The Blessings to Jacob and Esau (10 November 2017, 20 Heshvan, 5778)
Was Jacob wrong to deceive his father Isaac and to receive the blessing? Did Esau also get a blessing of his own? What did the Blessing to Esau really mean? Does the Deception practised by Jacob symbolize anything concerning the future behavior of his descendants? Is it pertinent to Judah in the Land of Israel today? Does it concern the Lost Ten Tribes and their allotted task in history? A discussion of these and other questions is given in the article below.
Contents:
1. The Birth of Jacob and Esau. A Prophesy of Eternal Conflict
2. Jacob Acquires the Birthright from Esau
3. Jacob and Esau Receive their Blessings
4. Was Jacob in the Wrong to Deceive Isaac?
5. The Disguise of Jacob and the Ten Tribes
6. The Future Punishment of Edom for Persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust?
7. Moral Considerations
8. The Duty of Israel i.e. the Ten Tribes to Return to the Law
9. Conclusion: A Prophecy and a Prophetic Prototype
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1. The Birth of Jacob and Esau. A Prophesy of Eternal Conflict
Abraham begat Isaac. Isaac married Rebeka who bore him twin sons.
Jacob and Esau were the twins. While still in the womb it had been reveled to Rebeka that the younger (Jacob) would have the preeminence.
Genesis 25:
21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, 'If it is so, why then am I this way?' So she went to inquire of the LORD.
23 The LORD said to her,
'Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.'
The Hebrew translated above as "And the older shall serve the younger" is grammatically inconclusive.
Even though "the older shall serve the younger" is the primary implication it could also mean "the older shall be served by the younger." Usually the Hebrew word "et" would be inserted in the sentence to make it clear which of the two names [i.e. "younger" or "older"] was the object of the verb "shall serve". Here it is lacking.
The Sages understood this to intimate that both sides would struggle with each other with one side gaining predominance intermittently with the other one. It is clear that the primary meaning is that "the older shall serve the younger" but a second possibility exists that in history would also come into effect at times.
When the twins grew Esau became a hunter and was favored by his father. Jacob dwelt in tents and was preferred by his mother.
Genesis 25:
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents.
28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
In addition Rebeka may have felt closer to Jacob due to the different nature of the two boys:
In prosaic terms it may be that since Esau was hunter, an outdoorsman, then Isaac liked him. This type of person is often more appreciated by the male. The Bible says that Esau brought him food from his hunting excursions.
Jacob was an innocent, a dweller of tents. The feminine maternal instinct of Rebeka may have enabled her to see that the future lay with Jacob?
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2. Jacob Acquires the Birthright from Esau
It happened that Esau was coming from the hunt and was famished. He sold the right of the firstborn to Jacob:
Genesis 25:
29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, 'Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.' Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, 'First sell me your birthright.' 32 Esau said, 'Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?' 33 And Jacob said, 'First swear to me'; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Questions have been asked concerning the purchase by Jacob of the birthright from Esau. Was it a moral thing to do?
The Bible testifies that Esau despised his birthright (Genesis 25:32).
According to the simple English Translation the passage reads as if Jacob made the selling by Esau a condition to receiving the food. The Hebrew original however does not say this!
The expression translated as 'First sell me' (Genesis 25: 33) in Hebrew is "HaYom" i.e. "this day" not necessarily "first"! The Commentary "Ha-Katav Ve-HaKabalah" by Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865) has shown from the Grammatical construction in the Hebrew that first Jacob gave the food to Esau and then he requested the birthright. Esau gave it to Jacob as an afterthought.
Where the translation says, "Then Jacob gave Esau bread" (Genesis 25: 34) the Hebrew original is "veYaacov natan" meaning "had already given."
Gil Yehuda explained the point made by "Ha-Katav Ve-HaKabalah" :
# This is a perfect tense verb in middle of a series of imperfect tense verbs. Had the author been grammatically consistent, the text should have said (Jacob then gave) -- a construct used in verse 25:5. This tells the reader that something is presented out of sequence; that Jacob gave food before Esav sold the birthright. #
This places the expression, 'Thus Esau despised his birthright' (Genesis 25:34) in a different context. Esau had not been forced to sell the birthright but did so as an afterthought. Jacob valued the birthright.
