The Cost of Deception: How Jacob Took Esau’s Blessing (Genesis 27:1-40)
Have you ever tried to force something to happen your own way—and ended up causing more problems? In Genesis 27:1–40, we see what happens when people stop trusting God’s plan and try to make things happen themselves. This story shows the pain that comes when lies and tricks take over.
Let’s walk through what happened.
Isaac’s Plan to Bless Esau
Isaac, now an old man, could barely see. He knew he didn’t have much time left and wanted to give a special blessing to his oldest son, Esau. In those days, a father’s blessing was a very big deal—it passed on leadership, wealth, and God’s promises to the next generation.
Isaac asked Esau to go hunting, cook his favorite meal, and bring it to him. After the meal, Isaac planned to give Esau the blessing.
Rebekah’s Plot
But Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, overheard their conversation. She remembered that God had once told her that Jacob, the younger son, would be greater than Esau. Instead of trusting God to work it out, Rebekah decided to take matters into her own hands.
She quickly made a plan. She cooked a meal just like Isaac loved, dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes, and even covered Jacob’s hands and neck with goat skins to make him feel hairy like Esau. Then she sent Jacob in to pretend to be Esau and get the blessing.
Jacob Deceives Isaac
Jacob went to his father, pretending to be Esau. Isaac, though almost blind, felt something was strange. He asked questions, but Jacob lied again and again. In the end, Isaac believed him. He ate the meal and gave Jacob the full blessing meant for Esau.
The blessing included riches, leadership, and God’s promises for the future. Once it was given, it could not be taken back.
Esau’s Pain and Anger
Not long after Jacob left, Esau arrived with his own meal. He went to Isaac, expecting his blessing, but Isaac immediately realized he had been tricked. Isaac trembled with shock and fear.
Esau cried out in deep sadness. He begged for a blessing too, but Isaac had already given the main blessing to Jacob. Isaac did bless Esau, but it was not the same. Esau left hurt, angry, and feeling cheated.
From that day forward, Esau hated Jacob and wanted revenge.
What We Can Learn
This story teaches us some very important lessons:
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Deception damages relationships: Lying might seem like it gets what we want, but it usually leads to broken trust and hurt feelings.
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Trust God’s timing: God had already promised that Jacob would be blessed. Rebekah and Jacob didn’t need to lie and trick to make it happen.
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Choices have consequences: Because of their actions, this family would face many years of pain and separation.
Final Thoughts
Genesis 27:1–40 shows that trying to control God’s plan can end badly. Even when we want good things, we need to trust God to bring them about in the right way and at the right time.
Take a moment to ask yourself: Are you trusting God to work things out, or are you trying to force things your own way?
Remember, God’s ways are always better than ours. When we choose honesty, patience, and trust, we invite His blessings into our lives the right way.
Genesis 27:1-40 (WEB)
27:1 When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?”
He said to him, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me venison. 4 Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before the LORD before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and get me two good young goats from there. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves. 10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.”
14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 17 She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 He came to his father, and said, “My father?”
He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 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.”
20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
He said, “Because the LORD your God gave me success.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 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.” 23 He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 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. 26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” 27 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 the LORD has blessed.
28 God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
29 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.”
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.”
32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father.”
35 He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”
36 He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 Isaac his father answered him,
“Behold, your dwelling will be of the fatness of the earth,
and of the dew of the sky from above.
40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother.
It will happen, when you will break loose,
that you will shake his yoke from off your neck.”