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My brother and I obviously have the same parents. We grew up in the same family and the same environment we’ve had a number of the same kind of experiences, so while we are alike in some ways we are very different in other ways. In some senses, we are radically different. In our case, maybe you could explain that because we are two years apart, he is two years older than me. The fact that we went to different Grammar schools or because we have lived in two very different locations for around 37 years now. He stayed in Ireland I moved to England in my mid 20’s. That might explain some of the things that are going on, but I don’t think it’s the total explanation by a long shot.

That similarity between us would obviously have been more strike had we been twins and not just brothers. Similarities are usually more noticeable in twins than just normal siblings. Twins are alike in a lot of ways, they can even looked alike, but when you really got to know them, they are often quite different.

One of the greatest illustrations of this kind of thing is tucked away in the Book of Genesis. What I’d like for us to do is look at a set of twins that were alike in some ways, but very different in others. They were twins, they had grown up in the same environment and yet at a very deep level, they were radically different from each other. As we walk through this story, I suspect some of us might even see ourselves reflected in one or the other of these two twins. But whether that is the case or not, this much is certain, there is an important spiritual truth taught here in a very dramatic way. With that in mind, would you join me as we pick up the text at the end of Genesis Ch 26 and follow into chapter 28. Now, if you’ve been following me as we’ve been going through the book of Genesis, you have probably guessed by now that I’m talking about two brothers, a set of twins that were born to Isaac. They are called Esau, and Jacob and we’re going to talk about one and then the other. Then we are going to talk about both of them at the same time. It’s a rather long story, spanning across three chapters so I’m going to do my usual expositional approach through the next number of days and read and comment and read and comment in order to move through this in a way that we can get the drift of the story and the point of the story. It begins in chapter 26: 34 and ends in 28: verse 9, lets begin by closing off Genesis chapter 26.

 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

(Genesis 26: 34-35)

What is significant here is that the women Esau married were Hittites. Scripture makes very clear that they were not to marry the natives of the land. So, far everyone in the Genesis narrative have deliberately married Canaanites. Marrying a Hittites was a violation of everything that Abraham and his descendants were supposed to do so. The opening verse of this episode tells us, in essence, that Esau was not concerned at all about the covenant that God had made with Abraham. Or to say the same thing another way, he was not concerned at all about what God had to say, meaning he wasn’t concerned about the word of God. Here is a case where, in essence, he went and married an unbeliever. Only he didn’t marry just one unbeliever, he married two unbelievers. So, on two levels he has violated God’s intended purpose for him. This it tells us was a source of grief to his parents, they were sad that he had married an unbeliever.

Now that’s the backdrop of what’s going on in Chapter 26, so. Abraham and Sarah had a son that was called Isaac, and Isaac had these twins, and one was named Esau and he goes straight out and violates the scripture and it was a grief to his parents. That’s the first thing that happens. Now the next thing you need to know is this. Normally the oldest of the children got the inheritance from the father only in this case, God said that it’s not the older of the two that is going to get the blessing of Isaac., it’s going to be the younger of the two. This is very important, God said Jacob was going to get the blessing. Holding that thought in mind, because we will pick up the story in chapter 27 next time.

The Deception Begins (Genesis 27:1 - 28:9)

Let’s pick up the text in Genesis Chapter 27: 1

“When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered.  Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4 Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”

(Genesis 27: 1-4)

Remember following their birth God had said the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob) Let me back up for just a second and fill in a few details. Verse, one says Isaac was old, we don’t exactly know how old he was. I’ve read several experts who tried to guess at the age, but all agree he was over 100 years old. I’m not sure how they calculated that, but at any rate, he’s very old and he has a problem with his vision. He’s an old man and his eyes are dim. The fact that he can’t really see is important. Isaac calls Esau, and he says, I want you to go fix me my favourite meal so that I may bless you.

We know from what has been said prior to this that Isaac knew he was meant to bless Jacob, not Esau. That was clearly stated, he clearly knew what he was supposed to do, and chapter 25, verse 23 says that in no uncertain terms, but now he has said he’s stepping out of the will of God and he’s going to bless Esau. 

So far in this section I’ve introduced you to two characters the first was Esau and what did he do? He disobeyed God and married two women instead of 1, and married unbelievers. Isaac, what did he do? He knowingly, deliberately disobeyed God’s command to bless Jacob and not Esau. Let me introduce you to the third character in this passage, Rebecca.

5 “Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 ‘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.’ 8 Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9 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. 10 Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

(Genesis 27: 5-10)

Rebecca comes up with this scheme. Here we’ve got the mother of both sons, practicing the deception on her own husband, so that her favourite of the two children would get the blessing. The problem is, she knew that God intended for Jacob to get the blessing, that’s very clear. For her to scheme this way rather than to either go and talk to Isaac or let the Lord work it out shows a lack of faith on her part. She is saying I know what God said, but I got to get this done my way. Have you heard anything like that before? Who else did something like that?  Remember, Sarah, God said to Abraham I’m going to give a son to you and Sarah. Sarah was past jail childbearing age and she thought, “there is no chance of me getting pregnant”. But. I’ll make this happen, she says, I have a hand maid, so I’ll use her. Sarah then told Abraham to go and sleep with Hagar. She also is trying to bring about what she thinks is God’s will, in stark contrast to what God said he was going to do. The exact same thing is happening here. Rebecca is saying I’m going to fix it so that Jacob gets the blessing. Alright, let’s pick up the story. Verse 11. 

11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. 12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing. 13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say, go and get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.

(Genesis 27: 11-14)

Jacob starts to doubt that this is going to work because, the father can’t see. Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it, says Rebecca, you just go get this food. We got to get this done so let’s get it done really quick. He does what his mother says, and we shall look at how Rebecca develops this scheme in the next episode.