†. Gen 27:1a . .When Isaac was old
Just precisely how old Isaac was at this time, is difficult to tell. But I think
we can come close enough for government work.
Jacob spent 20 years with Laban. (Gen 31:41a)
Joseph was born during that time. (Gen 30:22-24)
At just about the time Joseph was born, Jacob and Laban worked out an
arrangement concerning shares of the livestock to compensate Jacob's
labors. (Gen 30:25-34)
That deal with the livestock went on for six of the twenty years Jacob served
Laban. (Gen 31:41b)
Joseph was 30 when he became prime minister of Egypt. (Gen 41:46a)
When Joseph went to work for Pharaoh; a 14 year period began, consisting
of two divisions-- seven years of plenty, and seven years of famine. After
the seven years of plenty, and two of the years of famine, when he was
about 39, Joseph brought his dad down into Egypt. (Gen 45:6-9)
When Jacob arrived, he stood before Pharaoh and told him he was 130 years
old. (Gen 47:7-9a)
Now we can do some arithmetic.
Jacob arrived in Egypt at 130. Subtracting Joseph's age of 39, we get 91;
which was Jacob's age when Joseph was born. After subtracting 14-- the
years Jacob worked for Laban up to the deal they made concerning the
livestock --we're left with 77; which is Jacob's approximate age when he
indentured himself to Laban.
Allowing for a generous intermission of 2 years-- encompassing Rebecca's
scheme, Jacob's flight to Haran, and his eventual indenture to Laban -
Jacob's age in the section of Genesis we're in today, can very reasonably be
put at 75.
Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born. (Gen 25:26)
So adding 75 to 60, puts Isaac somewhere in the neighborhood of 135 years
old at the beginning of chapter 27.
Everyone involved in this next episode was getting up in years and thus
quite mature. Jacob and Esau, though 75 years old, were, nonetheless,
vigorous men and, gerontologically speaking, relatively young in terms of
the aging process as it existed in those days. Even Isaac wasn't as near
death as he feared since he lived another 45 years to be 180 when he died.
(Gen 35:28)
†. Gen 27:1b . . and his eyes were too dim to see,
The word for "dim" is from kahah (kaw-haw') which means: to be weak; viz:
to despond and/or grow dull.
So Isaac wasn't actually blind, as some have proposed. It's far more likely
he was stricken with cataracts, or some other disorder very common among
people his age even today.
†. Gen 27:1c-2 . . he called his older son Esau and said to him; My
son. He answered; Here I am. And he said; I am old now, and I do
not know how soon I may die.
Die from what? Was he having a bad day or something? Isaac went on to
live another 45 years. Maybe he was just depressed because of his eyesight.
People often lose interest in life when they become handicapped. It's really
not unusual; and to be expected.
There are about four steps to recovery from a life-changing event. First
there is denial: refusal to believe the condition is permanent. Then there is
depression: when it finally sinks in that we will never be the same again.
Then anger: bitter at our circumstances. Then, finally, acceptance: we get
used to the idea, life goes on, and we make the best of it.
†. Gen 27:3-4 . .Take your gear, your quiver and bow, and go out into
the open and hunt me some game. Then prepare a dish for me such
as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my
innermost blessing before I die.
The word for "innermost" is napshiy which is from nephesh (neh'-fesh). That
word is rendered in several ways. It can mean a living being, a living
creature, the heart, the mind, the feelings, and the soul. Nephesh is a pretty
useful word. In this case, I think Isaac is saying that the blessing he is going
to bestow upon Esau comes from the bottom of his heart. That boy was his
favorite and I don't think Isaac ever did care too much for Jacob. If he had
purposed to bless Jacob, I think it would have been done with a very
grudging spirit.
This particular blessing regards Esau's inheritance. He already sold the
priesthood to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. Whether or not Isaac was
aware of the deal the brothers struck, is not said.
What takes place next in chapter 27 is difficult to believe. To think that two
grown-ups, one at least 75 and the other very likely 115 years old, took part
in this incredibly clownish deception. I could understand young,
inexperienced kids doing something so stupid. But it is difficult to understand
how supposedly mature adults like Rebecca and Jacob could ever seriously
ponder such a silly scheme. It is simply moronic that Rebecca would even
remotely consider that her crafty little plan had even the remotest chance of
success. Conducted under false pretenses, and a fake ID; it would only be a
matter of hours before the scam was uncovered, the ill gotten blessing of
course annulled, and the perpetrators soundly excoriated . . unless . . unless
there is more to this incident than meets the eye; and there most certainly
is.
Ninety-five years prior to this incident, God personally selected a spunky
water girl up in Haran to be Isaac's spouse. The wisdom of that selection is
now going to become apparent as we begin to realize who actually wore the
spiritual pants in Isaac's house. If spirituality were a martial art, Rebecca
would be a black belt. Her discernment regarding matters of Heaven is just
incredible. Was she really a silly female? Far from it.
