Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. ~Genesis 27:30
Cue the suspenseful music. Esau is about to find out he’s been deceived. Again. By his brother.
Isaac and Rebekah had an interesting relationship. Their communication was clearly lacking in how they treated their children. God says not to play favorites. But playing favorites defined their relationship with their children.
Rebekah preferred Jacob. Isaac preferred Esau.
Tradition said as the oldest, Esau should have been the favored child. He should have received the “double portion,” or birthright, as well as the blessing of his father. But God told Rebekah before the boys were even born that the older would serve the younger. Issac didn’t like this idea and continued to push for the traditional role for his elder son. We’re not told if Rebekah was honestly trying to honor God, or if she was simply being deceptive because she liked Jacob better. My own opinion is the latter because she did feel the need to be deceptive. She never actually confronted Isaac about God’s promise.
God blesses Isaac over and over. Isaac was a man who loved God. What would have happened if Rebekah had been honest with her husband? Would this mess with Jacob and Esau have been such an issue? Would Isaac have stepped up and obeyed God? In this case, both parties sinned because neither were honest. Did Rebekah tell Isaac about God’s promise when she was pregnant? Isaac sinned by not honoring God’s promise. Rebekah sinned by not confronting her husband about God’s promise.
And the kids (who really weren’t kids anymore at this point) were caught in the middle.
Instead of looking at the big picture, Esau developed a grudge against Jacob.
Do we ever do that? God is speaking to us. He always is. We’re told to pray without ceasing for that very reason. The deception and anger of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau serves as an example of what can happen when we choose not to fully listen to God. Rebekah may have been trying to force the fulfillment of God’s promise, but if there is any deception involved, something is wrong. God will always bring about His promises without the need for sin.
Let’s all be careful to obey God when we hear His voice.