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Genesis 27:11-17

2008.Aug.22 18:00

Almost Thinking About It

Read Genesis 27:11-17 | Full Chapter

"My brother Esau is a hairy man," Jacob reminded her. "And I am not. If my father touches me and realizes I am trying to trick him, he will put a curse on me instead of giving me a blessing." Rebekah insisted, "Let his curse fall on me! Just do what I say and bring me the meat." So Jacob brought the meat to his mother, and she cooked the tasty food that his father liked. Then she took Esau's best clothes and put them on Jacob. She also covered the smooth part of his hands and neck with goatskins and gave him some bread and the tasty food she had cooked.
(Genesis 27:11-17, CEV)

I like that Jacob almost thinks about his mother’s plan. It at least occurs to him that something could go wrong. His concern is that his father, discovering the plan, will then curse him. It’s a good concern as far as that goes, but he’s still missing the point. Jacob is deceiving his father, and the kicker is, so that he can receive a blessing witnessed by Yahweh! Um, can we please think all this through?

Rebekah is not swayed. In fact, she’s willing to accept on herself whatever curse may otherwise come upon her son. This whole thing just seems absurd. If I hadn’t seen families who play these kind of games, I’d say this is allegory. And yet, I have seen this kind of absurd behavior within families. I guess, after all, humans are human.

One other comment, though, is the contrast between Rebekah/Jacob and Esau. The former two, especially Rebekah, are prepared. Indeed, the little I see of Rebekah’s life, being prepared and ready to deal with even totally unexpected is her norm. That’s a strength, but like most (all?) strengths, it can be misused. Esau’s appearances have indicated a man who is never prepared, best illustrated that he was managed to get hungry enough to sell his birthright; indeed the selling shows a lack of forward thinking. But, is it better to have the strength with the temptation of misuse or not to have it. I suppose it depends on the strength of the temptation, reminding me of something Jesus says:

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell. If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell…
(Mark 9:43-47, NASB)
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