Written by David Self Monday, 26 November :00 - Last Updated Sunday, 18 November :04

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview December 2, 2018 The Deceiver Background: Genesis 25:19-27:40 Lesson: Genesis 27:18-29 Motivation: A coach once said, Potential means you ain t done nothing yet! Through this lesson, we ve not seen a lot out of Isaac or Jacob to qualify them as patriarchs (except young Isaac s willingness to obey his aged Father as the sacrifice). Yet, God sees in us qualities that are not apparent to others. With all our flaws and imperfections, we can still be used by God if we are willing. I. Jacob: Exploitation of His Brother (25:19-34) A. Prayer So she went to inquire of the Lord (22) Sometimes we pray for ourselves, sometimes for others. In this instance, Rebekah simply didn t understand what was happening within her. Today we have the added resource of the Bible to inquire of the Lord. B. Prior Knowledge the older will serve the younger (23) To foreknow is not the same as to foreordain. God knows the future but does not predetermine our every decision. Here is an example of where the less likely person is included in God s plan for the Messiah. (1 Cor. 1:27) C. Parenting Isaac loved Esau but Rebekah loved Jacob (28) Parents should learn from the mistakes of others rather than having to repeat those mistakes. Favoring one child over another or forming an alliance with a child against your spouse will build a foundation for many future sorrows. HCS B, p :27-28 The differences between Esau and Jacob, already apparent at birth, became more pronounced 1 / 13

2 as the boys grew up. Esau was a rough-and-tumble hunter and outdoorsman (lit man of rural regions ); Jacob was quiet and stayed at home (lit. dweller in tents ). The differences between the boys highlighted a division between the parents: Isaac, something of an outdoorsman himself (24:63), loved his rugged son Esau, while Rebekah loved her more domestic son Jacob, even teaching him how to cook. D. Patrimony sell me your birthright (31) Believer s Study Bible, p. 43: 25:31 The birthright refers to the law of primo-geniture (the privileged right of inheritance belonging to the firstborn son). It included a double portion of the inheritance, as well as leadership. The recipient of the birthright might invoke the blessing of Abraham (cf. 28:4), which was the threefold promise made to Abram (12:1-3; 17:6-8). Isaac specified the blessing of Abraham as the lot and hope of Jacob (28:4). The Nuzi tablets from modern Iraq (c B.C.) reveal that the birthright could be sold or changed from one child to another by the father. But Esau revealed his lack of proper respect by being willing to sell it himself to satiate his great hunger (vv. 33, 34). This despising of his birthright was the moral watershed in the life of Esau, who was ruled by his own desire (v. 30). II. Isaac: Troubles and Blessings (26:1-35) A. God s Security I will be with you (3) This is the second major famine mentioned. The first caused Isaac s father to go down to Egypt. Another caused his son and grandsons to move there permanently. His natural reaction was to head south. Why did God say no? 2 / 13

3 1. God s Security is not affected by problems. Going down to Egypt resulted in Abraham sinning and deviating from God s plan. To obtain different results, one must make different plans. God wanted Isaac to clearly understand that He had a new path for Isaac to follow. HC SB, p.53, 26:1-6 Isaac and his clan experienced the second recorded famine of the Bible (12:10). To avoid the effects of the famine, Isaac sought refuge in the region where his father had once lived (20:1). The Abimelech mentioned here may or may not be the same one with whom Abraham negotiated a treaty (21:27). The name may have been given to each succeeding king within a dynastic family. Isaac must have been tempted to leave the famine-ravaged land and go down to well-watered Egypt as his father had done (12:10), but the Lord warned him not to do this. To inherit the promises of offspring, land, and blessing that God had given Abraham, Isaac had to stay in the land as a foreigner. 2. God s Security is built around His promises. God reestablished the covenant with Isaac. The main provisions: a. stay in this land (3) b. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky. (4) c. all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring. (4) 3 / 13

