I don't know if it was the time of day, just before bed, I read through this passage but the scene of Rebekah and Jacob running a con on Isaac seemed like a bad episode of I Love Lucy. Rebekah and her elaborate plan to deceive, Isaac's suspicion he was about to be tricked and Jacob going along the whole crazy scheme was almost humorous. And the funniest line in the story to me was, “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..." .[27:11-12] Duh...he was trying to trick him! Each person in this situation had their own agenda but again God's word would ring true. The outcome had already been revealed to Rebekah years earlier while she carried these boys close to her heart-- “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” [Genesis 25:23] Sadly, this story does not end with immediate forgiveness found with the "Oh, Ricky" Lucy experienced. Rage, murderous threats and running for one's life were the result when this family was torn apart. Terrible consequences for selfish behavior.
Another thing that struck me in this story was the comments about Esau's wives. Genesis 26:35 says,
"They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah." And then, Rebekah in chapter 27:46 laments, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” These two statements bookend the story of deception. Even though Scripture does not make any reference to them during the the incident, it makes me wonder if these women played some part in Esau's eagerness to receive the blessing when in the past he despised his position of firstborn.[25:34] This may partly explain why Rebekah was so fanatical about Jacob receiving leadership position. So much so that she was willing to take what ever curse Jacob would receive if they were found out. [27:13] Just a thought because all I can do is infer because of lack of evidence in the Word but it does lead me to believe this family was really in trouble before any deception occurred.
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