Session 3
the next steps of Jacob’s deception.
21 Then Isaac said to Jacob,
“Please come closer so I can touch you, my son.
Are you really my son Esau or not?”
22 So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac.
When he touched him, he said,
“The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;
so he blessed him.
24 Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”
And he replied, “I am.”
25 Then he said, “Bring it closer to me, and let me eat some of my son’s game
so that I can bless you.”
Jacob brought it closer to him, and he ate;
he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 Then his father Isaac said to him,
“Please come closer and kiss me, my son.”
27 So he came closer and kissed him.
When Isaac smelled 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.
Believers must be diligent when examining truth claims.
“Deceiver”
Point out that Jacob was definitely living up to his name in this incident.
Point out how Isaac repeatedly questioned Jacob regarding his identity,
the next steps of Jacob’s deception. and Jacob repeatedly lied to his father to get what he wanted.
Sight, Hearing, Touch, Taste, Smell.
Lead the group in a brief discussion about
how each of these senses played into Jacob’s deception of Isaac.
Acknowledge that Jacob and Rebekah covered every base.
Blessed
We previously encountered the Hebrew word translated blessed in Genesis 24:27,
where Abraham’s servant “blessed” or praised the Lord
for leading him to the house of Abraham’s relatives.
(See comments in Session 2.)
The term occurs in a different context in Genesis 27.
Here, it designates the irrevocable blessing a father typically conferred on the eldest son before the father’s death.
In the Old Testament context “to bless” means to endow with power for success, including prosperity and longevity.
This verbal blessing was normally futuristic.
Additionally, the Old Testament views God as the only source of blessing.
It is only in His name that others can confer blessing
(see Deut. 10:8).
From Genesis 12:1-3 forward, the Lord demonstrated that He alone ultimately has the power to bestow blessing.
In the accounts of the patriarchs, blessing is linked specifically to reproductive powers.
Thus we see that God alone gives life.
This basic understanding of God as the Lifegiver extends throughout the Scriptures to its ultimate expression in John 3:16.
Isaac’s blessing on Jacob included prosperity, international respect, and authority over Isaac’s descendants.
The trap was set, and the deception was carried out. All that was left was for Isaac to share the blessing.