Blessings

    What do you think about when you think about blessings?  What do expect in your life from a blessing?  We all have expectations and ideas of what it is meant to be.  In reality, blessings and curses go hand in hand.  However, I am not going to jump into curses today.  In the Bible, you will find the word bless and all its reflective endings  (ed, ing, and whatnot) 516 times.  A blessing is to surrender to God and He gives you something that your heart deeply desires in return.  It is when He brings fortune into your life.  In return, we are able to understand Him better.  That gives us the power to bless others (without them surrendering to us).

    When Isaac grew old, he could no longer see.  He probably had really bad cataracts or something similar.  Since Jacob took Esau's inheritance, Isaac wanted to give Esau a blessing for life.  Isaac sent Esau to hunt and prepare his favorite meal, so it would be more special.  Rebekah overheard the plan and went to Jacob.  I have to ask, what kind of mother does not want a son to be blessed?  How can she only care about one and not the other?  Maybe she knew Esau would be okay and was worried about Jacob, but still to steal one sons blessing to ensure the other would have it feels is wrong.

     Rebekah dressed Jacob in fur and sent him to Isaac to take Esau's blessing.  Isaac did not catch on even though he had suspicions, so he blessed Jacob with all the success in life.  That is a truly valuable blessing.  It makes life easier in many ways.  When Isaac realized he had been tricked he trembled violently from his anger.  When Esau realized what happened he was understandably outraged.  It must be terrible to be betrayed by your own family like that.  Once a blessing is given, it could not be given again.  These types of blessings were handed down like an inheritance.  Once given, it stayed with that person until they gave it to another.  Esau had everything taken from him, but he asked his father to give him a blessing, any blessing, so he could have something.  After all, the blessing Isaac gave Jacob ensured Jacob would always be over Esau.  Isaac wanted Esau to have something, so he blessed Esau to prosper from the earth and live by the sword (strong, brave, and witty).  

    Jacob knew he had done wrong and could probably hear Esau's anger.  He realized that Esau meant to kill him, so Rebekah sent Jacob to her brother Laban.  She told him that she would send word when it was safe to return.   She was happy for him to leave because she hated Esau's Hittite wives.  She wanted Jacob to marry one of her people.  

    When you betray someone like Jacob had, how can you not think that the person would be so outraged that they would be tempted to kill you.  That is not condoning Esau.  We all have to find a way to conquer our anger or it will rule us.

Genesis 27