Thought from today’s Bible reading from Genesis 27-29.
Esau, as the firstborn, expected to receive the blessing from his father before he died. Isaac expected to give the blessing of the firstborn to Esau. Yet Jacob came first and deceived Isaac and received the blessing from his father (Genesis 27:18-29).
When it was discovered what had happened, Isaac “trembled violently” (Genesis 27:33) and Esau “cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, ‘Bless me, even me also, O my father!’” (Genesis 27:34).
With the blessing of the firstborn given to Jacob, and Esau begging his father for a blessing, what would Isaac do now for his favored son?
“Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, ‘Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, and away from the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve; but it shall come about that when you become restless, that you will break his yoke from your neck’” (Genesis 27:39-40).
Why could Isaac not give Esau a favorable blessing? The Hebrew writer gives us the answer:
“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come” (Hebrews 11:20).
The blessing to Esau was given by faith. Faith is rooted in the revelation from God to man (Romans 10:17). Isaac could give no other blessing to Esau because this one was the will of God.
The lesson here is that we cannot change God’s will to match our preferences. No matter how much Isaac loved Esau, the blessing stood. No matter how much Esau cried and protested, the blessing would not change.
We cannot change the will of God. We can only accept it, even it if is different from what we or others might prefer.
Tomorrow’s reading: Genesis 30-31
[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]
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