Moving On

Genesis 27:33  

"And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he 

that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten 

of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? 

yea, and he shall be blessed."

    Isaac wanted to give the birthright blessings to his oldest son, Esau. But Rebekah remembered the Lord telling her that the older child would serve the younger. Jacob would need those blessings to fulfill his mission of spreading God’s word. So Rebekah coached Jacob on how to trick his father into giving him the blessings. The plan succeeded, and then comes the moment when Isaac realized that he had been tricked. 
    My friend there is a difference between the birthright and the blessing. The birthright is related to the order of the birth of sons. The first born was given the title to the family name and a double potion of his father's inheritance. Yet despite Jacob's wickedness and Esau's foolishness, the agreement over the birthright was binding. The regulation was later given that the father could not alter the birthright nor give it to another, (Deut. 21:17).  None of this had anything to do with the blessing of Isaac upon Esau. As Esau himself recognized a father could bless his son in any way he saw fit, (v36). Therefore, when Jacob deceived his father and got Esau's blessing, he stole something from his brother to which he had no right.   

    The real Esau returned from a day of hunting, ready to be blessed. Isaac asked, "Who art thou?" Esau answered "It’s me, your son Esau!" And then it all came together in one crushing moment. As the Bible tells us, “Isaac trembled exceedingly (violently). This was no ordinary shudder. This was the kind of shuddering that shakes a person to the core. Isaac’s whole outlook had been wrong, and only at that very moment did he fully understand God’s plan for his sons. All of Isaac’s hopes and dreams for Esau came crashing to the ground.

    We can feel Isaac’s pain. The moment is sad and heart wrenching, but at the same time, it is encouraging and inspiring. How many of us could walk away from a lifelong belief and humbly accept that we were mistaken? And yet, Isaac does just that.      

    We all know what it’s like to find out that we have been mistaken. It is humbling and can shake our world. But there is something much worse than letting go of a long held belief; it’s continuing with the same faulty outlook and repeating the same mistakes over and over. Let’s learn from Isaac how to confront our mistakes and let them go. Only then can we change our course and move on with grace. 

Amen!

Reading: Gen: 27:1-40

Ref: HG SB

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry