30 Jan. Genesis 27:1-23,30-33,42-45

30 Jan. Jacob cheats Esau and flees to Haran

"When Isaac was old, his eyes were poor, so he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, 'Son.' Esau answered, 'Here I am.'"

“Isaac said, ‘I am old and don’t know when I might die. So take your bow and arrows and go hunting in the field for an animal for me to eat. When you prepare the tasty food that I love, bring it to me, and I will eat. Then I will bless you before I die.’ So Esau went out in the field to hunt.”

"Rebekah was listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau. She said to her son Jacob, 'Listen, I heard your father saying to your brother Esau, "Kill an animal and prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I will bless you..." Go out to our goats and bring me two of the best young ones. I will prepare them just the way your father likes them. Then you will take the food to your father, and he will bless you before he dies.'..."

"So Jacob went out and got two goats and brought them to his mother, and she cooked them in the special way Isaac enjoyed. She took the best clothes of her older son Esau that were in the house and put them on the younger son Jacob. She also took the skins of the goats and put them on Jacob's hands and neck..."

"Jacob went in to his father and said, 'Father.' And his father said, 'Yes, my son. Who are you?' Jacob said to him, 'I am Esau, your first son. I have done what you told me. Now sit up and eat some meat of the animal I hunted for you. Then bless me.'..."

"Then Isaac said to Jacob, 'Come near so I can touch you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau.' So Jacob came near to Isaac his father. Isaac touched him and said, 'Your voice sounds like Jacob's voice, but your hands are hairy like the hands of Esau.'... so Isaac blessed him."

"Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father, Esau came in from hunting. He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father... Then Isaac trembled greatly and said, 'Then who was it that hunted the animals and brought me food before you came? I ate it, and I blessed him, and it is too late now to take back my blessing.'"

"When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, 'Bless me - me, too, my father!' But Isaac said, 'Your brother came and tricked me. He has taken your blessing.'"

"Esau said, 'Jacob [meaning a 'heel' or 'trickster'] is the right name for him. He has tricked me these two times. He took away my share of everything you own, and now he has taken away my blessing.'..."

"After that Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing from Isaac. He thought to himself, 'My father will soon die, and I will be sad for him. Then I will kill Jacob.'"

Rebekah heard about Esau's plan to kill Jacob. So she sent for Jacob and said to him, 'Listen, your brother Esau is comforting himself by planning to kill you... My brother Laban is living in Haran. Go to him at once! Stay with him for a while, until your brother is not so angry, and he will forget what you did to him.'"

(Genesis 27:1-23, 30-33 & 42-45)

Jacob, now aged 50, disguised himself as his older brother Esau, and deceived his elderly father Isaac in order to get the blessing of the first-born.

The ruse, carefully devised by his mother, Rebekah, worked perfectly and Isaac was tricked into blessing his younger son Jacob instead of his elder brother.

Esau was furious and threatened to kill Jacob. So his mother, Rebekah, advised Jacob to flee to his uncle Laban at Haran in Mesopotamia (see Genesis 24:10 & 29).

It would be many years before Jacob (the 'trickster') had the courage to confront his brother again, and he was able to return to Canaan.

The photo shows a 17th century depiction of Jacob receiving Isaac's blessing (by Govert Flinck) in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.