20260118 Genesis 26:34-28:9 God’s Faithfulness to an Unfaithful People

This text is tough. If we studied Gen 27 without any context, it is a text about a dysfunctional family.  God is absent and humanity’s depravity is on full display. When we look at the bigger picture with the whole Bible in mind, we forget about this family’s dysfunctional and Genesis 27 is about God’s blessing going from one generation to the next. This is good news for us. We can say that Gen 26:34-28:9 is about a gracious God who blesses humanity despite our total depravity. God is good to undeserving sinners. In this text, there is spiritual blindness, favoritism, scheming, lying, deceiving, betrayal, and hatred. And still, God’s blessing is passed down to the next generation. God remains gracious and faithful to his promises. With this kind of God, no matter how much we have sinned, we have a faithful God who is with us. We can always turn to him to enjoy his goodness.

I will cover the content of Gen 26:34-28:9 topically under four themes: (1) God’s Commandments and Blessings; (2) Human Sin; (3) The Consequences of Sin; and I will conclude with God’s Sovereignty to Fulfill His Blessing.

First, we look at God’s Blessings and Commandments

Genesis 27 is about the theme of blessing that goes from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. Genesis 27 is about how God’s purposes to bless the world through a family go from one generation to the next. God created a world of blessing. Genesis 2 presents God’s blessing as an abundance of provision and harmony in all relationships. Following sin and its disastrous consequences that lead to misery in all spheres, God is committed to undo the consequences of sin. God’s promised blessings to Abaham, got passed to Isaac, and now to Jacob. As it was from the beginning, God offers blessings to humanity. In response, humanity must trust God, walk with God, and live for God.

Genesis 27:27-29

In Genesis 27:27-29, Isaac blesses Jacob. The blessing echoes the Eden blessings. They reveal God’s purposes to restore the world for idyllic delight and harmony.

In Gen 27:27, Isaac smelled the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. The field the Lord has blessed is a picture of Eden. The only other time there is a pleasant smell in Genesis was Noah's sacrifice after the flood in Gen 8:21. That smell was soothing to the Lord. That word, "soothing" is based on Noah's name. It was a restful smell. This word for “rest” is the main way to the Bible describes rest in the Promised Land. This rest in Eden, that was to be enjoyed in the Promised Land. It is the rest Jesus offers us, and the rest we will enjoy in the New Creation. The blessing Isaac pronounces has Edenic notes to anticipate the New Eden in the New Creation.

In Gen 27:28, Isaac says, “May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.” The dew echoes the “mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground” in Eden (Gen 2:6). The fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine refer to the abundance of the land's provision as it was in Eden.

The blessing continues in Gen 27:29, “May peoples serve you, and may people groups bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.” This dominion is also an Eden theme.

This theme may make us uncomfortable, but in a world where sin exists and humanity goes its own way, God must overpower us with his blessing. For God to bless the world, we need God’s chosen agents of blessing to rule the world. This theme of reign anticipates Christ’s saving reign that will one day spread over the whole world. The purpose of this reign is not oppressive but necessary for God’s blessing to fill the earth.

The final phrase of the blessing in Gen 27:29 is “Those who curse you are cursed, and those who bless you are blessed.” This is a reminder that God’s blessing is not to remain with his chosen one but to overflow to others. Ultimately, this phrase is fulfilled in Jacob’s offspring, Jesus Christ. Those who bless Christ, recognize him as Lord, worship him, submit to his reign, enjoy his blessing of Eternal Life. This is the foretaste of the New Eden still to come. Those who reject Christ live in their sin, separate from God with no hope of the enjoyment of Edenic restoration. They are liable to judgment and separation from God and torment forever.

Gen 26:34, 28:6-9 Commandments

Our text offers Eden blessings and there are commandments to enjoy God's blessings. From the beginning, God wants a people that trusts in his provision and listens to his voice. Many things we do reflect our loyalty to God. How we spend our time, and how we spend our money reflects our values. In Genesis, an important choice that reflects our allegiance to God is who we choose to marry.

The longest chapter in Genesis is Genesis 24. It is about Abraham finding the right wife for Isaac. She was to be from their clan and not from among the Canaanites. To a modern ear this sounds intolerant, but it is instruction for our good. The Bible’s reason for marrying committed worshippers of the true God was so that a member of God’s people would not turn from following God to serve other gods. To enjoy God’s blessings, we must align our lives with God’s purposes.

Our text begins in Gen 26:34 with Esau marrying two Canaanites, and ends in Gen 28:9 with Esau marrying an Ishmaelite. Isaac commanded Jacob in Gen 28:6, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women.” Commandments and Blessings are never separated in the Bible.

