Bible Study Seattle

Esau was Isaac’s firstborn and therefore the inheritor of the lion’s share of his estate. But his mom Rebekah had a problem. “When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” Genesis 26:34-35

The bible often understates things. When it says Esau’s wives were a source of grief for Isaac and Rebekah, it means they were major trouble. Esau explicitly disobeyed the Lord’s command:

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.  Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,  for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.  This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire.  For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” Genesis 7:1-6

Rebekah was worried about bad treatment from Esau’s wives and their people the Hittites. She may have even feared death. So what to do? She had no good options. She settled on deceiving Isaac to give Jacob the rights of the firstborn:

“Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back,  Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau,  ‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’  Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:  Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.  Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.” Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin.  What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.” His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.” Genesis 27:5-13

Rebekah was really motivated. What would you do? How would you keep your family line clear of the detestable practices of the Hittites? They engaged in such abominations as child sacrifice. Rebekah is really a hero for keeping her line clear of the Hittites. Perhaps she could’ve appealed more to Isaac the problem at hand? Tradition required the firstborn to receive the major inheritance. Perhaps Isaac could have prayed about this problem. Deceit is never laudable, but sometimes life throws us bad options. We will have to ask Isaac and Rebekah more details when they come back to life.