Jacob and the Stolen Blessing

Introduction: Isaac had two sons, one named Jacob which mean ‘cheater,’ and one named Esau . 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife. Because Rebekah was barren Isaac prayed

to the LORD on behalf of his wife and the LORD answered him and Rebekah conceived. Then the LORD said to Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb. And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger." When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, the first came out red and hairy; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth. Esau became a skillful hunter, but Jacob was a peaceful man and stayed at home. Esau was Isaac’s favorite because he liked to eat the meat that Esau hunted, but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when Jacob was boiling some soup, Esau came in from the field, and said to Jacob, "Let me eat some

of that red soup, for I am hungry!" Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" So Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of soup. Thus Esau despised his birthright. When Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, "My son.

I am old and I do not know the day of my death. "Now then, please take your quiver and your bow, and go out to hunt and prepare a meal for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat it and bless you before I die." Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to Esau. So when Esau had gone, Rebekah said to Jacob, "Go now to the flock and bring me two young goats that I may prepare them for your father. "Then you shall bring it to your father, so that he may bless you before his death." Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, and put them on Jacob. And she put the skins

of young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob. Then Jacob came to his father and said, "My father." And he said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?" Jacob said, "I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Please, sit and eat that you may bless me." Isaac said, "How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me." Isaac said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau. Are you really my son Esau?" And Jacob said, "I am." So Isaac said, "Bring my meal, that I may bless you." Then Isaac said to him, "Please come close and kiss me, my sn." So Jacob kissed him; and when Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed Jacob and said, "See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you. Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out, that Esau came in from hunting and made food, and brought it to Isaac; saying, "Let my father arise and eat that you may bless me." Isaac said, "Who are you?" And Esau said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau." 33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who then hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed." When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to

his father, "Bless me also, O my father!" And Isaac said, "Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing." So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because his father had blessed him; and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob." Now the words of Esau were reported to Rebekah. So Isaac sent Jacob away to live with Rebekah’s

brother Laban.