Blessings.. Locked & Loaded (Ge 25-27)

If you sneeze, I will politely respond "Bless you." If you sneeze again.. you are on your own as I adhere to a strict one blessing per sneezer rule.  This is not negotiable.

But sneeze blessings are not the topic of the day instead a Father’s Blessings, and ultimately God’s blessings.  These blessings I want, and like I say often in The Back Pew .. ‘BlESSED beyond my DREAMS’. I want Prayer of Jabez supersized blessings.

TWINS!
It seems just like a chapter ago Isaac was just a boy, but now in Genesis 25 Isaac is all grown up and with his wife Rebecca has twin boys. The first to enter the world was Esau, and right on his heel literally (Ge. 25:25) was Jacob.

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These boys were like so many brothers as they were very different from each other. Esau grew up to be a scruffy/hairy outdoors type who loved to hunt. Jacob on the other hand was not scruffy, and liked to hang out in the kitchen with maybe a reputation as a mamma's boy.  

The Father's Blessing
Next we are introduced to the power of the Father’s Blessing, and especially the blessings set aside for the first born in this case.. by beating brother Jacob in the 'birth canal dash' was scruffy/hairy Esau.

I am not sure how or why they worked the way they did in the Old Testament, but it seems like the 'Father’s blessing' had the power to make or break the future of the ‘blessee’. It was like winning the family inheritance lottery.. and there were no TAKE BACKS.

​The Blessing Plot Thickens
So one day Esau comes in from hunting famished and is met by his brother Jacob. Esau is so desperate for food, that Jacob talks Esau out of his birthright since Esau replies, "what good is my birth right if I die today from starvation." 

​note: It appears Esau was a great hunter, but a bit of a drama queen. 

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I don’t know exactly follow how the whole birthright and blessing stuff worked in those days, but I am thinking this birthright transfer should have required a signed agreement witnessed and stamped by a notary public.

ie The first party (Esau) agrees to relinquish his future blessing reserved for the first born to the second party (Jacob) in exchange for one bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. 

Esau     sign here 
Jacob     sign here 
Notary      sign here 
Date    enter today's date  

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I am not sure if today this birthright exchange for soup arrangement would hold up even in front of Judge Judy, but in Genesis 25 it set the stage for the Ol' Birthright  SWITCHEROO.

Isaac is very old!
As the story continues, their father Isaac is getting very old, he is nearly blind and his health is failing.  Isaac recognizing his days on this earth are numbered and so wants to give his blessing to his first born son Esau before he hears Heaven's Angels singing 'Happy Trails to you'. and 'When the Roll is called up Yonder'.

So Isaac asks Esau to hunt, and then fix him some wild game for him and at that time he will give Esau his blessing. ​

Well, Rebecca overhears this and wants this blessing to got to her favorite son (and kitchen apprentice) Jacob.  So while Esau is out hunting, she comes up with a planso simple, so ingenious, but with more than a hint of .. WHAT?

Mom schemes to put animal skins on Jake’s arms to appear hairy like his brother Esau. 

As strange as this sounds.. this plan works and Isaac though he was suspicious thought it was Esau, and in the end gives Jacob THE BLESSING OF THE FIRST BORN. The Ol' Birthright  SWITCHEROO​​ is complete!

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Of course being a cartoonist, and a dog owner I wonder.. WHAT IF the FAMILY DOG wanders on to the scene before the walking talking/lying carpet remnant Jacob and receives the blessing of the first born?

The Dog is hairy, Esau is hairy, and the gggruff voice it could be Esau with a cold.  Hmmm.. WHAT IF?
 
But I digress as no dog wanders in, and Jacob gets the blessing and skips town just before Esau returns from hunting. Esau fixes a fine dinner of wild game along with a bottle of Desert Merlot.  He walks into to see dad ready to receive the blessing of the first born WHEN…

It's like Déjà vu all over again for Dad. -The Prophet Yogi Berra

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Isaac exclaims.. “Hey, weren’t you just here?... er..aaaa.. didn’t you already come for your blessing?.. I mean.. I mean.. HEY WAIT A MINUTE!”

HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME?
This is the moment when the light bulb goes on enough for Isaac’s dim eyes to realize.. HE GAVE THE BLESSING TO THE WRONG SON! 

I hate when that happens!

Esau is of course distraught and cries out .. “Bless me too!!.. what about me!!??”  In response Isaac hold out his right arm limply and says..

“It’s empty.” no blessing for you, but we have some lovely parting gifts.

​Ok he did not say those exact words, but Isaac is very clear .. the blessing of the first born has been given.. given to Jacob.  Like a winning lottery ticket, THERE WAS ONLY ONE!..
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So this caper of the misplaced blessing is over.. without me understanding the blessings of Isaac, except the fact that there are no take backs.  The fact is God did intend for Jacob to be blessed as he  continues to bless the descendants of Abraham as promised, through Isaac, and now Jacob to continue the promise of a great nation.

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Moral of  the story for us today? Be faithful like Abraham so that God can bless and use you  as part of his plan. Whether you are the first born, that dreaded middle child (kidding), the baby, or you are adopted.. God loves you,  and has a plan to bless & prosper all who love and obey Him.  

Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I Know The Plans I Have For You' Declares the Lord, 'Plans to Prosper You and Not to Harm You, Plans to Give You Hope and a Future.

Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. 

May God find us faithful and full of love for the one true God, and blessed by him in ways that are beyond our dreams.

Jeff (first born) Larson

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