4 d. because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My mandate (5) The commands, statutes and instructions were not yet in written form; the implication is that Abraham had been obedient to what God had commanded (i.e. circumcision). B. Generational Sin She is my sister for he was afraid to say my wife (7) The lie that Abraham declared at least twice is now repeated in his son. Coincidence? I think not. 1. Generational Sin places a higher value on observed behavior than on revealed promises. Some pervert this truth by blaming every sickness on sin; worse, some blame birth defects on the sin of the father. Jesus made it clear in the story of the man born blind that his blindness was not the result of his parent s sin. (John 9:3) However, actions of parents, while not deterministic, certainly do influence the behavior of their children. When faced with the same problem, Isaac fell back on what he saw Dad do rather than relying on God s protection. (3) 2. Generational Sin typically gets worse, not better. Abraham told a half lie; Isaac s story was total fabrication. A family therapist once said, Neuroses in the parents become psychoses in the grandchildren. Such a slide is not inevitable; all it takes is for one generation to break the cycle by claiming God s promises and living a Godly lifestyle. (Deut. 7:9) 3. Generational Sin will be found out What is this you ve done to us? (10) Concrete memories often win out over abstract promises. We sometimes excuse and even adopt the sins of our parents without counting the cost. Isaac was publicly humiliated just as his father had been. HCS B, p. 53, 26:7-11 Isaac would have had to negotiate with the Philistines to enjoy certain privileges among them. As a result, he might have to provide a wife for someone s harem. If the person asked for Rebekah (and she was, after all, the most important female in the clan and a beautiful woman ), Isaac might be killed if he refused. Thus Isaac, like Abraham before him (12:13; 20:2), told outsiders that his wife was his sister. Isaac s lie was uncovered when he was caught 4 / 13

5 caressing (lit laughing/playing with ) Rebekah. Abimelech, as the supreme authority in the region, sent for Isaac and demanded an explanation. Isaac patterned his defense after his father s (20:11); he feared he might die on account of his wife. C. Gentle Stand He moved from there and dug another, and they did not quarrel over it. He named it Open Spaces (22) 1. The Success of Isaac the man became rich (13) Isaac s prosperity doesn t seem to track with his obvious character flaws. It s a reminder that our blessings do not come because of our goodness but because of God s goodness. We will disappoint God just as Isaac did. The way we deal with sin and our subsequent faith and obedience are crucial. (Joshua 1:8 KJV) HCSB, p.53, 26:12-22 Because the Lord blessed him, Isaac enjoyed amazing success as a farmer, achieving the highest level of agricultural productivity recorded in the Bible (cp. Mt 13:8). The Philistines viewed Isaac as a rich foreigner with a reputation for trickery, and they wanted him off their land. Isaac complied, moving to the nearby Valley of Gerar, reopening old wells that had been filled with dirt and having his slaves dig three new ones to accommodate his increased herds and flocks without threatening the Philistines. However, as in the days of Abraham (Gn 21:25) the contentious Philistines claimed the rights to the first two wells, giving rise to the names Esek ( Quarrel ) and Sitnah ( Hostility ). When at last the Philistines did not quarrel over a well, Isaac rejoiced and named the well Rehoboth ( Open Spaces ). 2. The Struggle of Isaac Then they dug another well and quarreled over that one 5 / 13

6 also (22) On the surface (no pun intended), Isaac was pushed all over the landscape. Beginning in verse 15, he was involved in a struggle of digging out wells that had been stopped up and of quarreling with his neighbors. J. Vernon McGee sees a parallel struggle in our Christian life. This reveals the struggle that was carried on. I feel that the water is a picture of the Word of God. We are to drink deeply of it. It is called the water of the Word and is for drinking purposes to slake our thirst, and it is also for washing. Jesus said that we are cleansed through the Word which He has spoken. Water is a very necessary item in life. You can t have life without water. You can fly over the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico and California and see plenty of arid land. Then all of a sudden you see an area of lush green and wonder what has happened down there. Water is the only explanation. And, my friend, water is the explanation of the differences between God s children in any church the water of the Word of God. There is a great difference in the lives of believers who study God s Word. And there will be a struggle. I think that you will always have to pay a price if you are really going to study the Word of God. The devil will permit you to do anything except get into the Word of God. (Thru the Bible, Col. 1, p. 11) (John 7:37-39, 17:17; Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5) 3. The Stand of Isaac He moved from there and dug another (22) McGee quite correctly concludes that Isaac was a man of peace and patience. We can learn something from him. The reaction to a challenge does not have to be that of Simon Peter (Luke 22:50). There s a time for bold action; but there s also a time for a gentle stand. In effect, Isaac said, I m here to stay. You can t drive me from this land. I ll do whatever it takes to claim God s promise. But, a well is not worth fighting for. I d rather be inconvenienced than to assert my rights. D. God s Statement (26:23-35) HCSB, p.53-54, 26:23-25 Isaac s clan moved about 25 miles southeast to Beer-sheba, w here his father had once lived (21:31). There the Lord appeared to Isaac and reassured him at a time when the Philistines were making trouble. The Lord was with Isaac to bless him and multiply his offspring, in keeping with God s promises to Abraham (15:5; 17:2; 22:17). Isaac was the third patriarch to build an altar 6 / 13

