Genesis 27 — Jacob Steals the Blessing
Key Scriptures: Genesis 27:1–46; Genesis 25:23; Hebrews 11:20; Hebrews 12:16–17; Proverbs 3:5–6
“And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn.” — Genesis 27:19
Genesis 27 is one of the saddest family stories in Genesis.
Isaac favors Esau.
Rebekah favors Jacob.
Esau wants the blessing even though he had previously despised his birthright.
Rebekah schemes.
Jacob lies.
Isaac is deceived.
And eventually, Esau wants to kill his brother.
This is not a picture of a healthy family.
Nevertheless, behind all the deception, favoritism, anger, and manipulation stands the sovereign purpose of God.
Before Jacob and Esau were born, God had already told Rebekah:
“The elder shall serve the younger.” — Genesis 25:23
God had chosen Jacob for the covenant line.
Therefore, Jacob did not need to steal what God had already determined to give him.
That becomes one of the great lessons of Genesis 27:
We never need to sin in order to help God keep His promises.
Isaac Was Old
Genesis 27 begins:
“And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see.”
Isaac believed he might be approaching death.
Therefore, he called Esau.
He said:
“Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death.” — Genesis 27:2
Isaac then instructed Esau to hunt game and prepare the kind of meal he loved.
Afterward, Isaac intended to give Esau his blessing.
Isaac Favored Esau
Genesis had already told us:
“And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison.” — Genesis 25:28
Isaac had a special affection for Esau.
Esau was the outdoorsman, the hunter, the man of the field.
Moreover, Esau prepared food Isaac enjoyed.
However, Isaac’s preference created a serious problem.
God had already revealed that the older son would serve the younger.
Nevertheless, Isaac intended to give the primary blessing to Esau.
Isaac Knew God’s Word
Years earlier, God had told Rebekah:
“The elder shall serve the younger.”
It is difficult to imagine that Isaac knew nothing about that prophecy.
Rebekah certainly knew it.
Moreover, Jacob and Esau’s entire family history had developed around the rivalry between the brothers.
Therefore, Isaac’s decision appears to place personal preference ahead of God’s revealed purpose.
That is dangerous.
We can know what God has said and still prefer our own plans.
Feelings Must Not Rule Our Obedience
Isaac loved Esau.
There was nothing wrong with loving his son.
However, personal affection should never lead us to disregard God’s Word.
Sometimes we say:
“But this is what I want.”
“This feels right to me.”
“But this is what makes me happy.”
Nevertheless, the Christian life is not governed merely by feelings.
Our feelings matter.
But God’s Word has the final authority.
Rebekah Was Listening
While Isaac spoke with Esau, Rebekah overheard the conversation.
Then Esau left to hunt.
Immediately, Rebekah developed a plan.
She called Jacob and told him what Isaac intended to do.
Then she instructed Jacob to bring two young goats.
She would prepare food the way Isaac liked it.
Afterward, Jacob would take the meal to his father while pretending to be Esau.
Rebekah Remembered the Promise but Forgot the Promiser
Rebekah knew Jacob was supposed to receive the covenant position.
God Himself had said so.
Therefore, her concern may have seemed justified.
However, her method was wrong.
She apparently believed she needed to make God’s promise happen.
That is the problem.
Rebekah remembered what God promised, but she acted as though God needed her deception to accomplish it.
We can make the same mistake.
God gives us a clear principle.
Then we become impatient.
Therefore, we manipulate circumstances.
We pressure people, take shortcuts, and justify our questionable behavior.
Why?
Because we think:
“If I don’t make this happen, it won’t happen.”
Faith says something different:
If God promised it, God can accomplish it without my sin.
Jacob Saw the Problem
Interestingly, Jacob did not immediately object because lying was wrong.
Instead, he worried about getting caught.
Jacob said:
“Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.” — Genesis 27:11
He feared Isaac would touch him and discover the deception.
Then:
“I shall seem to him as a deceiver.”
Jacob’s concern was not primarily:
“This is wrong.”
His concern was:
“What if this doesn’t work?”
There is a major difference between fearing sin and fearing consequences.
Are We Sorry for Sin or Sorry We Got Caught?
This distinction remains important.
Sometimes people regret sin only after consequences appear.
They regret:
- losing trust.
- embarrassment.
- financial loss.
- being exposed.
However, true repentance goes deeper.
It says:
“What I did was wrong before God.”
David prayed:
“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.” — Psalm 51:4
Therefore, spiritual maturity means learning to hate sin itself, not merely its consequences.
Rebekah Took Responsibility
Jacob worried that Isaac might curse him instead of blessing him.