This is approximately how the relevant verses should be understood:
Genesis 25:
29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, 'Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.' Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, 'Sell me your birthright, as of today' 32 Esau said, 'Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?' 33 And Jacob said, 'Today, swear to me'; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob had [already] given Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. And Esau despised his birthright.
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3. Jacob and Esau Receive their Blessings
Later when Isaac felt he was about to die he told Esau to hunt venison and prepare it for him so that he may bless him. Rebeka heard Isaac make the request of Esau. She told Jacob to disguise himself as Esau and bring the meat of a kid goat to Isaac who was blind. Jacob protested that if he would do so when his father discovered had happened he would curse him instead of blessing. Rebeka assured Jacob that she was taking the responsibility (Genesis 27:13). Jacob followed the instructions of Rebeka, received the blessing, and went out.
This is the blessing given to Jacob:
Genesis (NKJV) 25:
3 May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you,
That you may be an assembly of peoples;
4 And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you,
That you may inherit the land
In which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham.
Esau arrived straight afterworlds and was informed what had happened. He protested, told Isaac that Jacob had previously bought the birthright from him, and asked for a blessing of his own. Isaac said that Jacob had received the blessing and it was irrevocable (Genesis 27:33).
Esau then asked that he too should receive a blessing:
Genesis (NKJV) 27:
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, 'Bless me, me also, O my father!'
35 But he said, 'Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.'
36 And Esau said, 'Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!' And he said, 'Have you not reserved a blessing for me?'
37 Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, 'Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?'
38 And Esau said to his father, 'Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, O my father!' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:
'Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
40 By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.'
Note in Genesis 27:39 it says "Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth." This means that Esau would enjoy agricultural bounty and material prosperity. This is the correct translation. There are some Christian Translations that render the said verse as, 'Behold, your dwelling shall be AWAY FROM the fatness of the earth." This is incorrect. It is against the straightforward meaning of the Hebrew text and contrary to the traditional understanding of it.
Concerning the last verse in the blessing to Esau:
Genesis 27:
40 By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.'
The key expression here and the one least amenable to straightforward translation is "when you become restless."
In Hebrew ("ca-asher ta-rid") this may be translated to say anyone of the following or all of them together:
"When you come to rule, when you go down, when you move away." These possibilities are subject matter for another discussion.
We see above that Isaac after learning that Jacob had received the birthright at first did not want to give a blessing to Esau. Nevertheless in the end after the importunities of Esau he did. Why did he refuse at first and then relent and give a blessing? It may be that since he had made Jacob the master of Esau and all his kin (Genesis 27:37) anything that accrued to Esau ultimately would belong to Jacob? In Hebrew Law a slave has no property of his own but whatever he has really belongs to his master. The blessing to Esau was in fact ultimately only an addition to that given to Jacob and in the end will go to Jacob.
Both Jacob and Esau therefore received a blessing. Both would be materially prosperous. Esau would live by his sword. Jacob would receive the blessings of Abraham. He would become an assembly of peoples, be very numerous, and inherit the Land promised to Abraham.
We have seen elsewhere that this land is to encompass the Isles of Britain and areas bordering on the Atlantic Ocean. This was fulfilled by the Ten Tribes.
See: Predicted Hebrew Islands. Were the British Isles and North America Promised to Become Israelite?
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/rabbi/sofer.html
Following the incident in which Jacob impersonated Esau and received the blessings Esau hated Jacob and plotted to murder him. Esau intended to kill Jacob when their father would die. Rebeka was aware of the machinations of Esau. She persuaded Isaac to send Jacob away to her brother in Aram. Before Jacob left Isaac blessed him and in effect confirmed the blessings to him.
Genesis 28:
3 'May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
4 'May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.'
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4. Was Jacob in the Wrong to Deceive Isaac?
Jacob was not in the wrong since Rebeka his mother had been told by God that is how it should be, as we saw above (Genesis 25:21-23). We learn from this that even though Esau was the firstborn God wanted the right of the firstborn to go to Jacob. We also learn later that Isaac was not aware that Esau had sold the birthright to Jacob. It was only later that Esau told him.
Genesis 27:36 And Esau said, 'Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!' And he said, 'Have you not reserved a blessing for me?'
Jacob valued the birthright. Scripture testifies that Esau did not value it but rather despised it. "Thus Esau despised his birthright" (Genesis 25:33). When Isaac heard that Jacob had bought the birthright he acknowledged that the blessing was rightful that of Jacob.
