“Genesis 27:37-40”

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Categories: Genesis “But Isaac replied to Esau, 'Behold, I have made him your master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?' Esau said to his father, 'Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.' So Esau lifted his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, 'Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, and away from the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve; but it shall come about when you become restless, that you will break his yoke from your neck.'” ---End of Scripture verses--- “ Behold, I have made him your master...” (verse 37) This speaks to the posterity of these two brothers. That the descendants of Jacob (the Israelites) would dominate the offshoot of Esau (the Edomites) throughout most of their lengthy history. “All his relatives I have given to him as servants...” “This blessing, as applied to Jacob, was fulfilled in the subjugation of Edom, Moab, and Ammon in the reign of David.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) “And with grain and new wine I have sustained him.” It was to the descendants of Jacob that the land of Canaan would be given as an inheritance—“a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 33:3) “Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?'” (verse 37) The abject helplessness in Isaac's heart pours forth in these dispirited words. Esau begged for a blessing of his own, but any other would pale in comparison to the stolen godsend that he had intended for Esau. “Only one son could inherit the spiritual prerogatives of the birthright, and the temporal lordship which accompanied it. And even lower earthly blessings would avail little if Esau’s descendants were to be subject to the dominion of the other brother’s race. With some mitigation, then, of his lot Esau must now be content.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) “So Esau lifted his voice and wept.” (verse 38) While Esau differentiated between the sold birthright and the stolen blessing, some people view the two as either the one in the same or completely interdependent. Hebrews 12:16-17 states the following: “That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” If this outburst of tears refers to Esau when he “lifted us his voice and wept,” then such a view is completely justifiable. “Behold, away from the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, and away from the dew of heaven from above.” (verse 39) “This blessing was not even a pale copy of the one given to Jacob; even in the mention of 'dew from heaven,' etc., there was a double meaning, and in its use concerning Esau, it meant that he would dwell far away from such blessings. One may have nothing but pity for the weeping Esau and the bitterness that filled his heart. Nothing breaks men's hearts like being compelled, at last, to accept the consequences of their actions. See Revelation 6:15-17.” (James Burton Coffman) “By your sword you shall live, and your brother you shall serve; but it shall come about when you become restless, that you will break his yoke from your neck.” (verse 40) While the Lord would shower down blessings upon the head of Jacob, what good things should befall Esau would be gotten by the brute force of the sword. “The blessing of Esau did allow one small hope, that, on occasions, Edom would be able to throw off the yoke of Israel. 'An example of this was in the reign of Joram, king of Judah (2 Kings 8:20-22; 2 Chronicles 21:8-10).' Another occasion is mentioned in the Book of Obadiah (Obadiah 11-10). Still another, perhaps, is seen in the fact that Herod the Great was descended from Esau; and he was ruling Israel ruthlessly in the days of Christ.” (James Burton Coffman) Please read Genesis 27:41-46 for tomorrow. Have a blessed day! - Louie Taylor