THIS is the only passage where we actually see Jacob overtly deceiving someone (unless there is another passage someone would like to point out to me) and in this case it was his own father. I would like to post the passage and then some thoughts. Let’s move on, shall we?
1When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, 4and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
Isaac gets Esau ready to receive the family blessing, not being mindful of the prophecy God spoke to Rebekah concerning Jacob’s leadership. We are not told if Isaac was made aware of the prophecy. But we are made sure of one thing. Once God speaks, typically nothing can hinder that which He speaks from coming to pass.
5Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ 8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 9Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
14So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
My argument here is that God could have accomplished the blessing of Jacob without Rebekah and him resorting to deception and trickery. Rebekah, like Sarah in the matter of Ishmael, did not trust God and resorted to her own devices in order to get Jacob the blessing of his father, a decision that caused Rebekah to lose out on seeing Jacob for potentially the rest of her life.
Is that a result I would want to live with? Not in a million years…