Rebekah replied:
“Upon me be thy curse, my son.” — Genesis 27:13
Then she told Jacob to obey her.
Her determination is striking.
She was convinced the plan must succeed.
However, confidence does not make a wrong plan right.
People can be sincerely committed to something and still be wrong.
Therefore, sincerity must always be tested by Scripture.
Rebekah Prepared the Disguise
Jacob brought the goats.
Rebekah prepared the food.
Then she took Esau’s clothing and put it on Jacob.
She also placed goatskins upon Jacob’s hands and neck so he would feel hairy like Esau.
The deception became increasingly elaborate.
That is another characteristic of dishonesty.
One lie usually requires another lie to support it.
Then another.
And another.
Truth is much simpler.
Jacob Entered Isaac’s Tent
Jacob approached his father and said:
“My father.”
Isaac answered:
“Here am I; who art thou, my son?”
This was Jacob’s opportunity to stop.
He could have told the truth.
Instead, he crossed the line.
Jacob said:
“I am Esau thy firstborn.” — Genesis 27:19
That was a direct lie.
Then he added:
“I have done according as thou badest me.”
Another lie.
Jacob Brought God Into the Lie
Isaac became suspicious.
He asked:
“How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?”
Jacob answered:
“Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.” — Genesis 27:20
This may be the ugliest part of Jacob’s deception.
He used God’s name to support a lie.
Jacob was not merely deceiving his father.
He was claiming God had helped him accomplish the deception.
We should take that seriously.
Never use God’s name to justify something God has not approved.
Do not say:
“God told me,”
when God has not spoken.
Do not use spiritual language to manipulate people.
God’s name should be treated with reverence.
“The Voice Is Jacob’s Voice”
Isaac remained suspicious.
Jacob came closer.
Isaac touched him.
Then Isaac said:
“The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” — Genesis 27:22
Isaac’s ears told him one thing.
His hands told him another.
Unfortunately, he trusted the disguise.
Sometimes deception works because people see what they expect to see.
Isaac expected Esau.
Therefore, he interpreted the evidence through that expectation.
Isaac Asked Again
Isaac asked directly:
“Art thou my very son Esau?”
Jacob answered:
“I am.”
Another opportunity to tell the truth passed.
Another lie followed.
Then Isaac ate the meal.
The Smell of Esau’s Clothes
Isaac asked Jacob to come near and kiss him.
When Jacob approached, Isaac smelled Esau’s clothing.
That convinced him.
Then Isaac gave the blessing.
He said:
“See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed.” — Genesis 27:27
The blessing included agricultural prosperity, abundance, authority over nations, and leadership within the family.
Then Isaac said:
“Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren.” — Genesis 27:29
The blessing was given.
Jacob left.
Esau Came In
Genesis 27:30 tells us that Jacob had scarcely left when Esau returned.
Esau prepared the food.
Then he entered his father’s presence and said:
“Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.”
Isaac was confused.
He asked:
“Who art thou?”
Esau answered:
“I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.”
Suddenly, Isaac understood what had happened.
Isaac Trembled
Genesis says:
“And Isaac trembled very exceedingly.” — Genesis 27:33
The deception had been exposed.
Jacob had received the blessing.
However, Isaac then said something important:
“Yea, and he shall be blessed.”
Isaac did not attempt to revoke the blessing.
Hebrews 11:20 later says:
“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.”
Perhaps this was the moment Isaac finally surrendered his preference to God’s purpose.
He had intended to bless Esau.
However, God’s earlier word concerning Jacob stood.
Esau Cried
When Esau heard what had happened:
“He cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry.” — Genesis 27:34
Then he pleaded:
“Bless me, even me also, O my father.”
This is a heartbreaking scene.
Esau wanted the blessing.
However, earlier he had despised the birthright.
He had traded it for a meal.
Now the spiritual significance of what he had treated casually became painfully clear.
Some Choices Cannot Simply Be Undone
Hebrews 12 refers to Esau’s experience:
“For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected.” — Hebrews 12:17
This does not mean Esau could never have repented of sin or received God’s mercy.
Rather, he could not simply reverse the consequences of his earlier choices.
That is a sobering truth.
God forgives sin.
However, some decisions create consequences that cannot be completely undone.
Therefore, wisdom considers tomorrow before acting today.
Esau Blamed Jacob
Esau said:
“Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times.” — Genesis 27:36
Esau blamed Jacob for both the birthright and the blessing.
Certainly, Jacob had acted deceitfully.
However, Esau also needed to accept responsibility.
Jacob had not forced Esau to sell the birthright.
Esau had willingly done that himself.
This is another human tendency.
We often see someone else’s wrongdoing clearly while overlooking our own.