In spite of God's mandate in chapter 25 concerning Jacob, and in spite of the
plainly obvious superiority of Jacob's character, his spiritual discernment,
and his convictions; and in spite of Esau's blatant indifference to his
birthright, and to his spiritual heritage, and to the mind of God; Isaac was
nevertheless apparently determined to give both the patriarchy and the
inheritance to Esau-- clearly the wrong choice; not to mention a direct
affront to God. The inheritance was one thing, but the patriarchy was a
whole other matter altogether.
Esau even married impious women from among the unholy Canaanites. A
horrible choice considering the repercussions of such spouses upon the
future of Abraham's covenant. And Esau no doubt made that choice against
the counsel and consent of his parents; proving all the more just how head
strong and self-willed the man really was. Motivated by the gain of temporal
advantage, and the gratification of carnal appetites; Esau had no spiritual
vision at all. Well; Rebecca is fixin' to give Mr. Isaac, and his secular son Mr.
Esau, the wake-up call of their lives!
Esau was a man's man. I think if any of us met him, we would be instantly
drawn by his charisma and virility. And I think that Isaac saw in him the kind
of man he always wished he was himself. But in the coin of heaven, Esau
had no more worth than a dilapidated old shoe.
It's difficult to comprehend how favoritism, on the part of such a presumably
spiritual man as Isaac, could be based upon such a carnal motive as the
taste of venison. But it wasn't just the meal, but rather the way it was
obtained.
We get runs of Salmon up here in Oregon's rivers at various times of the
year. Last time I checked; you could buy fresh Coho Salmon in local
supermarkets for about $12 a pound. But no; guys prefer instead to spend
all day on a river in the freezing cold just to catch one Salmon in the wild.
But the river fish means something that the supermarket fish can never mean.
Yes, both are edible and both make great eating and honestly you can't tell
the difference. But one is obtained with a shopping cart. The other by a man's
own bare hands: with fishing tackle, by personal energy combined with risk,
skill, and cunning. All those are important to a real man's feelings of personal
worth.
It was customary in Jacob's day to mark solemn occasions with a feast; like
the one Isaac prepared for Abimelech when they swore an oath together in
chapter 26. And since the blessing Isaac resolved to bestow upon Esau was
such an important one, it seemed appropriate that the solemnities should be
marked by a feast of wild meat provided by Esau's own personal hunting
skills. However, father and son didn't reckon on the God factor, and they
surely didn't reckon on black-belt Rebecca. Their little party is not going to
happen because this sharp gal from up north anticipated this very day and is
all set to implement a little fiesta of her own.
Cont.
/
Just precisely how old Isaac was at this time, is difficult to tell. But I think
we can come close enough for government work.
Jacob spent 20 years with Laban. (Gen 31:41a)
Joseph was born during that time. (Gen 30:22-24)
At just about the time Joseph was born, Jacob and Laban worked out an
arrangement concerning shares of the livestock to compensate Jacob's
labors. (Gen 30:25-34)
That deal with the livestock went on for six of the twenty years Jacob served
Laban. (Gen 31:41b)
Joseph was 30 when he became prime minister of Egypt. (Gen 41:46a)
When Joseph went to work for Pharaoh; a 14 year period began, consisting
of two divisions-- seven years of plenty, and seven years of famine. After
the seven years of plenty, and two of the years of famine, when he was
about 39, Joseph brought his dad down into Egypt. (Gen 45:6-9)
When Jacob arrived, he stood before Pharaoh and told him he was 130 years
old. (Gen 47:7-9a)
Now we can do some arithmetic.
Jacob arrived in Egypt at 130. Subtracting Joseph's age of 39, we get 91;
which was Jacob's age when Joseph was born. After subtracting 14-- the
years Jacob worked for Laban up to the deal they made concerning the
livestock --we're left with 77; which is Jacob's approximate age when he
indentured himself to Laban.
Allowing for a generous intermission of 2 years-- encompassing Rebecca's
scheme, Jacob's flight to Haran, and his eventual indenture to Laban -
Jacob's age in the section of Genesis we're in today, can very reasonably be
put at 75.
Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born. (Gen 25:26)
So adding 75 to 60, puts Isaac somewhere in the neighborhood of 135 years
old at the beginning of chapter 27.
Everyone involved in this next episode was getting up in years and thus
quite mature. Jacob and Esau, though 75 years old, were, nonetheless,
vigorous men and, gerontologically speaking, relatively young in terms of
the aging process as it existed in those days. Even Isaac wasn't as near
death as he feared since he lived another 45 years to be 180 when he died.
(Gen 35:28)
†. Gen 27:1b . . and his eyes were too dim to see,
The word for "dim" is from kahah (kaw-haw') which means: to be weak; viz:
to despond and/or grow dull.
So Isaac wasn't actually blind, as some have proposed. It's far more likely
he was stricken with cataracts, or some other disorder very common among
people his age even today.
†. Gen 27:1c-2 . . he called his older son Esau and said to him; My
son. He answered; Here I am. And he said; I am old now, and I do
not know how soon I may die.
