Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

Genesis

Genesis 
Day 
Day 199

"A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

Text: Genesis 27:1-46

THE NEXT PLAN

Did Rebekah hope that Esau would have good-naturedly accepted his fate? If so, she had guessed wrongly! The only thing left to do was to develop a plan where Jacob could escape from a potentially deadly situation developing at home.

“Now therefore, my son, obey my voice:
arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran.
And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury
turns away, until your brother’s anger turns away from you,
and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send
and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you
both in one day?”

GENESIS 27:43-45

 

“My son, obey my voice”

This was what Rebekah said to Jacob when she hatched the plot to steal the firstborn blessing from Esau (Genesis 27:8). Did she continue to have such confidence in her plans still? Apparently so!

“Flee to my brother Laban… and stay with him a few days…”

Rebekah did not know her son Esau as well as she had thought! Esau remembered how Jacob had once stolen his birthright! That incident took place many years ago! Esau had not forgotten! Would he actually forget what Jacob had done to him, stealing his firstborn blessing?

“I will send and bring you from there…”

Rebekah really believed that she could resolve the problem between her two sons. She thought that Esau’s anger would soon blow over and she could have her favourite son return to her in a short while’s time. How very wrong she was to have this assessment of the problem between Esau and Jacob!


OBTAINING ISAAC’S APPROVAL

As long as Isaac was alive, all major decisions must gain his approval. Rebekah once again came up with a plan to convince Isaac to release Jacob to go to Haran. Of her other plans, Rebekah never spoke to Isaac concerning them.

“And Rebekah said to Isaac,
‘I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth;
if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these
who are the daughters of the land, what good will my
life be to me?”

GENESIS 27:46

It was difficult for Rebekah to speak openly and honestly to Isaac anymore. She had a hidden agenda that she concealed. Isaac was too old and tired to argue. He could only see the superficial and that looked good to him!