INTRODUCTION:

1. There are four people in this chapter Isaac, his wife Rebekah, and their twin sons Esau and Jacob.
2. It is a very sad story one of the saddest chapters in the Bible. No one comes out looking good in Genesis chapter 27.
3. It is a very unpleasant picture that we have here. Isaac s wife, his two sons, and Isaac himself are all pictured as full of carnality, jealousy, and deceit.
4. What makes this even more disturbing is the fact that Isaac is the son of Abraham, the friend of God.
5. W.H. Griffith Thomas said when jealousies are found associated with the profession of faith in God, how terrible is the revelation! (Genesis).
6. John Phillips said, We step across the threshold of Isaac s home needing to be reminded that it was the home of a believing man, for it will be difficult to recognize it as such. Few ungodly homes exhibit such unlovely behavior as did the family of Isaac that sad day. The chapter is a warning and rebuke to carnal though believing parents (Exploring Genesis).

1. THE CARNAL FATHER
2. THE SCHEMING MOTHER
3. THE DECEITFUL SON
4. THE RESENTFUL SON

I. THE CARNAL FATHER

1. As the head of the home, Isaac was largely responsible for what happened in this sad story.
2. In Genesis 27:1, Isaac called out for his son Esau. Isaac started the chain of events recorded here by attempting to give his patriarchal blessing to Esau, rather than to Jacob, even though Isaac knew that God had already said that Jacob should receive the blessing (cf. 25:23).
3. Isaac s blessing is referred to as the patriarchal blessing. In Genesis 28:4, Isaac refers to it as the blessing of Abraham which was to be passed down to Jacob and his descendants.
4. Isaac told Esau of his approaching death, but in fact he went on to live for another forty-three years (27:2, 4b; cf. 35:28, 29).
5. Apparently even Isaac s wife Rebekah and their son Esau thought he would die soon (cf. 27:8-10, 41).
6. Isaac asked his son Esau to prepare some food for him to eat (27:1-4).
7. Verse 4 indicates that Isaac wanted to give his patriarchal blessing to his oldest son Esau, rather than to Jacob, even though Isaac knew that God had already said that Jacob should receive it (cf. 25:23).
8. This blessing involved more than just the inheritance of property. It meant that the man who received this blessing had the right to stand in direct line as an ancestor of the coming Messiah.
9. Since there does not appear to be any real signs of approaching death, and since Isaac lived for forty-three years after this event, Isaac s behavior seems very strange.
10. The hurry and the secrecy which characterized Isaac s action are suspicious, and his behavior suggests that his advanced years were marked by feasting, personal gratification, and self-will (27:4).
11. Isaac knew of God s purpose (25:23), but he deliberately attempted to thwart God s plan by transferring the blessing from Jacob, the one for whom it was divinely designed.
12. Referring to Isaac s carnality, W.H. Griffith Thomas said, This partiality for Esau, combined with his own fleshly appetite, led the patriarch into grievous sin, and we cannot but observe how his action set fire to the whole train of evils that followed in the wake of his proposal (Genesis).
13. It is not good when a man (especially a believer) overindulges in food, but Isaac became a man controlled by his carnal appetite.
14. Note the repetition And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat (27:4).
15. Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat (27:7).
16. And I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth (27:9).
17. And his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved (27:14).
18. And she gave the savoury meat and the bread (27:17).
19. And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father (27:31). Note the repletion savoury meat savoury meat, etc.
20. Isaac was a man that loved to eat (27:4, 9, 14, etc.). His fleshly desires are emphasized in this chapter. Romans 8:5 says, For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.
21. By the way, there are many warnings about this in the Bible. Gluttony and drunkenness are often linked together in Scripture as twin evils.
22. Proverbs 23:21 says, For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
23. In Philippians 3:19, the apostle Paul warns of those whose God is their belly.
24. Eli was a judge and a priest. He was the immediate predecessor of Samuel, who was the last of the judges.
25. But Eli got soft and lazy and did not discipline his wicked sons. One of the saddest and most pitiful stories in the Bible is the death of Eli.
26. When a messenger came to tell Eli that the ark of God was taken, the Bible says Eli fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy (I Samuel 4:18).
27. How do most people remember Eli? As the faithful judge who trained young Samuel, or as the old fat man who fell backwards and broke his neck?
28. And how do people remember Isaac? As the obedient young son a type of Christ who willingly followed his father up Mount Moriah, or as the sensual, hungry man portrayed here in Genesis 27?
29. Genesis 26:13 and 14 says Isaac waxed great and grew until he became very great: For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants. Isaac became very wealthy.
30. Wealth and prosperity often crowd out spiritual interests.
31. Our Lord said, No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).
32. Isaac s son Esau was a worldly man, and being a worldly man, Esau was happy to go along with Isaac s plan to bless him. We know Esau was worldly-minded from Genesis 26:34, which tells us he took two Hittite wives.
33. And we know Esau was worldly-minded from Hebrews 12:16, which refers to Esau as a profane person.
34. Therefore, being a worldly, profane person, Esau was happy to go along with Isaac s plan to bless him. Esau might have felt that this would be a good opportunity for him to recover his lost birthright. Though he had earlier despised his birthright (25:32-34), over time Esau learned to regret his mistake.
35. Esau eventually came to realize the value of that which his brother had bought from him for a mere pottage of lentils.
36. Therefore, Esau quickly responded to his father's request for a plate of venison since he saw in it his opportunity to regain the lost birthright (27:1-5). Isaac was a carnal father, and Rebekah was

