1.
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.
2.
And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
3.
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;
4.
And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
5.
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
6.
And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
7.
Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
8.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
9.
Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
10.
And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.
11.
And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
12.
My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
13.
And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
14.
And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
15.
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
16.
And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
17.
And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18.
And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
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.
20.
And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.
21.
And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
22.
And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
23.
And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
24.
And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
25.
And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26.
And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
27.
And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
28.
Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
29.
Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.
30.
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31.
And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.
32.
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
33.
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
34.
And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
A PENITENT’S PRAYER
‘And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.’
Genesis 27:34
No one can read this chapter without feeling some pity for Esau. All his hopes were disappointed in a moment. He had built much upon this blessing, for in his youth he had sold his birthright, and he thought that in his father’s blessing he would get back his birthright, or what would stand in its place. He had parted with it easily, and he expected to regain it easily. He thought to regain God’s blessing, not by fasting and prayer, but by savoury meat, by feasting and making merry.
I. Esau’s cry is the cry of one who has rejected God, and who in turn has been rejected by Him. He was: (1) profane, and (2) presumptuous. He was profane in selling his birthright, presumptuous in claiming the blessing. Such as Esau was, such are too many Christians now. They neglect religion in their best days; they give up their birthright in exchange for what is sure to perish and make them perish with it. They are profane persons, for they despise the great gift of God; they are presumptuous, for they claim a blessing as a matter of course.
II. The prodigal son is an example of a true penitent. He came to God with deep confession—self-abasement. He said, ‘Father, I have sinned.’ Esau came for a son’s privileges; the prodigal son came for a servant’s drudgery. The one killed and dressed his venison with his own hand, and enjoyed it not; for the other the fatted calf was prepared, and the ring for his hand and shoes for his feet, and the best robe; and there was music and dancing.
Illustration
(1) ‘There are in this world many modern Esaus. See how men are bartering away for a mere trifle, precious but irrecoverable opportunities! Again, according to the familiar Roman legend, a Sibyl came to the palace of Tarquin the Second, bearing nine volumes, for which she demanded a high price. Her offer was declined, and she disappeared, and burned three of the precious books. Returning, she offered the remaining six, but asked for them the same price which she had demanded for the nine. Again her proposition was rejected; and again she departed and committed to the flames three more volumes. Once more she came back, bearing the last three, and refusing any less sum for them than that by which all might once have been bought! Tarquin, startled by this strange conduct of the merciless Sibyl, advised with his augurs, and bought the books, which proved the invaluable “Sibylline Verses”; but the chance of purchasing those priceless sister volumes was for ever lost.’
(2) ‘My heart bleeds for Esau: he has to be content with a poor and paltry second-best. But he has himself to blame. He has shown himself so crass, so earthly, so blind to what is spiritual and holy.
Often there comes a time in a careless and godless life when it is roused to understand the value of the blessing which hitherto it has despised and neglected and refused.
Sometimes, alas! the awakening is too late. The blessing is gone. God, having been often rejected, has passed on His way. His Spirit does not always strive. His grace is not always available.
But many a time the awakening leads to good results. If I cannot, after turning away again and again from what is high and heavenly, after bestirring myself only at the eleventh, or the ninth, or the seventh hour, do everything for God I might have done, and receive from Him every gift I might have received, still His pardon may be mine, His favour, His friendship, His love.
Best it is when I am His from the outset. Best it is to yield myself to God in His own Now—Now, the acceptable time, the day of full and free and eternal salvation.’
35.
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
36.
And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
37.
And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38.
And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39.
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
40.
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
41.
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
42.
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
43.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44.
And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;
45.
Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
46.
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?