GENESIS 27

What a contrast this story of Jacob and Esau is to God’s benevolent character! Here in this chapter, we have the climax of Jacob and Rebekah’s deception, when they decide to steal Isaac’s blessing away from Esau.

So, after Esau has left to hunt some wild game for his father, Jacob goes in to see Isaac (with some tasty food and furry clothes his mother gave him) and spends quite some time convincing his father that he is Esau. After Isaac is sufficiently convinced, he gives Jacob "the blessing."

Afterwards, Esau comes in to receive the blessing and... uh oh! He learns that wily ol’ Jacob was just there. But don’t you find the following conversation between Esau and Isaac interesting?

"Esau said, 'Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!' Then he asked, 'Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?'

"Isaac answered Esau, 'I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?'" (vs 36-37)

I don’t know about you, but that just struck me as being awfully sad. I don’t know how the ins and outs of blessings worked in the Old Testament cultures, but apparently, a father only had one "blessing" to give to one of his children. And once it was gone, it was gone.

Isn’t that nearly the direct opposite of God?! He stands in total contrast to this idea that blessing was reserved for only one of a father’s children. God blesses everyone. Jesus said this plainly in Matthew 5: "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" (vs 44-46)

A perfect, practical example of this is the story we looked at several days ago in Genesis 17. When Sarah concocted the plan to get Hagar pregnant with Abraham’s son, she didn’t succeed in fulfilling God’s plan, only in screwing things up and making them complicated.

Yet, when it came right down to it, God didn’t say, "I only have enough blessing for one of these boys. Since I intended to bless Isaac, I must curse Ishmael." No! God isn’t like that. He said, "And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will also make him into a great nation." (vs 20)

God isn’t the God of limited blessings. He has unlimited blessings! He has more than enough blessings to go around, and whenever we come to Him, we will find ourselves incredibly blessed in His presence.