Genesis 27:
33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, 'Who was he then that 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.'
If Isaac had have known that Jacob had acquired the birthright he may have chosen to bless Jacob in the first place.
Jacob had been promised the blessing from birth (Genesis 25:21-23). The Bible bears testimony that Jacob valued the right of the firstborn whereas Esau did not (Genesis 25:33). Both Jacob and Esau had separate roles to play in the development of mankind. The role of Jacob could be fulfilled better with the blessing than without it.
Esau needed it less. Jacob presented himself as Esau to Isaac. In deceiving Isaac, Jacob was doing the bidding of his mother Rebeka to whom it had been revealed in Prophecy that so it was meant to be. Isaac acknowledged that the blessing he had given had the sanction of God Almighty. He had merely served as a conduit, "Yes, and he shall be blessed" (Genesis 27:33). If something had have been wrong with the way in which Jacob got the blessing the Almighty would not have confirmed it. Later when Jacob took leave of Isaac the latter acknowledged the blessing as pertaining to Jacob. God apparently had his own reasons for having Jacob receive the blessing the way he did.
Perhaps it is to teach the descendants of Jacob that in order to do what they must they need to take on themselves some of the Attributes of Esau. Esau is associated with violence and warfare. Perhaps the meaning is that the Jews should take the Promised Land by force even though it has been promised to them by God Almighty and in the eyes of heaven has belonged to them from the beginning? They need to "disguise" themselves as Esau, to put on his clothes, to get what is theirs.
A related teaching involves the future role of the Ten Tribes.
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5. The Disguise of Jacob and the Ten Tribes
We saw above (no.4) that one of the lessons to be learned from the disguise of Jacob is the need for Judah to adopt attributes of Esau (military prowess, etc) in order to receive the Land and related blessings.
Perhaps this is also what the Ten Tribes had to do?
The Ten Tribes were exiled. The exile was both a punishment and a tool of correction. Israel as a whole had proved itself unsuitable to carry out the original intention of the Almighty as hinted at by the Bible.
The Israelites had been supposed to keep the Law and to also to dominate all peoples of the world and bring them closer to the right path.
The world as it then was was not ready for them. They were not ready for the world. The two tasks were to both (1) Keep the Law and (2) Civilize Humanity. They were not able to do both things together. They split into two.
Judah had to Keep and Develop the Law. The Ten Tribes had to forget who they were, become like the Gentiles, evolve upwards, and draw the Gentiles up with them. The section of Joseph among the Ten Tribes was to play the primary role in this regard but the other tribes were also important. In the End Times the world will have changed. The Gentiles will be able to receive the message. [See the article, "Joseph Disguised as Esau"]. Both Judah and the Ten Tribes will be able to fulfill both aspects of their duty and will re-unite as prophesied in the Bible, e.g.
Isaiah (NKJV) 11:
12 He will set up a banner for the nations,
And will assemble the outcasts of Israel,
And gather together the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.
13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart,
And the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off;
Ephraim shall not envy Judah,
And Judah shall not harass Ephraim.Ezekiel (NKJV) 37:
21 Then say to them, Thus says the LORD God: Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. 23 They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
When Jacob disguised himself as Esau he was symbolizing what the Ten Tribes would had to do. Esau became the prime military power among the nations. Edomite descendants of Esau also worked as partners to the Assyrians in re-settling the Ten Tribes in various sections of the Assyrian Empire including the Isles of Britain. Esau at first dominated the Ten Tribes in their places of Exile. The influence of Edom is still present among them! The Ten Tribes asserted their independence to some degree and gave expression to their Israelite destiny. They did this by adopting aspects of Edomite culture and behavior and even Edomite thought patterns. This was the Disguise of Jacob!
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6. The Future Punishment of Edom for Persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust?
Isaiah predicted the future destruction of Edom i.e. of Esau.
Isaiah 34:
5 For My sword shall be bathed in heaven;
Indeed it shall come down on Edom,
And on the people of My curse, for judgment.
6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood,
It is made overflowing with fatness,
With the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah,
And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
One of the reasons for this punishment is given one verse down.
Isaiah 34:
8 For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance,
The year of recompense for the cause of Zion.
Edom will have sinned by persecuting that section of Israel called Zion apparently meaning in this case the Jews of Judah.