Die from what? Was he having a bad day or something? Isaac went on to
live another 45 years. Maybe he was just depressed because of his eyesight.
People often lose interest in life when they become handicapped. It's really
not unusual; and to be expected.
There are about four steps to recovery from a life-changing event. First
there is denial: refusal to believe the condition is permanent. Then there is
depression: when it finally sinks in that we will never be the same again.
Then anger: bitter at our circumstances. Then, finally, acceptance: we get
used to the idea, life goes on, and we make the best of it.
†. Gen 27:3-4 . .Take your gear, your quiver and bow, and go out into
the open and hunt me some game. Then prepare a dish for me such
as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my
innermost blessing before I die.
The word for "innermost" is napshiy which is from nephesh (neh'-fesh). That
word is rendered in several ways. It can mean a living being, a living
creature, the heart, the mind, the feelings, and the soul. Nephesh is a pretty
useful word. In this case, I think Isaac is saying that the blessing he is going
to bestow upon Esau comes from the bottom of his heart. That boy was his
favorite and I don't think Isaac ever did care too much for Jacob. If he had
purposed to bless Jacob, I think it would have been done with a very
grudging spirit.
This particular blessing regards Esau's inheritance. He already sold the
priesthood to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. Whether or not Isaac was
aware of the deal the brothers struck, is not said.
What takes place next in chapter 27 is difficult to believe. To think that two
grown-ups, one at least 75 and the other very likely 115 years old, took part
in this incredibly clownish deception. I could understand young,
inexperienced kids doing something so stupid. But it is difficult to understand
how supposedly mature adults like Rebecca and Jacob could ever seriously
ponder such a silly scheme. It is simply moronic that Rebecca would even
remotely consider that her crafty little plan had even the remotest chance of
success. Conducted under false pretenses, and a fake ID; it would only be a
matter of hours before the scam was uncovered, the ill gotten blessing of
course annulled, and the perpetrators soundly excoriated . . unless . . unless
there is more to this incident than meets the eye; and there most certainly
is.
Ninety-five years prior to this incident, God personally selected a spunky
water girl up in Haran to be Isaac's spouse. The wisdom of that selection is
now going to become apparent as we begin to realize who actually wore the
spiritual pants in Isaac's house. If spirituality were a martial art, Rebecca
would be a black belt. Her discernment regarding matters of Heaven is just
incredible. Was she really a silly female? Far from it.
In spite of God's mandate in chapter 25 concerning Jacob, and in spite of the
plainly obvious superiority of Jacob's character, his spiritual discernment,
and his convictions; and in spite of Esau's blatant indifference to his
birthright, and to his spiritual heritage, and to the mind of God; Isaac was
nevertheless apparently determined to give both the patriarchy and the
inheritance to Esau-- clearly the wrong choice; not to mention a direct
affront to God. The inheritance was one thing, but the patriarchy was a
whole other matter altogether.
Esau even married impious women from among the unholy Canaanites. A
horrible choice considering the repercussions of such spouses upon the
future of Abraham's covenant. And Esau no doubt made that choice against
the counsel and consent of his parents; proving all the more just how head
strong and self-willed the man really was. Motivated by the gain of temporal
advantage, and the gratification of carnal appetites; Esau had no spiritual
vision at all. Well; Rebecca is fixin' to give Mr. Isaac, and his secular son Mr.
Esau, the wake-up call of their lives!
Esau was a man's man. I think if any of us met him, we would be instantly
drawn by his charisma and virility. And I think that Isaac saw in him the kind
of man he always wished he was himself. But in the coin of heaven, Esau
had no more worth than a dilapidated old shoe.
It's difficult to comprehend how favoritism, on the part of such a presumably
spiritual man as Isaac, could be based upon such a carnal motive as the
taste of venison. But it wasn't just the meal, but rather the way it was
obtained.
We get runs of Salmon up here in Oregon's rivers at various times of the
year. Last time I checked; you could buy fresh Coho Salmon in local
supermarkets for about $12 a pound. But no; guys prefer instead to spend
all day on a river in the freezing cold just to catch one Salmon in the wild.
But the river fish means something that the supermarket fish can never mean.
Yes, both are edible and both make great eating and honestly you can't tell
the difference. But one is obtained with a shopping cart. The other by a man's
own bare hands: with fishing tackle, by personal energy combined with risk,
skill, and cunning. All those are important to a real man's feelings of personal
worth.
It was customary in Jacob's day to mark solemn occasions with a feast; like
the one Isaac prepared for Abimelech when they swore an oath together in
chapter 26. And since the blessing Isaac resolved to bestow upon Esau was
such an important one, it seemed appropriate that the solemnities should be
marked by a feast of wild meat provided by Esau's own personal hunting
skills. However, father and son didn't reckon on the God factor, and they
surely didn't reckon on black-belt Rebecca. Their little party is not going to
happen because this sharp gal from up north anticipated this very day and is
all set to implement a little fiesta of her own.
Cont.
/