II. THE SCHEMING MOTHER (27:5, 6)

1. Apparently Isaac did not realize that Rebekah overheard his entire conversation with Esau (27:5-7).
2. When we consider Rebekah s scheming, we should keep in mind that she may have had good intentions. Her object was to preserve for Jacob the blessing that God had always intended for him (cf. 25:23).
3. Rebekah was a very strong and capable woman. She was shrewd and she was clever. But her sin was that she lacked faith in God's ability.
4. Rebekah thought she had to help God accomplish His will. She was one of those strong personalities who think that the world cannot possibly be managed except by their shrewdness and sharp practice.
5. W.H. Griffith Thomas said, Ability must be consecrated to God if it is to be of real service (Genesis).
6. While her intended goal was legitimate, the means she used to accomplish it were dishonoring to God. Despite what the worldly crowd teaches, the end does not justify the means.
7. Rebekah knew that God intended for Jacob to receive the blessing. And she thought that the purpose of God was in danger, and thought that she had to do something, no matter how underhanded or deceitful, to prevent Esau from getting the blessing.
8. While her intentions may have been good, Rebekah s sin was inexcusable. We see in the Bible (and in life) that oftentimes people think they must take matters into their own hands in order to help God carry out His purposes (27:8-10).
9. A vivid example of this would be when Sarah suggested that Abraham have a son with Hagar.
10. Worldly people often say, "The Lord helps those who help themselves," but this is not taught in Scripture. The Bible teaches that God helps those who cannot help themselves.
11. And because we cannot help ourselves, we need to depend on God. God can easily work everything out without any help from us.
12. We cannot win victories for Christ by using unworthy methods. The evangelist Bob Jones Sr. used to say, It is never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right.
13. Let us do evil, that good may come (Romans 3:8) was a statement slanderously attributed to Christians. The apostle Paul rejected that unscriptural philosophy as well as those who advocate it. He said their damnation is just (Romans 3:8b).
14. W.H. Griffith Thomas said Rebekah was one of those who take upon themselves to regard God as unable to carry out His own purposes, thinking that either He has forgotten, or else that His will can really be frustrated by human craft and sin. And so she dared to do this remarkably bold thing (Genesis).
15. At first, Jacob wasn t too sure about his mother s sneaky plan (27:11, 12). He evidently recognized the dangerous risk that he would be taking (27:12).
16. The fear of God temporarily came upon Jacob. The Bible says, By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6).
17. Jacob also understood that the entire scheme was sinful in the sight of God, and he feared that he might bring upon himself God s curse rather than God s blessing (27:12).
18. But his misgivings were brushed aside, and because his pushy mother pressured him, Jacob yielded to her wishes (27:13, 14).

