One Determined Mother
Dysfunction, deception, duplicity.
If your family isn’t perfect, neither was Isaac’s. The firstborn of his twin sons married at age 40 (as his father had done). Unlike his father, however, instead of marrying one of his own (See Isaac Finds a Wife), Esau chose a Hittite woman-two of them to be exact, who were thorns in the sides of their parents-in-law. There must have been some interesting stories that could have been told about those Hittite wives. Since they weren’t, today’s story is courtesy of a mother bent on securing the best for the son she loved.
Here it is:
Isaac is elderly, unable to see, and doesn’t know how much time he has left. He asks Esau to hunt some wild game and prepare him a special dish so that he can give Esau his blessing before he dies.
Rebekah reports to Jacob, the younger twin, what she “overheard” and tells him to bring her two young goats from the flock. She’s going to prepare the food Isaac likes so that Jacob instead may present it and receive the blessing of his dying father.
Now Jacob isn’t too sure about this:
“APPEAR” to be tricking his father… I love that! But Mom insists, so Jacob brings her the goats. And clever Rebekah not only prepares the food Isaac likes but also a disguise to help Jacob deceive his blind and dying father:
When Jacob presents himself (as Esau) and encourages his father to eat, Isaac needs a little convincing. He notices the food has come too quickly and also recognizes Jacob’s voice. Feeling those hairy hands, however, does the trick, and Isaac blesses the one he believes to be Esau… at least he wants to believe that.
“Are you really my son Esau,” he asked. “I am.”
After eating and drinking, Isaac requests a kiss, and the scent of Esau’s “borrowed clothing” on Jacob is enough to have this father pouring out a beautiful blessing:
His mission successful, Jacob is barely out of the room before Esau returns from hunting.
What must have gone on in the mind of blind Isaac when Esau showed up with the requested food? And what must gone on in Esau’s when his father asked him…
“Who are you?”
“I am… your firstborn, Esau.”
But it was too late.
I’m not sure which is more heartbreaking, Esau’s next question or his father’s answer. From Genesis 27:36-37:
This is twice Esau has been outdone by his younger brother. First, Jacob got his birthright (See A Costly Bowl of Stew) and now the blessing his father intended for him.
And this time he plans to kill Jacob.
Brothers as rivals… It’s sad when the ones who should be our best allies become our greatest enemies.
I feel sorry for Esau. If it wasn’t enough being “stabbed in the back” by his brother, how awful is it that his own mother provided the knife? For Esau’s sake, let’s hope maybe he didn’t know that part.
I feel sorry for Isaac, too. He’s old; he’s vulnerable and his own wife conspires to make him unwittingly give his blessing to the son of her choosing, in opposition to what he wanted.
What about what Isaac wanted? How sad to be at the end of life and denied the opportunity to bless the son he loved so dearly. I’ve always considered Rebekah as kind of “the bad girl” in this situation and Isaac as the victim. But then again….
Remember this from when she was pregnant?
This blessing going to Jacob wasn’t just Rebekah’s desire; it was GOD’S plan, and Rebekah had always known that Jacob was God’s chosen.
Had she not shared that with Isaac? Not only had he intended the best blessing for his firstborn son, he apparently hadn’t reserved any blessing for the other.
I’m sure there’s a lot more to this story that we don’t know than that we do, and it’s easy to get lost in the disturbing family dynamics.
It’s all here.
Among all the unsettling elements, there’s something incredibly inspiring: a determined mom who wasn’t about to see her son denied.
I admire Rebekah’s creativity and resourcefulness. I admire her tenacity.
Most of all, I admire that this blessing Rebekah was so eager for her son to acquire was the blessing GOD intended for him. Shouldn’t we all be so persistent about helping our kids understand and pursue the promises, plans, and blessings God has for them?
Rebekah’s fierce determination in pursuit of the blessing of God on the life of her son… that’s something worth imitating!
As moms, we can give our children something that’s better than all the best things of the world combined. We can give them the best of ourselves:
The best of our creativity, our personality, our inner resources.
The best of our intentions, the best of our prayers.
Our unfaltering support, unwavering belief, and unconditional love … when it’s easy, and even more importantly, when it’s not.
Seeking our children’s highest good is the most natural thing in the world, and what could be more valuable than their spiritual inheritance?
What represents the best within you? What unique qualities do you possess that make you, not a perfect mom, but perfect for your child?
What can you give him or her that no one else could?
My son is grown, but if Rebekah’s example is any indication… not too grown to benefit from whatever are the best things within me.
I hope I’ll be as determined as she was about making sure that’s what he gets!
Blessings until next time, Kim