7 (besides Noah, 8:20; and Abraham, 12:7-8; 13:18; 22:9). God met Isaac at Beer-sheba (24). The results of that encounter are evident in the remainder of the chapter. We cannot schedule God. However, true worship has certain results. This is good case study in what worship can do and cannot do: 1. True Worship Will Result in Enthusiasm for God s Work So he built an altar there pitched his tent there. Isaac s servants also dug a well there. (25) After meeting with God, Isaac got busy! Worship should never be regarded as totally introspective; it should result in enthusiasm for God s work. Isaiah s response to his encounter with God was Here am I. Send me. (Isa. 6:8b) 2. True Worship Will Result in Evangelism We have clearly seen how the Lord has been with you. (28) When we have truly been with God, people will know. However, they won t know which God we ve been with unless we declare it with our lips. 3. True Worship Will Not Eliminate Temptation Esau he took as his wives They made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. (34-35) One evangelist said that the true test of worship is not how high you jump but how straight you walk when you hit the ground! Great leaders in the Bible are presented without any attempt to gloss over sin. They were people just like you and me. The experience of worship does not lessen the responsibilities of moral living. In fact, if our walk doesn t match our talk, then great dishonor will fall on the Kingdom. III. Jacob: The Deception of His Father (27:1-46) A. Rebekah and Jacob Plot to Deceive Isaac (27:1-17) Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! The dysfunctional family practices we saw earlier come home to rest in the form of jealousy, lying and deceit. 1. The Setting (1-4) Family problems are one of the major sub-themes of this section of Genesis. We ve seen strife between Ishmael and Isaac; now we see it between Esau and Jacob. 7 / 13

8 a. The problem was people-centered. Have you ever noticed that the most serious problems in families revolve around people? Often outside pressures unite families and make them stronger. In Abraham s family, the lightning rod was Hagar; in Isaac s family, the problems stemmed from parental favoritism, Isaac favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob (25:28). b. The problem was due to lack of belief in God s promise. In 25:23 (See Rom. 9:11-13) God revealed that His blessing was upon Jacob and that the elder would serve the younger. J. Vernon McGee points out that Jacob didn t believe God and didn t accept that the blessing was already his. Rebekah, his mother, did not believe God. Evidently, Isaac, the father, didn t believe God or he would never have attempted to by-pass Jacob and give the blessing to Esau. he followed his own feelings and appetites in contradiction to the distinct Word of God. ( Thru the Bible, Vol. 1, p. 118) c. The problem was worsened by a preoccupation with the present. Just as Esau wanted soup more than his birthright (25:29-34) Isaac determined that he was willing to circumvent God s promise to obtain what he thought might be his last meal (he, in fact, lived forty more years!). Rebekah was willing to lie, cheat and endure a curse (32) to obtain what she wanted for Jacob now. Real progress is made by people who are willing to find God s future goals and take steps to obtain them. Preoccupation with short-term goals, especially carnal goals, thwarts long-term progress. Paul speaks of the upward calling of Christ. Some Christians seem to think that upward will happen all at once in the Rapture and has no application to growing closer to Christ each day! (Phil. 3:10-14; 2 Pet. 3:18) 2. The Schemes (5-10) Isaac set the stage for the scheme by scheming himself. If he really thought he was about to die, Isaac should have called all family members in to share his blessing. (49:1-2) Instead, he schemed to exclude Rebekah and Jacob. Fighting fire with fire, Rebekah schemed to deceive Isaac. 3. The Shame (11-13) The shame of this passage is that there is no shame! Isaac, Esau, Rebekah and Jacob all were doing things that they knew were wrong and displeasing to God; yet, the only questions was how not to get caught. Jacob s whine Then I will be revealed to him as a deceiver. (12) begs the point. In fact, he was a deceiver! Someone defined character as how you act 8 / 13

9 when you know you won t be caught. 4. The Sin (14-17) Rebekah and Jacob carried out a methodical plan with one goal in mind: deceive Isaac. The sin is the same as that of Sarah - trying to fulfill God s plan using human schemes. HCSB, p. 54, 27:5-17 Following Near Eastern tradition (18:9-10), Rebekah could not be in the immediate company of males-even family members who were conducting business. However, she was listeni ng to the men from nearby. After learning of Isaac s intentions for Esau, Rebekah came up with a scheme to overturn the plans. Perhaps she did it because she remembered the decades-old prophecy about Jacob dominating his older brother. With this the Bible paints a picture of a troubled family: Rebekah using her son (not their son ) to destroy her husband s plans, and Jacob agreeing to lie to his father and cheat his brother. A curse of an unexpected sort did result for both Jacob and Rebekah: their scheme forced Jacob to leave his father and mother (28:5), and the Bible gives no indication that Rebekah ever saw her favorite son again. B. A Deceitful Son When he came to his father, he said, My father. And he answered, Here I am. Who are you, my son? 19 Jacob replied to his father, I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may bless me. 20 But Isaac said to his son, How did you ever find it so quickly, my son? He replied, Because the Lord your God worked it out for me. 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau or not? 22 So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac. When he touched him, he said, The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. (27:18-23) The blessing of Isaac (27-29) probably doesn t mean as much to modern day readers; we tend to think of it as just words. Its importance to the sons is seen in the extent to which they 9 / 13

