Genesis 27:18-29

He came to his father, and said, “My father?”

He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.”

Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”

He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.”

Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”

He said, “I am.”

He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.”

He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said,

“Behold, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers.
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”

It is so important for us to hear God’s word and keep it in our minds. Of all of the things a person can remember, there is nothing more important than the words that God has written down for us. It is better for us to spend time listening to Bible teaching than it is to be entertained because the blessings we receive from the knowledge of God’s word exceed anything else we can gain on earth.

Unfortunately, we are sinful and what we gain on earth can effect our faith in God. It is often easier to look to God when we are troubled than when things are going well. We are in sinful bodies and have sinful minds that are proud. We can deceive ourselves into thinking that it was by our great wisdom or morality that God blessed us. I don’t know why Isaac avoided the prediction of God that Esau would serve Jacob, but Isaac was very rich. Could he have forgotten God’s word?

God had clearly told Isaac that He would bless Jacob and that Esau would be his servant, but whether intentionally or not Isaac directly opposed God. He even tried to make sure that it wasn’t Jacob that would be blessed.

I see many Christians today who have wandered from God’s word. They even attempt to change God’s views on things even though they are clearly documented in the Bible. The fact is, whoever doesn’t accept God’s word will eventually look like a fool, no matter how careful they think they are being. Everything that God says is truth. We can choose to seek the truth or we can live a frustrating life of failure as we fight against what God says.

It is possible that Isaac simply forgot God’s words. We don’t have to fall into this trap. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit will remind us of what He said if we remain in Him. We should listen to Jesus’ words in the Bible and remain in the Holy Spirit so that we won’t forget and find ourselves opposing God word. If we don’t take the help of God because we feel confident and rich, then we will find ourselves in Isaac’s position.

God wasn’t going to honor Isaac’s word, Rebekah’s plan, or Jacob’s action. He was going to honor His word, and He said that Jacob was already the blessed one. The attempts to change or worry about God’s word were of no value and did great harm.