III. THE DECEITFUL SON

1. Jacob was a conniver. Having already schemed to secure the birthright, he next deceived his father in order to secure the blessing, which was a vital part of the birthright (27:18, 19).
2. Jacob already had the birthright from Esau, but he also wanted the blessing from his father. One was of no value without the other.
3. While Isaac was making plans to pass the blessing on to his favorite son Esau, Rebekah devised her clever counterplot.
4. At this point, Rebekah and Jacob should have exercised patience and waited on God. God had already said that the elder shall serve the younger, and God is able to do everything He has said He will do.
5. And God will always do it on time.
6. Following his mother s instructions, Jacob went and brought the two young goats to her (27:14). And his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
7. Next, Rebekah took Esau s clothes and put them on Jacob (27:15).
8. To add to the deception, Rebekah put the skins of the goats upon Jacob s hands, and upon the smooth of his neck (27:16).
9. The meal was ready, and Jacob approached his father with the food that his mother had prepared for him (27:17, 18).
10. Isaac s eyes were dim, so that he could not see (27:1), and so he did not recognize Jacob, and he asked him, Who art thou, my son? (27:18).
11. Jacob boldly and repeatedly lied to his father, and Isaac was entirely deceived (27:19, 24). Jacob even wickedly claimed that the LORD had helped him (27:20).
12. One lie follows another lie, and so Jacob pressed on with his deception (27:19 25).
13. Isaac sensed something wasn t right. He said, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not...The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau (27:21, 22).
14. Perhaps unwilling to consider that Jacob would ever stoop so low as to deceive his father, Isaac gave his blessing, including the promise previously given to Abraham cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee (27:29; cf. 12:3).
15. Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee (27:29) means the descendants of Jacob, i.e., the Israelites, would be pre-eminent among the nations.
16. As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, Esau walked in (27:30).