In the Book of Obadiah the destruction of Edom (i.e. Esau) is prophesied.
Obadiah 1:
10 Because of violence to your brother Jacob,
You will be covered with shame,
And you will be cut off forever.
....
13 Do not enter the gate of My people
In the day of their disaster.
Yes, you, do not gloat over their calamity
In the day of their disaster.
And do not loot their wealth
In the day of their disaster.
14 Do not stand at the fork of the road
To cut down their fugitives;
And do not imprison their survivors
In the day of their distress.
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7. Moral Considerations
It is forbidden to lie. It is also prohibited to deliberately deceive others.
Falsehood is to be avoided:
Exodus 23:
7 Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Psalm 119:
29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
Proverbs 30:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.
Obviously however exceptions exist.
To save a life one may tell a lie.
Even to avoid embarrassing someone else or causing shame to oneself it is permitted to change things.
The Almighty Himself adhered to this rule, e.g.
Genesis 18:
13 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ABRAHAM, WHEREFORE DID SARAH LAUGH, SAYING, SHALL I OF A SURETY BEAR A CHILD, WHICH AM OLD?
The Sages point out that Sarah had actually laughed at the idea of both her and her husband bearing a child in their old age. God however did not repeat to Abraham that Sarah had included his chronological situation in her amusement. God was careful not to upset the harmony between husband and wife.
Jacob deceived Isaac in order to receive the blessing which was his anyway.
It had been prophesied that the pre-eminence should be his (Genesis 25:23).
He had also purchased the birthright from Esau (Genesis 25:33).
Isaac was not aware of all this. If he had been he may have wished to bless Jacob anyway. Retroactively he did agree with what was done.
Isaac gave the blessing thinking the recipient was Esau. Nevertheless the Blessing had a power of its own. It was from God. Isaac was only a conduit and he admitted as much.
Genesis 27:
33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, 'Who was he then that 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.'
Isaac realized that who ever it was who had been blessed it was the will of God that the blessing should be his.
Shortly afterwards Isaac again blessed Jacob and in effect confirmed the blessings he had given before (Genesis 28:3-4).
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8. The Duty of Israel i.e. the Ten Tribes to Return to the Law
Malachi (NASB) 1:
1 The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
2 I have loved you, says the LORD. But you say, How have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? declares the LORD. Yet I have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness. 4 Though Edom says, We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins; thus says the LORD of Hosts, They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the LORD is indignant forever. 5 Your eyes will see this and you will say, The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel!
Malachi begins his Prophecy with the Almighty saying he loves Israel but hates Esau (Malachi 1:1-5). In continuation we hear how Israel has sinned by not fulfilling their duty. We are told that all of mankind are destined to acknowledge the Almighty (Malachi 1:6-14). The difference between Esau and Israel is that Esau is destined to be destroyed and it is implied that Israel is not. Nevertheless the shortcomings of Israel are listed.
Why the difference?
In the rebuke to Israel we hear how Israel has neglected to serve God.
Malachi 1:
6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect? says the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, How have we despised Your name? ...10 .... I am not pleased with you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from you. 11 For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.
Israel is condemned for profaning the name of God (1:12). They are judged for not honoring God and not serving HIM properly, etc. From these negative exhortations we learn that Israel is EXPECTED TO SERVE GOD PROPERLY! Esau is not so required. In the Book of Obadiah we are told more about the destruction of Esau.
We are also told that Israel will be redeemed. Israel will repent and return to serve God.
Obadiah 1:
15 For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you.
Your dealings will return on your own head....
17 But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape,
And it will be holy.
And the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.
18 Then the house of Jacob will be a fire
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau will be as stubble.
God loves Israel because in the future they who remain of them will serve God as they should have.
They will have been oppressed by Esau. It may be that Esau is also responsible in part for the corruption of Israel.
The message is that Israel is intrinsically redeemable whereas Esau is much less so.
When it comes to the final judgment we are as we chose to be.
If we were forced to be worse than we would otherwise may have been then for this consideration will be given.
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9. Conclusion: A Prophecy and a Prophetic Prototype
We have seen from the above that the blessings given to Jacob encompassed prophecies.
The manner in which they were given and received also has significance. It was in fact a Prototype of how the Israelites would need to act in the future in order to fulfill their destiny.