Day 14: Isaac Blesses Jacob

 Today's reading: Genesis 27-28, Job 17-18, and Proverbs 3:1-4.

I. Jacob shows us what a deceiver he was in life by tricking his father to gain the blessing usually given to the firstborn son, which would be Esau in this case (27:1-29). The Ignatius Bible comments on this in the footnotes:

Jacob intercepts the blessing intended for Esau and cheats him out of the inheritance of the firstborn. His mother, Rebekah, is the mastermind behind the ruse, guiding him at each crucial step. The Genesis narrative is not blind to their underhanded ways; rather, it frowns upon Jacob the deceiver and almost pities Esau the victim. It is just as aware, however, that Esau shamefully despised his natural birthright (25:29-34). The story thus illustrates how God can further his plan despite the failings of his people. God had already elected Jacob over Esau to bear the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant (25:23; Rom 9:10-13). (p. 92)

So not only did Jacob manipulate his own brother to gain Esau's birthright (25:29-34), but now he tricks his own father to steal the man's blessing too! Worse, he does so with the connivance of Rebekah! That such disgraceful behavior by prominent founding personages from Hebrew history, helps indicate to me that this must be true as recorded in the Scriptures. For usually, such figures are covered in glory with their faults minimized or ignored. 

The BIY Companion, Vol 1, has some good commentary on the brokenness of this family:

Genesis makes clear that Esau was especially loved by Isaac, while Jacob was favored by Rebekah. This exacerbates the brokenness already a part already a part of them through sin and affects the entire family dynamic. (p. 34)

Or in other words, while Jacob and Esau are responsible for their own sins, their own parents helped begin this nasty cycle by their excessive favoring of one son over the other.

Esau has to settle for a lesser blessing, which sound like one for second sons, even though he is the elder one (27:39-40). Naturally, Esau is enraged and "hated Jacob," vowing to kill him after his father passes away (27:41). Rebekah finds out and sends Jacob away, making him swear not to marry a Canaanite woman (27:42-46).

Interestingly, Isaac then gives Jacob another blessing also warning him not to marry a Canaanite woman after which, Jacob leaves (28:1-5). He has a remarkable dream at what would later be called Bethel, in which God appears to him and reiterates the blessings given to Abraham (22:15-18; 28:10-22). 

And with this, today's reading in Genesis ends.

II. Job prays for relief from his sufferings, beginning with this pitiful line:

My spirit is broken, my days are extinct,

    the grave is ready for me. (17:1)

His friend Bildad gives another speech, rebuking him at first (18:1-14), highly insulted by Job calling them "stupid" (18:3), and then giving him another warning to Job of what befalls sinners (18:15-21). 

So again, no solace for poor Jacob or comfort, even from his "friends", and certainly no understanding.

III. Ok, yet more tiny morsels from Proverbs! Today, the father to not "forget my teaching" for all his life, to not "let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you," and if he does these things, he will "find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man" (3:1-4).

If it hasn't become clear, I do not care for how BIY divides up Proverbs at least. I'll stick with the "process" for now, but I'm tempted to ignore it for this book if this continues. Just a  few verses from a chapter make no sense, and no explanation either is given.

That's it for today.