Isaac's Blessing

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. Hebrews 11:20

The “things to come” were those promises and prophecies of the future of God’s people, and the roles the sons of Isaac would play in the rise to prominence of the Hebrew nation. Isaac’s faith was in God’s promise to his father, Abraham, before Isaac was born. Abraham was to become the father of many nations, but “through Isaac shall your seed be called,” Genesis 21:12. Isaac carried the line of faith—those who would hear and believe God’s Word, and identify themselves as the people of God. They would dwell in the land God had given them for an inheritance. He lived and died with that expectation.

Genesis 26: When twins Esau and Jacob were conceived in Rebekah’s womb, God told her they would always be in conflict with each other, and that the younger-born one (Jacob) would “supplant” his firstborn brother. Time went by, the boys grew into men, and their personalities proved true to God’s prophecy. Esau, the firstborn, didn’t really value the heritage of the firstborn’s legal birthright, so when he came in hungry from an all-day hunt, he was willing to bargain away the birthright for a bowl of Jacob’s soup. Jacob took advantage of his impuslive brother, yes, but at least to Jacob the birthright meant something special, and it meant nothing to Esau. It held deep spiritual meaning, and Esau was a worldling.

Genesis 27: Esau was Isaac’s favorite, and Rebekah loved Jacob best. Rebekah was well aware of the prophecy God had made regarding her sons. When Isaac was approaching death and had gone blind, he summoned Esau to bring him a freshly prepared venison dish and receive his blessing. Rebekah decided to intervene, so she manipulated Jacob into deceiving his father to receive the blessing of the firstborn, instead. This was quite an undertaking, but the two managed to make Isaac believe he was blessing Esau with predominance over his brothers, abundant wealth, divine blessings on his supporters and retribution on his detractors; repeating God’s promise of protection and provision to Abraham.

The importance of this blessing was its binding nature. The patriarch called the shots in those days, and what he declared for his children was the way it would be. God knew in eternity past how these two sons would conflict, and which one would be the link of faith in their generation. It was not because Jacob was good (he wasn’t), but because he believed in the promised birthright. Esau cried in remorse (not repentance), and pleaded with his father to change it, or at least add something special for him. Isaac stood by the blessing he had pronounced to Jacob, which made Esau the lesser, and a very angry man.

There is a familiar pattern here. We first saw it with Cain and Abel, and it is teaching us that it is the comprehension of God’s provision that makes the difference in our relationship to Him. No matter how humanly “good” a person is, if he doesn’t understand and appreciate God’s spiritual truths, he cannot partake of God’s spiritual riches. He who “despises the birthright” cannot expect to receive it (Genesis 26:34). He’s likely to whine and cry, though, when the blessing has passed him by.

Faith is knowing God’s character and believing God’s Word. Isaac blessed his sons according to what he knew of God’s character and God’s Word, and in the following generations God’s character and God’s Word would guide and protect Abraham’s seed until the coming of the Messiah.