Rebekah had two sons－Esau and Jacob. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a mild man, preferring to dwell inside. Genesis 25:28 tells us, “Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (ESV)
Throughout their lives, the brothers competed. At some point, Jacob tricked Esau into giving up his birthright in exchange for some bread and a bowl of lentil stew.
Surely, both boys knew about God’s promise to their father and his prophecy to their mother. Did Esau not care about the promise? Did Jacob feel God needed his help to bring about the prophecy? We don’t know. What we do know is that Rebekah wasn’t taking any chances.
When Isaac grew old and his eyesight failed him, he called Esau to him and said it was time for his blessing. He told Esau to hunt his favorite game and prepare it so that he might present the blessing.
Rebekah overhead the conversation and went into action, laying the foundation for Jacob’s deception in stealing Esau’s blessing. Though she may have had good intentions, all she accomplished was creating a permanent rift between her sons and damaging her relationship with her husband. As a result of her actions, she had to send her beloved Jacob away to avoid being killed by his brother. Though she promised to send for Jacob once Esau calmed down, that never happened. Once she sent Jacob away, she never again saw him.
How often do we, like Rebekah, get so consumed with our own desires that we fail to take into account the impact our actions will have on those around us? May we trust God to take care of the details of his plan for our lives.
Rebekah’s Deception in the Bible: Genesis 27
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