Genesis 27 gives an account of the drama in Isaac’s household. Isaac himself is a quiet private man but right from conception into childhood, his offspring are in constant struggle and competition (Gen 25:22,26,33). The house openly divides with each parent having a favourite child; the children taking on different occupations. Such a household is a breeding ground for all kinds of problems, most of which become manifest only in the future. Our enemy cherishes such atmosphere and sows therein so many seeds that have quite undesirable potential. With our limited vision, we consider just the present. The sown seed of division produces the flowery blossoms of rivalry and competition in this great patriarch’s home. That was not to be all, the high point was the fruits both brothers would consequently reap all their lives, and pass onto their descendants. 

The boys grew into men as Isaac and Rebecca became old and ready to hand over the family blessing. Esau was the elder and the heir to the family blessing according to Eastern tradition. Rebecca arranged Jacob instead. God had told her in the place of prayer that the elder would serve the younger. “And the children struggled together within her; and she said, if it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:22-23). She would not fold her hands and watch the opposite happen. 

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage (Gen 47:9).

The arm of flesh swung into action. The end of the matter was ensuring that God’s word to her was fulfilled. Through deceitful actions, quite inconsistent with the godly life, Rebecca achieved her purpose of arranging by herself, for her favorite son, Jacob, a good blessing. But in God’s scheme of things, can the end ever justify the means?

During the impartation of blessing, old, dim-eyed Isaac faced the difficulty of verifying that it was really Esau. On one hand, the meal was just the way he liked it, on the other hand, all his active senses kept registering Jacob’s presence instead. By skillful scheming, Jacob ended up collecting the blessing that would have been Esau’s.

When we explore deeper the outcome of Jacob’s ’blessed’ life, we discover he was employing his mother’s kind of wisdom all through – his marriage, his acquiring material wealth at Laban’s and, finally, his seeking peace with his brother, Esau. We do not discover a straightforward or transparent friend of God. Genesis contains all these insightful accounts. His was never an easy road. He was finally pushed to his wits end where he wrestled with God all night for a blessing greater than just material blessing. Let us compare the two scriptures below:

Genesis 27:19

[19] And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

Genesis 32:26-27

[26] And he said, let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

[27] And he said unto him, what is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

I am sure you can notice the recurring phrase ’bless me’.

Below is a summarized autobiography of Jacob’s life:

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, the days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage (Gen 47:9).

This is surely not how God intended for Jacob to summarize his life. If only things were different! But are you not guilty also of such self-help strategies? You scheme your way to get what you want even when it is obvious that it’s not God’s will. You will not like the outcome in the end even though it has worked presently and God appears to be silent.

Duplicity trailed Jacob like a cat and its tail. Imagine working like a slave for fourteen years just to get married. Multiply the present monthly minimum wage by 12, and then by 14. You will get a picture of the price Jacob paid. He ended up with four girls as wives who all grew up in the same compound and already knew what to do to emotionally hurt the other person. Was this ever how Abraham or Isaac got their own wives? 

Sadly, he lost his favourite wife to child bearing in her prime. Life was surely not a bed of roses for Jacob. Picture also, having 10 boys for children who are perfect at lying, deception and fraud. They can sale to slavery a sibling and concoct a cover story for over 20 years. Two of them tricked a whole city into getting circumcised only to slay every male in vengeance for raping their sister. Years later, Jacob had not gotten over the trauma but surely placed a bitter curse on Simeon and Levi.

We are apt to fervently enquire, ’Would the sovereign Lord with whom all things are possible have been helpless in making the elder serve the younger without Rebecca pulling the strings of destiny with her duplicitous hands?’ There is yet never a record where He had pronounced and then became unable to perform. Child of God, cease from thine own wisdom and rest in faith before Him whom you have believed, “…even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom. 4:17). Do not complicate your foundation by your schemes. You don’t need examination malpractice to be ahead in life. Succeeding like this is using Rebecca’s wisdom. You will end up on the run, unable to confront situations head-on in prayer because of a weak conscience.

In conclusion, hear God’s words:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jer.29:11). 

God will not treat you any less nicely than he treated Abraham if you trust and obey.