IV. THE RESENTFUL SON

1. Esau discovered the deception and understandably he was upset (27:30-36).
2. Isaac was also upset. Verse 33 says, Isaac trembled very exceedingly.
3. Oh, what a tangled web we weave
   When first we practice to deceive! Walter Scott
4. Deceivers are themselves often deceived.
5. No man is clever enough to thwart God s plans. The great French writer, Victor Hugo, said that on the morning of the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon stood gazing upon the field of battle as he described to his commanding officer his strategy for that day s campaign. "We will put the infantry here, the cavalry there, and the artillery here. At the end of the day England will be at the feet of France, and Wellington will be the prisoner of Napoleon."
6. After a pause, the commanding officer said, "But we must not forget, sir, that man proposes, but God disposes."
7. With arrogant pride, Napoleon stretched his body to full height and replied, "I want you to understand, sir, that Napoleon proposes and Napoleon disposes."
8. Victor Hugo went on to write these words, "From that moment Waterloo was lost, for God sent rain and hail so that the troops of Napoleon could not maneuver as he had planned, and on the night of battle it was Napoleon who was the prisoner of Wellington, and France was at the feet of England."
9. The same God who sent rain and hail on the battlefield of Waterloo, is the same God in control of the universe today. And he is the same God who exposed the plots and plans of Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob.
10. Proverbs 19:21 says, There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
11. God is sovereign, and men cannot frustrate the purposes of God.
12. It has been noted by many Bible teachers that the wheels in Ezekiel chapter 1 signify divine Providence. These wheels are always turning.
13. Isaac, and Rebekah, and Esau, and Jacob all foolishly thought they could overturn the wheels of heaven.
14. Apparently Isaac thought that in blessing Esau, he had outwitted both Rebekah and Jacob. But once Rebekah and Jacob s scheme was exposed, Isaac realized that they were the ones who had outwitted him!
15. Isaac came to realize that, in spite of his own attempt to divert the blessing to Esau and from Jacob, God s purpose had been accomplished after all. Isaac could not turn God s wheels.
16. Isaiah 14:27 says, For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
17. Isaac was carnal, but he was a believer in the God of his father Abraham, and to his credit he meekly accepted the inevitable (27:37).
18. The LORD had purposed, and no one could disannul it.
19. Isaac was prepared to acknowledge that God's will must be done. God had already declared that Jacob would be stronger than Esau; and the elder brother would serve the younger brother (25:23).
20. Esau s great and exceeding bitter cry (Genesis 27:34) was due to the humiliation and shame he felt at being beaten once again by his brother Jacob. It was not genuine repentance.
21. There is a big difference between remorse and repentance.
22. Hebrews 12:17 says that when Esau would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
23. There was no possibility of undoing what had been done. Lost opportunities are often never regained. This realization of all of this brought bitter tears to Esau.
24. Esau found no way to change his father s mind, though he sought it carefully with tears.
25. His bitter tears of disappointment were due to the fact that he had lost the temporal advantages that were connected to the birthright. But Esau showed little interest in the spiritual blessings that were connected to the birthright.
26. That is why Genesis 25:34 says, Esau despised his birthright.
27. Esau realized what had been done, but it was too late (27:34-38).
28. Although a partial blessing was bestowed upon Esau, it did not make him happy. He knew the past events were irretrievable, and the future meant subordination to Jacob, whom he hated (27:38-41).
29. By thy sword shalt thou live (27:40) the Edomites were notorious for violently preying upon others.
30. And shalt serve thy brother (27:40) the history of the Edomites was a perpetual struggle against the supremacy of Israel. They were conquered by Saul, and subdued by David, and repressed by Solomon, and restrained after a revolt by Amaziah.
31. The Edomites eventually recovered their independence during the reign of King Ahab when they were incorporated into the Jewish state and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck (27:40b).
32. Esau hated Jacob for what he had done (27:41). Verses 44 and 45 refer to Esau s fury and his anger.
33. Hatred often leads to murder. Though Esau never did murder Jacob, he was planning for it (27:41-46).
34. First John 3:15 says, Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
35. Our Lord said, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5:21, 22).
36. Esau probably thought he had good cause to hate Jacob, and even to kill him. Out of respect for his father Isaac s feelings, Esau did not want to kill Jacob until after Isaac passed away (27:41).
37. But he had no such consideration for his mother Rebekah.
38. This is evidence that Esau was a total stranger to the grace of God. There is absolutely no evidence of genuine repentance or salvation in the life of Esau. It gave him comfort to contemplate the murder of Jacob (27:42b).
39. Rebekah told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran (27:41-46). With Jacob away, Esau had time to simmer down, and after Jacob fled, nothing ever came of Esau s plan to kill him.

CONCLUSION:

1. As I said earlier, no one comes out looking good in Genesis chapter 27. Notice that Rebekah said to Jacob, "That which thou hast done to him" (Gen. 27:45).
2. Jacob was guilty of stealing the blessing from Esau, but Rebekah was the one who had devised the plan.
3. Rebekah schemed again and decided it would be best for Jacob to go to her brother's home to live until Esau forgot about his plot against Jacob. Rebekah did not expect that Jacob would have to stay long with Laban, for she instructed Jacob, "Tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away" (27:44).
4. Rebekah assumed that, even though Esau was very angry at the time, he would soon forget about the entire matter. Assuming that Esau would soon forget, Rebekah told Jacob, "Then I will send, and fetch thee from thence" (27:45).
5. But after she sent Jacob away, she never saw him again. She died before he was able to return. She never met her daughters-in-law or her grandsons or granddaughter.
6. About thirty years later Jacob did see his father again, but his mother Rebekah had already died. The entire family missed out on many blessings because they had sown to the flesh.
7. They had sought their selfish desires rather than seeking to please God.
8. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).