10 go to obtain it. Quite possibly, the blessing included a double portion of inheritance. Esau had already relinquished his birthright; perhaps now he sees a chance to get it back. The depth of deceit is startling. Isaac had his doubts, so, Jacob had to lie and lie again. Rarely will one lie ever be enough. Believer s Study Bible, pp : 27:1 Isaac s weaknesses overtook him. He continued to set his affection upon Esau. This elicited the contention of Rebekah, who suggested to Jacob that he deceive Isaac into thinking that he was Esau, which Jacob proceeded to do, even to the point of securing his father s blessing. Jacob even presumed to include God in his crime (v. 20), a practice all too common among deceivers throughout history. This resulted in family strife, including Esau s threat to kill Jacob (vv. 41, 42). All this could have but one result: namely, divine chastening upon the disobedient (Heb. 12:11). Rebekah was deprived of her favorite son (vv. 13, 43), and Jacob was himself deceived by Laban (29:10-13, 15-20). C. A Deceived Father He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24 Again he asked, Are you really my son Esau? And he replied, I am. 25 Then he said, Serve me, and let me eat some of my son s game so that I can bless you. Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, Please come closer and kiss me, my son. 27 So he came closer and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him and said: Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. (27:24-27) HCSB, p.55, 27:18-27a Isaac was blind, but he could still use his other senses in addition to his reasoning. To overcome this, Jacob used at least five different things to deceive his father; goatskins to make his hands seem rough and hairy (v. 23), the cooked goat his mother prepared (v 25), his brother s clothes in order to smell like Esau (v. 27), alcohol to impair his father s judgment (v. 25), and blatant lies 10 / 13

11 (vv. 19, 20, 24). Jacob s craftiness paid off since his father blessed him. D. A Stolen Blessing May God give to you-- from the dew of the sky and from the richness of the land-- an abundance of grain and new wine. (29) May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brothers; may your mother's sons bow down to you. Those who curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you will be blessed. (27:28-29) HCSB, p. 55, 27:27b-29 Isaac s blessing included four elements: agricultural prosperity (v. 28) even as He had done for Isaac (26:12); international respect and success (27:29); a command directing Jacob to be master over the entire clan; and the transference of the protective provision of cursing and blessing that God had once given Jacob s grandfather Abraham (12:3). E. The Results of Deceit (27:30-40) Once again, we see that when one tries to do God s work in a carnal way unfortunate consequences result. Rebekah s intricate plan to reserve God s blessing for Jacob resulted in the following: 1. Results for Isaac Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. (33) Isaac realized that he had been duped. His plan, hidden from the rest of his family (and presumably from God), had been thwarted. His suspicions of Jacob had been well-founded! 2. Results for Esau he cried out with a loud and bitter cry (34) Esau, like Isaac, was a victim of his own schemes. Remember that Esau initiated the offer to sell his birthright rather than accept responsibility for his own short-sightedness For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing. (36) Esau chose to direct his anger toward his own brother, and that anger was murderous! (41) HCSB, p.56, 27: / 13

12 Isaac s response to Esau was much shorter than Jacob s blessing (21 vs. 34 Hebrew words), and was more of an anti-blessing. Creating and ironic wordplay with phrases from Jacob s blessing (v. 28), Isaac stated that Esau would live away from the richness of the land and from the dew of the sky. Jacob would be master (v. 29), but Esau would serve. Living a life of violence by the sword, Esau s only consolation was that he would someday break Jacob s yoke from his neck. Application 1. Trying to accomplish God s work through ungodly means results in disaster. 2. Trying to manipulate family members results in bitterness. 3. Trying to unify your family without clearly relating a Christian vision results in confusion and defeat. Leader s Pack Item 1: Map: World of the Patriarchs; Item 2: Outline of Genesis; Item 3: Poster: Family of Abraham ; Item 8: Handout: Memory Verses Bookmark ; Item 9: 12 / 13

13 Handout: Birthright and Blessing Biblical Illustrator: p. 14 The Firstborn in the Old Testament Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: g ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is available on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: 11/25 No LBS; 12/1 Deacon s Christmas Party; 12/6-9 - Celebration Performances; 12/15 Ni ght of Hope Tour with (CYP); 12/23 No LBS; 12/24 - Christmas Eve 2,4 & 6; 12/24-25 Christmas Holidays; 12/31 Summit New Year s Eve. 13 / 13