Application

Still today, we enjoy God’s blessings and we must obey his word. Our text is about God’s blessing and it is bookended with obedience with the theme of marrying the right kind of person. God blesses us despite our sin. We must now respond by living for him. For those who get married, the faith of your spouse will have such an impact on your enjoyment of God’s blessings. Even God’s commands are part of his blessing. What was true in Genesis 27 is still true today. God blesses us, and we respond with obedience.

Second, we look at Human Sin

Genesis 27 has Eden Blessings language, and it also revisits the sin of Genesis 3. Genesis 27 highlights the depth of dysfunctional in God’s chosen family. Isaac is getting old so he wants to bless his oldest son, Esau. His wife tricks him with her favorite son, Jacob, so that he would get his father’s blessing. To highlight the universality of sin in each generation, the author uses Genesis 3 themes and vocabulary.

According to Gen 27:1, Isaac was old and his eyes were dim. Do we know another story in the Bible where people’s eyes were closed? Isaac is like the man and woman in the garden whose eyes were closed when they were deceived and opened after their sin. In Genesis 27, Jacob is the snake who deceives and also the man who listened to the voice of the woman, his mother. Jacob, like the devil, is dressed up like an animal to deceive a blind person with a meal.

Genesis 3 teaches us about sin. The author keeps retelling the Genesis 3 story in every generation so we would see that we ourselves re-enact Genesis 3 in our lives when we sin. Adam and Eve were first, but then Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob all replay Genesis 3. In Genesis 27, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau each sin. We will look at each of their sin.

First, Isaac sins

In Genesis 25, God told Rebekah that the younger would inherit Abraham’s blessing. Isaac wants to bless the older. Whether he is ignorant or defiant, he is working against God. Isaac is also portrayed as a worldly man in Gen 25:28. He loved Esau because he ate his game. This is a man more concerned with his belly than God's purposes.

Second, Rebekah sins

Rebekah illustrates Genesis 3:16, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” This “desire for her husband” is a kind that seeks to control, manipulate to usurp authority.[i] If we wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, we could say she was trying to be faithful in enacting God’s will to bless Jacob, despite Isaac. But she is deceptive, and godly ends do not justify sinful means.

Third, Jacob sins.

Jacob executes his mother’s deceitful plan and obtains his father’s blessing. When his father asked him, "Who are you, my son?", he answered in Gen 27:19, Jacob answered, "Esau your firstborn." His real name, deceiver/trickster reflects what he was doing.

In Gen 27:20, when Isaac asks him, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” He is using God’s name in vain. He is making God complicit in his deceit. Esau summarizes Jacob’s character in Gen 27:36 when he says, “Is he not rightly named Jacob/ deceiver, for he has deceived me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.”

Fourth, Esau sins.

In this chapter, Esau is a victim and also a sinner. In Genesis 25, he sold his birthright for a meal. In wanting his blessing in Genesis 27 it is like he is going back on his oath. In addition, in Gen 26:34-35, he marries two Hittite women then an Ishmaelite in Gen 28:9. His polygamy falls short of the Eden Ideal for marriage of one man and one woman. In forsaking his birthright and marrying women who worshipped other gods, he was not aligning his life with God’s purposes. Even today, it is impossible to be married to an unbeliever and participate fully in the Christian life while also remaining a good spouse. We will pick one over the other and the other will suffer, it might be our walk with Jesus, or it will be our marriage.

Application:

This is the family that God chose to bless the world. There was favoritism, a mother using her child to deceive her father. A son who deceives his father. A mother and son who betray the other son and brother. All this mess still exists in the church. We are heirs of the same blessings and we also manifest the same sinful patterns in our families. Let’s remember the family God used to bless the world, so that we can know that our mess does not disqualify us today from sharing the gospel for the blessing of the world.

Third, we look at The Consequences of Sin

Genesis 27:41-43

Gen 27 includes Eden Blessing, and Genesis 3-like deceit. It also includes Genesis 4-like conflict and division that follows sin. The story of Jacob and Esau is like the story of Cain and Abel – there is conflict and division. According to Gen 27:41, Esau is like Cain. He wants to murder his brother. While Cain murdered Abel and was sent into exile, this time, in Gen 27:43, Jacob, like Cain is sent into exile. Rebekah sends him away because she does not want to lose her son. Ironically, she will never see her son again. Sin divides us and leads to hostility, violence, and alienation, a mother who loses her son.

Application

We also revisit Genesis 4 in our lives as a consequence of sin. We fight and then become estranged and lonely.

Generally, people are most shaped by the families they grew up in. The Jacob narrative reveals a generation of deceivers raises another generation of deceivers that will raise another generation of deceivers, and so on.

