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In today's reading (Genesis 27–29) it’s hard to believe that Isaac and Jacob are patriarchs of God’s chosen people. Their story feels less like the foundation of a holy lineage and more like the plot of a 20th-century soap opera—full of deception, favoritism, and dysfunction.

When Esau sold his birthright—the legal right to a double inheritance as the eldest son—we begin to understand that Esau isn’t the brightest candle in the Menorah. Then, as if to secure Esau’s place as the least important character in the story, Jacob and Rebekah deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the end-of-life blessing that rightfully belonged to the out-of-the-picture Esau.

We see here that Isaac’s blessing over Jacob wasn’t about materialistic blessing as it was an extension of the Abrahamic covenant. This becomes clear in Genesis 27:29 when Isaac prays,

"Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you."

Jacob didn’t just steal Esau’s blessing; he secured a rightful place in the chosen family line—the ancestral lineage that would eventually lead to Jesus.

Before we leave Esau, the end of his story in these chapters reveals an important lesson: understanding the significance of making God our priority. Even after realizing that marrying foreign women displeased his parents, Esau didn’t understand the importance of obeying God. Instead, he compounded his error by marrying Ishmael’s daughter—someone still outside the covenant relationship God had established. This decision reveals his lack of spiritual understanding and his inability to align with God’s plan.

But, is Jacob any better? If you’re like me when reading this account you scratch your head at the favor Jacob experienced despite the unethical means of obtaining it. But before we get upset at Jacob’s deceit, we must remember what God told Rebekah in Genesis 25:23:

"The older shall serve the younger."

It will serve us well to keep in mind that the biblical narrative is more about God revealing His character than it is about proving the good characters of Jacob, Esau, Isaac, or even Rebekah. Here God reveals His sovereignty, in that He had already declared that Jacob would be more important than Esau.

And He reveals that even in His mercy, He remains just. When Rebekah and Jacob took matters into their own hands instead of waiting on God's timing, it led to years of hardship. Jacob’s deception had consequences—he was deceived by Laban, endured years of toil, and became entangled in a complicated marriage with Leah and Rachel. Though God’s blessing remained his destiny, the path to that blessing was marked by trials—a testament to God's justice.

It’s also worth noting that Isaac’s journey was simultaneously taking place. It seems likely that Isaac would have known what God had told Rebekah about Jacob and Esau’s destinies (Genesis 25:23). And yet, he favored Esau. It might remind you of his mother, Sarah, laughing behind the door because she didn’t believe God when He said she would have a son. Isaac was possibly struggling with disbelief or rebellion in his faith journey. Isaac’s preference for Esau over Jacob may indicate his resistance to fully trusting God’s plan.

Through everyone’s personal journey, one of the central themes of Genesis is reinforced again in this story: It is not our good behavior that secures God’s favor, but it is His character and our response to Him.

Jacob was a liar. Esau was spiritually blind. Isaac struggled with faith. And Rebekah… she literally was the original pot stirrer. Yet God’s plan remained intact. This reminds us of an essential truth: God doesn’t choose people based on their perfection—He chooses them according to His mercy.

This story demonstrates that all people are in process—even those who genuinely believe in God through Jesus. None of us have “arrived.” We all have struggles, setbacks, and moments of doubt. Even after surrendering to God, we are still being sanctified (made holy) through life’s experiences, trials, and God’s shaping hand.

Let these accounts encourage us: God is faithful even when we falter. He remains sovereign over our lives—His plans are not derailed by our imperfections. He uses our imperfections to refine, teach, and grow us into the people He has called us to be.