Esau Received a Lesser Blessing
Isaac did give Esau a blessing.
However, it was not the covenant blessing Jacob had received.
Esau’s descendants would become a significant people.
Eventually, Esau became the ancestor of Edom.
Nevertheless, the covenant line continued through Jacob.
Esau Hated Jacob
Genesis 27:41 says:
“And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him.”
Then Esau planned to kill Jacob after Isaac died.
The family deception had now produced hatred and thoughts of murder.
Notice the progression:
- Favoritism.
- Scheming.
- Lying.
- Deception.
- Bitterness.
- Hatred.
- Threatened violence.
- Sin spreads.
One person’s sin affects another person, and the consequences multiply.
Rebekah Learned of Esau’s Plan
Rebekah discovered Esau’s intention.
Therefore, she told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran.
She expected Jacob to stay there:
“A few days.”
However, those few days became about twenty years.
Rebekah’s plan succeeded in getting Jacob the blessing.
But it also cost her dearly.
As far as the biblical record indicates, she never saw Jacob again.
Manipulation often costs more than we expect.
Jacob Got the Blessing but Lost His Home
Jacob wanted the blessing.
He got it.
But look at the immediate cost.
Jacob lost:
- peace with his brother.
- his home.
- the security of his family.
He had to flee.
Jacob would soon meet Laban, a man who would deceive the deceiver.
Therefore, getting what we want through sinful means does not mean we have won.
Rebekah Got Her Way but Lost Her Son
Rebekah wanted Jacob to receive the blessing.
He did.
However, Jacob had to leave.
Her scheme accomplished its immediate goal but created long-term sorrow.
This is why we must be careful about measuring success only by results.
A plan can “work” and still be wrong.
Success does not prove God’s approval.
Isaac’s Favoritism Had Consequences
Isaac also bears responsibility.
He favored Esau.
Moreover, he apparently intended to bless Esau despite God’s earlier revelation concerning Jacob.
His preference contributed to the divided household.
Parents should take this warning seriously.
Children should never have to compete for parental love.
Favoritism plants seeds that may produce bitterness for years.
Everyone Tried to Control the Outcome
Genesis 27 is remarkable because nearly everyone tries to control events.
Isaac tries to give Esau the blessing.
Rebekah tries to make sure Jacob receives it.
Jacob lies to secure it.
Esau later plans revenge.
Everyone is grasping for control.
Yet above them all stands God.
His purpose had already been declared:
“The elder shall serve the younger.”
God did not need their manipulation.
God Is Sovereign, but Sin Is Still Sin
We need to hold two biblical truths together.
First:
God’s sovereign purpose was accomplished.
Second:
The sinful actions of the people involved were still wrong.
God’s ability to accomplish His purposes through human failure does not excuse the failure.
God can bring good from sinful actions without calling those actions good.
Joseph will later express this principle beautifully:
“Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.” — Genesis 50:20
Human beings can intend wrong.
God can still accomplish good.
God Does Not Need Our Help to Be God
Rebekah’s greatest mistake may have been believing she had to secure God’s promise herself.
God had already spoken.
She needed to trust Him.
Sometimes we do the same thing.
We pray for something.
Then we become impatient.
We start forcing doors.
Manipulating circumstances.
Pressuring people.
Making compromises.
Instead, faith says:
“If this is God’s will, I do not need to sin to make it happen.”
God is fully capable of accomplishing His purposes.
What Genesis 27 Means for Us
1. Favoritism Damages Families
Isaac favored Esau.
Rebekah favored Jacob.
Consequently, their family became divided.
Love should not become a competition.
2. God’s Promise Does Not Need Sinful Assistance
God had already chosen Jacob for the covenant line.
Therefore, Rebekah and Jacob did not need deception.
Never do wrong in order to accomplish what you believe is right.
3. Fear of Consequences Is Not the Same as Repentance
Jacob initially worried about getting caught.
He did not object because lying was wrong.
Therefore, we should examine whether we hate sin itself or merely its consequences.
4. One Lie Usually Leads to Another
Jacob’s deception required clothing, goatskins, false statements, and even using God’s name in vain.
Dishonesty becomes complicated quickly.
5. Never Use God’s Name to Support a Lie
Jacob claimed the LORD had helped him.
Therefore, we should be especially careful about using spiritual language to justify our own plans.
6. Temporary Desires Can Produce Lasting Consequences
Esau once treated the birthright casually.
Later, he deeply regretted what he had lost.
Think beyond the moment.
7. Success Does Not Prove God’s Approval
Rebekah’s plan worked.
Jacob received the blessing.
Nevertheless, their deception was wrong.
Results alone do not determine whether a decision honors God.
