The story of Jacob getting the blessing that was rightly for Esau, his older brother, seems to be a story where mothers are put in a bad light.
You see, if it not had been because of Rebekah, Esau could have enjoyed the blessings that have something to do with what God will be able to do for him; with his relationships with other people, political authority; and with his relationships with his own family, his brothers bowing down to him.
But Rebekah told her favorite son, Jacob, of what she overheard about what Isaac, her husband, has instructed Esau as a prelude to blessing the latter. She told her favorite to preempt Esau by getting a couple of kids so that she can prepare a scrumptious meal for Isaac who is almost blind because of old age. She told him to serve it after she has cooked it the way his father likes it so that he can get the blessing before Isaac dies.
As an effect, and to cut the story short, Jacob has deceived his father and got the blessing while Esau was left in a bitter cry after learning of his fate. I felt Esau when he asked if there is anything left for him and begged his father to bless him too. Poor boy.
I can’t help but wonder what could be behind this unfair orchestration by Rebekah? Well, for one, we can easily point to the fact that she does not like Hittite women because according to her she is disgusted living with them. And Esau, his eldest son, not only have one but two of this kind of women that his mother hates as his wives.
But you know, behind this seemingly bad image of a mother in the character of Rebekah who has snooped and devised a scheme to outmaneuver Esau, I saw the hand of God at work.
One, it is inevitable for me not to think of what has become of Esau’s fate as a consequence of selling his birthright to Jacob. By doing so, he has despised the Lord because the birthright is a scared heritage and does not speak of material things only but as well as spiritual position.
Two, and to end, Rebekah was simply used by God so that Isaac will not circumvent from the word of the Lord which she received at the time when she inquired of the Lord about her odd pregnancy. The Lord has destined Esau to serve Jacob. The giving of blessing by Isaac to Jacob was preliminary to the fulfillment of God’s plan.
Rebekah was not a bad mother after all.
You see, if it not had been because of Rebekah, Esau could have enjoyed the blessings that have something to do with what God will be able to do for him; with his relationships with other people, political authority; and with his relationships with his own family, his brothers bowing down to him.
But Rebekah told her favorite son, Jacob, of what she overheard about what Isaac, her husband, has instructed Esau as a prelude to blessing the latter. She told her favorite to preempt Esau by getting a couple of kids so that she can prepare a scrumptious meal for Isaac who is almost blind because of old age. She told him to serve it after she has cooked it the way his father likes it so that he can get the blessing before Isaac dies.
As an effect, and to cut the story short, Jacob has deceived his father and got the blessing while Esau was left in a bitter cry after learning of his fate. I felt Esau when he asked if there is anything left for him and begged his father to bless him too. Poor boy.
I can’t help but wonder what could be behind this unfair orchestration by Rebekah? Well, for one, we can easily point to the fact that she does not like Hittite women because according to her she is disgusted living with them. And Esau, his eldest son, not only have one but two of this kind of women that his mother hates as his wives.
But you know, behind this seemingly bad image of a mother in the character of Rebekah who has snooped and devised a scheme to outmaneuver Esau, I saw the hand of God at work.
One, it is inevitable for me not to think of what has become of Esau’s fate as a consequence of selling his birthright to Jacob. By doing so, he has despised the Lord because the birthright is a scared heritage and does not speak of material things only but as well as spiritual position.
Two, and to end, Rebekah was simply used by God so that Isaac will not circumvent from the word of the Lord which she received at the time when she inquired of the Lord about her odd pregnancy. The Lord has destined Esau to serve Jacob. The giving of blessing by Isaac to Jacob was preliminary to the fulfillment of God’s plan.
Rebekah was not a bad mother after all.
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