May the mumbling commence!
Though it was just complete, Rebekah’s and Isaac’s
deception was unveiled posthaste. But
the bottom line is that the will of the Lord was done. Read from Peterson’s The Message:
Then
Isaac said, “Come close, son, and kiss me.”
He
came close and
kissed him and Isaac
smelled the smell of
his clothes. Finally, he blessed him,
Ahhh. The smell of
my son
is like the smell of the
open country blessed by God.
May God give you of Heaven’s dew
and
Earth’s
bounty of grain and
wine.
May peoples serve you
and nations honor you.
You will master your
brothers,
and your mother’s sons will
honor you.
Those who curse you will
be cursed,
those who bless you will
be blessed.
And then
right after Isaac had blessed Jacob and
Jacob had left, Esau showed up from the hunt.
He also had prepared a hearty meal. He came
to his father and said, “Let my father get up and eat of his son’s
game, that he
may give me his
personal blessing.”
His
father Isaac said, “And who are you?”
“I am your son, your firstborn,
Esau.”
Isaac
started to tremble, shaking violently. He said, “Then who
hunted game and brought it to me?
I finished the meal just now, before you walked
in. And
I blessed him – he’s blessed for good!”
Esau, hearing
his father’s words, sobbed
violently and most bitterly, and cried
to his father, “My
father! Can’t
you also bless me?”
“Your
brother,” he said, “came here falsely and took your blessing.” (Genesis
27:26-35)
Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:
Then his father Isaac said
to him, “Come
here, my son, and
kiss me.”
So
he went to him and
kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his
clothes, he blessed him and said,
“Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a
field that the Lord
has blessed.
May God give you of heaven’s dew
and of earth’s richness – an abundance of
grain and new wine.
May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.
Be lord over your
brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow
down to you.
May those who curse you
be cursed
and those who bless you be blessed.”
After
Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely
left his father’s
presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared
some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, sit up and eat some of my
game, so that you
may give me your blessing.”
His father
Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
“I am your son,” he answered, “your
firstborn, Esau.”
Isaac
trembled violently and said, “Who was it,
then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before
you came and I blessed him – and indeed he will be blessed!”
When Esau heard his father’s words, he
burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father,
“Bless me – me too,
my father!”
But he
said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your
blessing.” (Genesis 27:26-35)
There are differences between the NIV and Peterson’s
work, but mostly Peterson has kept the Spirit and heart of the Scripture in
this passage. I wonder, though, about
the flipping of the peoples and the nations.
What’s that about?
The final part of the deception was Esau’s clothes. The smell sealed the deal for Isaac. And Jacob, impersonating Esau, was blessed
abundantly. What God had said to Rebekah
had come true.
And Esau didn’t realize what he was losing until it was
gone. May we cling to our faith heritage
and not lose it!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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