Our parents teach us from the youngest age what we will consider to be the normal way of acting, speaking, relating, and feeling. If our families are healthy, generally, while we are sinners, we will have a healthy self-esteem, relate well to others, we will be resilient through trials and emotionally healthy. The opposite is true as well. If you grow up with toxic ways of relating without a lot of work, the habits remain our instinctive ways of responding. If a person has a narcissistic parent who uses manipulation, gaslighting, favoritism, victimizing, they will likely struggle in their adult relationships. When conflicts arise, this person will instinctively resort to the unhealthy ways their family handled conflicts.

This is not the end of the story. There is always hope to change and grow in health. Often this happens in a big way when we encounter God’s grace, mercy, and love when we believe the gospel. The same way we were formed by our family’s schemes, deceit, favoritism, manipulation, we can also be transformed by new healthy relationships with God and in the church. Jacob the deceiver will be transformed following his encounter with God. So can we. Whether it be anger, gossip, manipulation, controlling behaviors, we can change in the context of healthy relationships with God and others. We are all sinners and live in a fallen world, so we all need to repent. Because of sin, we can expect conflict and alienation, but the work of God leads to peace and harmony. God changes us through the ordinary means to show us his grace – preaching of the word, prayer, and sacraments in the context of grace-based relationships.

This is a positive application to counter the effects of sins. We must prioritize God’s blessings and commands. Prioritize marriage to one who loves God and prioritizes God’s blessings and Commandments. We must practice delight in God, in our spouse, in our children, in our friends, and repent from ways our family have formed us negatively. God blesses humanity, but we sin and live with the consequences of sin. There is always hope with God.

Conclusion

Our text reminds us of a God who blesses and wants humanity to live in a right relationship with Him. It highlights the depth of human sin and our rebellion that alienates us from God and works itself out in hostility against each other. We must remember that our sin does not negate God’s blessing. We may have to live with consequences of our sin, but because God is faithful, he chooses to bless. In the midst of all the mess in Gen 27, it is a chapter about blessing. This blessing is available to us because God is faithful to each generation.

By God’s blessing, I do not mean health, wealth, and comfort, or that all your dreams will come true. I mean the joy of living with God. As God’s creatures, worshipping God most satisfies our human need to worship. Being reminded of the Gospel and the blessing of the forgiveness of sins, most satisfies our wrestling with sin. Having the blessing of the forgiveness of sins as a foundation is the most important lens to view ourselves, and our relationship to our creator. The blessing of the forgiveness of sins is also the most important foundation for strong relationships because the best relationships require repentance and forgiveness. The blessing of the forgiveness of sins is the free gift that makes us delight in doing God’s will and obeying God’s commandments. This is the blessing God has for us. Despite our sin, God remains sovereign and faithful to fulfill his promises.

When I was in university, I studied Civil Engineering. I was in a cohort of 100-ish students. When we had lectures, we were in a big auditorium all together. I became a Christian in my third year. I was the only Christian in the cohort. In my fourth year, there was a new student who joined our cohort, and he was a Christian. I remember during the end-of-year exams, all 100 of us, in the auditorium, taking our exams. In one of these exams, maybe 20 minutes into the exam, I could see the supervisor look past me with eyes really focused. He then stood up and walked right to the other Christian student. He said quietly, “You can pack up your stuff and leave.” He caught him cheating.

I want to imagine how our text and the concept of God commitment to bless sinners applies to my friend.

He’s a Christian so he has experienced God’s blessing and the goodness of God's commandments. He is born again. He has known the joy of having his sins forgiven. He has been part of a church, a new creation community made up of people transformed by the love of Christ. He has the Spirit in him leading him in all truth, convicting him of sin, helping him forgive those who have harmed him. And now, here, he has succumbed to temptation. He failed to trust God and his blessings and did not want to fail this exam. He cheated and got caught. He had to live with the consequences of either being expelled or, at the very least getting a zero on that exam. If this had happened this past Friday and he was in church today, I would want Gen 27 to be good news for him. I would want him to see himself in the trickster Jacob and see that God is sovereign and remains faithful in applying his blessings. The forgiveness of sins is not taken away from him, nor God’s Spirit. There are consequences, and he is still God’s child, and God still wants him to be a faithful witness to God’s justice and his mercy.

This is an invitation to those who do not yet know Jesus – come find your refuge in him to enjoy such forgiveness and blessing. This will always remain true for all of us who find our refuge in Christ. We are a sinful people, but we are also a blessed people because we have a faithful God.

 

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[i] Paul J. Kissling, Genesis, College Press NIV Commentary 1 (Joplin, MO: College Press, 2004), 204. Her In the following chapter, Gen 4:7 reads, “sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7 helps to interpret Gen 3:16.