) feuded for centuries until the Edomites were finally subdued by the Maccabeans (descendants of Israel, Jacob) and became a part of the Jewish (Israelite)
people in 126 B. C. After the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 by the Romans, the
Edomites disappeared from history.
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