It is the well-known account of Jacob tricking his father Isaac into giving him the blessing of the firstborn son (Esau’s blessing).
“Rebekah said to her son Jacob, ‘Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, “Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.” Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.’ Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.” (6,7,9,10,15-17)
A few chapters ago (Gen 16) we looked at how Abram (Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham) took matters into his own hands in order to fulfill God’s promise to him – Abram took Hagar, Sarai’s slave, to be his wife so he could have offspring (Ishmael) and fulfill God’s promise of many descendants. Abram could have waited for God to fulfill the promise in His own way, but he chose to speed up the process and created some serious repercussions as a result.
Jacob and Rebekah do the same thing here. Through the passing of the birthright from Esau to Jacob, and based on the fact Esau had married foreign women, Jacob was already a shoe-in for the continuation of the Abrahamic lineage. God even told Isaac and Rebekah when she was still pregnant with the twins that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). But despite all of those things in Jacob’s favor, he and his mother still conspire to trick his father into giving him the firstborn’s blessing as well.
This sin of Jacob’s, like his grandfather Abram’s, had serious consequences. Esau, probably still angry about the birthright and now even more angry about losing the blessing too, vows to kill Jacob, so Jacob now has to flee from his brother.
The Bible does not elaborate as to how this would have turned out differently if Jacob hadn’t lied to his father and taken Esau’s blessing – it’s entirely possible Isaac would have blessed them both almost equally, or Jacob would have still received his second blessing (tune in for ch28) in addition to the second-born blessing.
But we do know that sin, no matter what the logic (or lack thereof) behind it, is still sin and still has consequences and punishments. Jacob is another in a lineage of deceivers (Abram and Isaac both deceived) which is why these men are often used as an example of “generational sin” – a common practice or behavior of sin that passes from generation to generation and will continue indefinitely until the cycle is intentionally broken.
Father God, please “Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” Please also do not allow us to initiate a generational cycle of sin – it is my heart’s desire to deal with any sin in my life so it may not continue throughout future generations. Search our hearts Lord, so that we may confess our sins, for we know You that are faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (Psa 79:8-9, 1 Jn 1:9 par)
~ Conqueror in Training