are blessed with Abraham, the believer” (Galatians 3:5-9). In Abraham God foresaw Christ who would justify everyone by faith. But the same promise was given to Abraham long ago. In Abraham’s time, and now, it is those who are of faith who inherit the promises.
Now Abraham took another wife, after the death of Sarah, whose name was Keturah. She bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah. “All the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people” (25:1-2, 7-8).
The child of God’s promise, Isaac, married Rebekah. It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi near the Negeb, (Heb. Negev), a dry parched, south country, the southern part of Judah, and the largest region in the modern state of Israel. Abraham had sternly warned Isaac not to marry a girl from the Canaanite tribes. Rebekah became pregnant with twins who struggled in her womb. “So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger.” When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; . [one who takes by the heel or supplants, known as the supplanter] and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them” (Gen 25:22-26). Supplanter means: “to take the place of (another), as through, scheming, strategy, or the like; to replace (one thing) by something else” (Distionary.com). The meaning of this as it applied to Jacob will become apparent later.
Esau started off on the wrong foot with God. Being the elder he was entitled to the family birthright, the right of inheritance, and a blessing from his Father. “When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom [red Father of the Edomites]. But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob” (Gen 25:27-33). “When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; [Canaanites] and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah” (Gen 26:34-35).
Isaac became old and blind and he called Esau, the first born, to him. “Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. “Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me;” (Gen 27:2-3) because I want to bless you”. “Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau…“Now therefore, my son…“Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. “Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” Jacob answered “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. “Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me” (Gen 27:5-13). Rebekah was willing to break tradition, and even the way of God, because of her firm belief that Jacob should be the one with the birthright, not Esau.
“Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son….. She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob…. Then Jacob came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.” Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the Lord your God caused it to happen to me.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank” (Gen 27:15, 17, 18-25).
So Isaac, deceived, blessed Jacob with an irrevocable blessing. Jacob, the supplanter, had usurped Esau’s place, and received the firstborn blessing. “So Isaac came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed; Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you” (Gen 27:27-29). Thus was fulfilled God’s promise to Rebekah and Jacob the supplanter lived up to his name. Scripture was also fulfilled: “Just as it is written, [God had said] “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated [Malachi 1:2]” (Romans 9:13).
Esau came home and pleaded for a blessing from his father. When Esau brought in his food, emotions ran high. Isaac trembled violently over what had happened and Esau was very bitter and angry (v. 34). Isaac knew he had been tampering with God’s plan and had been overruled; there was no going back now. Esau began to realize the true nature of Jacob—twice he had “overreached” or deceived Esau, by taking his birthright (25:27-34), and now by taking his blessing. All that was left was a blessing for a profane person (27:39-40). Esau would not enjoy the earth’s riches or heaven’s dew (cf. v. 28). The Edomites, Esau’s descendants, would live in a land less fertile than Palestine. Also Esau would live by force, be subservient to Jacob, and be restless. They would also be enemies of Israel.
So how does this add up to a secret reference to Christ in the Old Testament? We have shown that Abraham was the Father of faith, the very platform that Christ advocated in His time of earth. Abraham’s promises led directly to the person of Christ and His earthly ministry. We have shown the build-up of the enemies of Christ from those who failed to follow God and His plan. We have shown that God and Christ were aiming for a Kingdom, a family, the Father’s family. We have shown that God continued to create that family despite the opposition from the Nepilim and the disobedient from Cain to Esau. Although it looks as if God used stealth and deception to accomplish His plan He nonetheless accomplished it, through imperfect humans. In using imperfect vessels to accomplish His will He reinforces his nature which says: “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart”(1 Samuel 16:7). His Kingdom, and those who participate in constructing it, are those with a perfect heart in His eyes, not those who may be more qualified or stronger or better people.
