Faith Through the Nightmares

January 14     (Genesis 27)

The whole sordid affair of the now over 100-year old Isaac being tricked by Rebekah (through her son, Jacob) makes Genesis 27 a nightmare of a story. During her pregnancy, she had been told by the Lord that the oldest of her twin sons would serve the younger. We see the favoritism of Isaac toward Esau and Rebekah toward Jacob. We see Rebekah’s scheming for Jacob to get Isaac’s blessing.

In Abraham’s life, God corrected Abraham’s false assumption about the promise of a son. But in Isaac’s case, there is no correction made. The deed is done. The conversation overheard. The deception planned. Culpable son follows deceiving mother. A meal is cooked. Animal skins are wrapped around smooth arms. Four times Jacob outright lies to his now blind, elderly father. And the blessing is given.

What makes this story more confusing is what Hebrews 11:20 says about it. “By faith, Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.” People wanting to avoid Bible nightmares sugar coat things by saying, “Isaac had faith in God to pass along his blessing to the boys because he knew the promises God had made to Abraham.” Have they not read the Genesis account? Isaac had full intention of blessing Esau!  

We are missing the entire gist of Hebrews 11 if we don’t feel Isaac’s grief. This chapter of faith, if nothing else, is a testimony of how people in the world view the universe (11:3), and view life motivation differently than people who look through the lens of faith. People of faith are definitely not your “normal.” Worldly folks would have scoffed at someone telling them to build a huge boat, and balked at leaving the comforts of home to travel with no reservations.

Part of the answer is hidden in the Lord’s revelation to Rebekah about the “older serving the younger.” Rebekah may sound like a woman of many secrets, but I believe Isaac must have known about this prophecy. Why did Isaac, on realizing the deception, not call Jacob back, yelling, “Get your lying face back here right now!” No, what was done was done, and even amid the sorrow of realizing he was deceived and his favorite son gypped, he had eyes of faith to recognize God’s place in the whole event and refused to alter the blessing even after Esau begged him to.  

I know that God is able to use our human failures to accomplish his divine purposes. It’s not like he creates disaster … he’s fully aware that we are quite capable at doing that ourselves! A world without faith wants a God who would never allow such nightmares. Will we have eyes to recognize God’s place and guidance through them? 

“For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”   Psalm 103:14