Too Little, Too Late, Esau.

May the mumbling commence!

Esau did too little too late.  When his father Isaac wished to give him the blessings of a firstborn (which he was), Esau left to hunt the wild game for his father.  As he went to hunt and prepare the kill, Rebekah worked a masquerade with Jacob.  The game was already there – goats.  And Rebekah knew how her husband liked his food prepared, so she gathered the spices and prepared the kids that Jacob brought her. 

Rebekah worked a careful disguise for Jacob.  She gave Jacob Esau’s good clothes (which he wouldn’t be wearing for a hunt).  These clothes held the smell of Esau.  She used the kid skins to create the hairy arms and neck of Esau and cover the smooth skin of Jacob.  As for Isaac’s sight, he was nearly blind.  Even though Isaac did not recognize Jacob’s voice as Esau’s, the clothes and the goatskin was enough to fool the nearly blind man.  And with the help of his mother Rebekah, Jacob easily beat his brother Esau to their father.

Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing that Isaac had meant for Esau.  Both Isaac and Rebekah were blinded by their favorite sons.  Rebekah’s blindness caused her to lie and deceive her husband into blessing Jacob, her favorite.  Isaac’s blindness caused his to desire the blessing for Esau, even though Esau’s actions were not worthy of the blessing.  Isaac was not willing to forgo the customs of his day that said the firstborn should receive such blessing – even when it was the Lord’s wishes.

Esau found his efforts too little too late…

When he discovered the deception, Esau was moved to anger and deadly jealousy.  Yes, playing favorites might be lethal.  There was another potential Cain and Abel in the making.  Instead, Rebekah convinced Isaac to send Jacob to her homeland so that he could find a wife.  Esau’s Hittite wives were driving her crazy.

Then, Jacob knowingly blessed his son Jacob and sent him to Paddan Aram to find a wife from his mother’s family.  Jacob thought he was going to find a wife, but Rebekah knew the greater threat was to protect Jacob from the murderous wrath of his brother Esau.  Again, we see separation – while not permanent, it was for a long time so that the anger of Esau could be defused.

And Esau learned of the escape of Jacob.  He learned that his mother and father wanted Jacob to marry someone from their clan.  Esau finally realized that his Hittite wives were not pleasing to his parents, so he goes and marries one of Ishmael’s daughters.  The Hittite wives he kept.  Perhaps, Esau had a difficult time listening to the council and feelings of others.

And whether he knew it or not, Esau’s effort was too little too late…

May I not choose my own favorites.  May I, instead, seek the Lord’s will in every step I make.  And may I be sensitive to the words and feelings of others – instead of making half-hearted attempts to make amends after the fact. 

I give thanks this day for the willingness of the Lord to work with flawed people and, perhaps, to work even through human deceptions and lies so that His will might be done.  Though, I must admit, I struggle with this deception.  I struggle with it more than the deception of the lentil soup - perhaps because it was conniving in tandem to fool another tandem, who was completely unawares.

Enough mumbling for today…

Peace Out