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†. Gen 27:29c . . Cursed be they who curse you, blessed they who
bless you.
That the blessing upon Jacob was definitely the same as the blessing given
to Abraham and Isaac is clear from the words spoken here in the final part.
First, Isaac conferred the material aspects of patriarchal life: prosperity. I
am sure that Esau would have loved that part of it. However, there is
nothing in the wording of the blessing to suggest that it included an actual
bequeathal of Isaac's assets. Isaac's closing statement echoes God's own
words to Abraham in Gen 12:3
Some have wondered why Isaac didn't include the balance of the Gen 12:2
-3 blessing at this time; which goes like this:
"I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your
name great, and you shall be a blessing . . and all the families of the earth
shall bless themselves by you."
Sad to say, I think Isaac knew very well it would be like blessing a dead pig.
There is no way Esau would ever become a great nation, and especially ever
become a blessing to all the families of the Earth; nor that they would bless
themselves by him.
Yet even knowing that, Isaac was, for all intents and purposes, still
determined to confer the patriarchy upon Esau, the unholy son with no
future. I hate to say it, but I strongly suspect Isaac was becoming somewhat
deranged; especially because of the feelings he entertained about his
supposedly imminent death.
Anyway, he did pronounce the blessing upon Jacob; and did so under the
very inspiration of God, though Isaac himself was trying to thwart the will of
God all the while he was speaking.
Just so, many years later, the infamous prophet for profit, Balaam, in
Numbers 22, 23, and 24, was forced to bless Israel even against his own
will.
And in the days of Jesus of Nazareth (John 11:49-52) the high priest spoke
prophetically of the meaning of Jesus' death; though the priest himself did
not understand the real import of what he was saying; nor even put any
stock at all in his own words.
The blessing which, by God's edict, should have gone to Jacob in the first
place, was indeed finally pronounced upon him by his father in spite of
Isaac's lack of willingness to do so. He was tricked into it, yes; but by
thunder that shouldn't have been necessary.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 27:29c . . Cursed be they who curse you, blessed they who
bless you.
That the blessing upon Jacob was definitely the same as the blessing given
to Abraham and Isaac is clear from the words spoken here in the final part.
First, Isaac conferred the material aspects of patriarchal life: prosperity. I
am sure that Esau would have loved that part of it. However, there is
nothing in the wording of the blessing to suggest that it included an actual
bequeathal of Isaac's assets. Isaac's closing statement echoes God's own
words to Abraham in Gen 12:3
Some have wondered why Isaac didn't include the balance of the Gen 12:2
-3 blessing at this time; which goes like this:
"I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your
name great, and you shall be a blessing . . and all the families of the earth
shall bless themselves by you."
Sad to say, I think Isaac knew very well it would be like blessing a dead pig.
There is no way Esau would ever become a great nation, and especially ever
become a blessing to all the families of the Earth; nor that they would bless
themselves by him.
Yet even knowing that, Isaac was, for all intents and purposes, still
determined to confer the patriarchy upon Esau, the unholy son with no
future. I hate to say it, but I strongly suspect Isaac was becoming somewhat
deranged; especially because of the feelings he entertained about his
supposedly imminent death.
Anyway, he did pronounce the blessing upon Jacob; and did so under the
very inspiration of God, though Isaac himself was trying to thwart the will of
God all the while he was speaking.
Just so, many years later, the infamous prophet for profit, Balaam, in
Numbers 22, 23, and 24, was forced to bless Israel even against his own
will.
And in the days of Jesus of Nazareth (John 11:49-52) the high priest spoke
prophetically of the meaning of Jesus' death; though the priest himself did
not understand the real import of what he was saying; nor even put any
stock at all in his own words.
The blessing which, by God's edict, should have gone to Jacob in the first
place, was indeed finally pronounced upon him by his father in spite of
Isaac's lack of willingness to do so. He was tricked into it, yes; but by
thunder that shouldn't have been necessary.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=