Jacob - episode 1

Here is the story of Isaac’s two sons (chapter 25 of Genesis and forward): «Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. The LORD was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it be so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger. When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob». These notations are important to the rest of the story.

Esau is the more impetuous son and one day, returning tired and hungry from the field, he decided to sell his birthright (which consists of a greater part of the paternal inheritance) to Jacob for a stew of lentils. His mother Rebekah and his brother, though, are to play him an even worse trick.

Isaac is now old and almost blind; he feels that his end is approaching and wants to build up his energy to give his blessing to his son Esau. That is also the blessing of the Lord, bearer of abundance, fertility, authority, victory over enemies. Isaac then asks Esau to hunt for him some venison, prepare it and bring it to him to eat to receive the blessing. Rebecca, who prefers Jacob her other son, tells him to take advantage of the absence of his brother to steal the blessing: while Esau is hunting they will take some kids from the flock and Rebecca will cook them for Isaac. Jacob then will wear Esau’s garments and will bind up arms and neck with the goatskins, to look hairy like him.

 

 

The deception works well: Isaac, although blind, has doubts (it is Jacob’s voice), but is convinced by touching him and feeling the fake hair on his body. «“God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.” It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.” Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.” When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father.” He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”».

Esau, after those events, begins to hate strongly his brother Jacob, a liar and a thief: Jacob took what was Esau’s right, which once given cannot be revoked. Esau publicly threatens to kill Jacob and so Rebekah their mother, trying to protect him decides to make him run away to her family in Haran (the same city from which Abraham came out on the Lord’s command). It is a coming back caused by Jacob’s evil action, which certainly cannot be definitive: the call by the Lord and his promise to Abraham the first patriarch cannot be cancelled.

In the next post we will tell of Jacob’s meeting with his uncle Laban and see if the stolen blessing will be effective for him or not.