8. Sin Affects More Than the Sinner
The deception affected Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau.
Eventually, Jacob had to flee.
Our choices rarely affect only ourselves.
9. God’s Sovereignty Is Greater Than Human Failure
Everyone in Genesis 27 made serious mistakes.
Nevertheless, God’s covenant purpose continued.
That is not an excuse for sin.
It is a reason for hope.
The Deceiver Will Be Deceived
Jacob’s name and behavior become especially important from this point forward.
He deceived Isaac.
Soon he will meet Laban.
And Laban will deceive Jacob.
Jacob will learn what it feels like to be on the receiving end of manipulation.
God does not abandon Jacob.
Instead, God begins changing him.
This is another encouraging truth:
God loves us enough not to leave us as we are.
Jacob has the blessing.
However, Jacob still needs transformation.
Blessing Is Not the Same as Maturity
Jacob received Isaac’s blessing.
Nevertheless, he was not yet spiritually mature.
That distinction is important.
A person can receive God’s blessings while still needing tremendous growth.
God may use someone who still has rough edges.
However, grace does not mean God ignores those rough edges.
He patiently works on us.
Jacob’s journey is about to become a long school of faith.
The Problem with Trying to Control Everything
Much of the trouble in Genesis 27 came because people did not trust God with the outcome.
Isaac tried to control the blessing.
Rebekah tried to control Isaac.
Jacob tried to control the situation.
Esau tried to control the aftermath through revenge.
Control became exhausting.
Faith is different.
Faith obeys what God has said and leaves the results with Him.
Proverbs 3:5–6 says:
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Trust God Without Manipulation
Perhaps you are waiting for something today:
- A job.
- A relationship.
- A financial need.
- A ministry opportunity.
- A family situation.
- An answered prayer.
Waiting can make us anxious.
Anxiety can tempt us to manipulate circumstances.
Genesis 27 says:
Don’t.
If God has something for you, you do not need dishonesty to obtain it.
You do not need manipulation, deception, or compromise.
Walk faithfully.
Tell the truth.
Do what is right.
Then trust God with the result.
Jacob Needed More Than a Blessing
Jacob left home carrying Isaac’s blessing.
However, he needed something much greater.
He needed to know the God of Abraham and Isaac personally.
Up to this point, notice Jacob’s words in Genesis 27:20:
“The LORD thy God.”
Thy God.
Jacob spoke of Isaac’s God.
Soon, however, Jacob will meet God for himself at Bethel.
The God of Abraham and Isaac will become the God of Jacob.
That is where the next part of the story takes us.
God Is Still Working
Genesis 27 ends badly.
Isaac has been deceived.
Esau is angry.
Rebekah is scheming.
Jacob is preparing to run.
The family is broken.
If Genesis ended here, the story would be discouraging.
But Genesis does not end here.
Neither does Jacob’s story.
God is still working.
He will meet Jacob on the road.
The Lord will discipline him.
God will protect him.
The Lord will change him.
And eventually, Jacob the deceiver will become Israel.
That is grace.
God takes flawed people and patiently transforms them.
Therefore, Genesis 27 reminds us:
Our failures may have consequences, but they do not have to be the final chapter of our story.
WIM Takeaway
Genesis 27 teaches us that God’s promises never require sinful assistance. Isaac’s favoritism, Rebekah’s manipulation, Jacob’s deception, and Esau’s bitterness brought painful consequences to the entire family. Nevertheless, God’s sovereign purpose continued. Therefore, we should tell the truth, resist manipulation, refuse to force outcomes, and trust God to accomplish His will in His way and in His time.
Questions for Reflection
- How did Isaac and Rebekah’s favoritism contribute to their family’s problems?
- Why did Rebekah believe she needed to intervene in Isaac’s plan?
- What is the difference between wanting the right thing and pursuing it the right way?
- Why was Jacob more concerned about being caught than about lying?
- How did one lie lead to several more lies?
- Why was Jacob’s use of God’s name in his deception especially serious?
- What does Esau’s bitter regret teach us about long-term consequences?
- How did Rebekah’s successful scheme ultimately cost her?
- Why does success not necessarily mean God approves of our methods?
- Is there a situation in your life that you are tempted to manipulate rather than trust God with?
- How can God’s sovereignty give us hope without excusing sinful behavior?
- What areas of Jacob’s character still needed to change after he received the blessing?
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Dr. Alan Holden has served in pastoral ministry for more than 35 years, preaching and teaching the Bible in churches across the United States. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary and a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Through What’s It Mean?, he seeks to help readers understand the meaning of Scripture and grow in their walk with Christ. He is currently the pastor of Lake Saunders Baptist Church in Tavares, FL.