Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/181

Rh because the hands were hairy, (v. 23.) not considering how easy it was to counterfeit that circumstance; and now Jacob carries it on dexterously, sets his venison before his father, and waits at table very officiously, till dinner is done, and the blessing comes to be pronounced in the close of this solemn feast. That which in some small degree extenuates the crime of Rebekah and Jacob, is, that the fraud was intended, not so much to hasten the fulfilling, as to prevent the thwarting, of the oracle of God: the blessing was just going to be put upon the wrong head, and they thought it was time to bestir themselves.

Now let us see how Isaac gave Jacob his blessing.

(1.) He kissed him, (v. 26.) in token of a particular affection to him. Those that are blessed of God, are kissed with the kisses of his mouth, and they do, by love and loyalty, kiss the Son, Ps. 2. 12.

(2.) He praised him, v. 27. He smelled the smell of his raiment, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed, that is, like that of the most fragrant flowers and spices. It appeared that God had blessed him, and therefore Isaac will bless him; compare v. 28.

3.(3.) [sic] He prayed for him, and therein prophesied concerning him. It is the duty of parents to pray for their children, and to bless them in the name of the Lord. And thus, as well as by their baptism, to do what they can, to preserve and perpetuate the entail of the covenant in their families. But this was an extraordinary blessing; and Providence so ordered it, that Isaac should bestow it upon Jacob ignorantly and by mistake, that it might appear he was beholden to God for it, and not to Isaac. Three things Jacob is here blessed with, [1.] Plenty; (v. 28.) heaven and earth concurring to make him rich. [2.] Power; (v. 29.) particularly dominion over his brethren, namely Esau and his posterity. [3.] Prevalency with God, and a great interest in Heaven; "Cursed be every one that curseth thee. Let God be a friend to all thy friends, and an enemy to all thine enemies." More is certainly comprised in this blessing than appears, prima facie—at first sight; it must amount to an entail of the promise of the Messiah, and the church: that was, in the patriarchal dialect, the blessing; something spiritual, doubtless, is included in it. First, that from him should come the Messiah, who should have a sovereign dominion on earth. It was that top-branch of his family, which people should serve, and nations bow down to. See Numb. 24. 19, Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, the Star and Sceptre, v. 17. Jacob's dominion over Esau was to be only typical of this, ch. 49. 10. Secondly, That from him should come the church that should be particularly owned and favoured by Heaven. It was part of the blessing of Abraham, when he was first called to be the father of the faithful, ch. 12. 3, I will bless them that bless thee; therefore when Isaac afterward confirmed the blessing to Jacob, he called it the blessing of Abraham, ch. 28. 4. Balaam explains this too, Numb. 24. 9. Note, It is the best and most desirable blessing, to stand in relation to Christ and his church, and to be interested in Christ's power, and the church's favours.

30. And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31. And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. 32. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy first-born Esau. 33. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? Where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou earnest, and have blessed him? Yea and he shall be blessed. 34. And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. 35. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. 36. And he said, Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birth-right; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37. And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38. And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. 40. And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Here is,

I. The covenant-blessing denied to Esau. He that made so light of the birth-right, would now have inherited the blessing, but he was rejected, and found no place for repentance in his father, though he sought it carefully with tears, Heb. 12. 17. Observe, 1. How carefully he sought it. He prepared the savoury meat, as his father had directed him, and then begged the blessing which his father had encouraged him to expect, v. 31. When he understood that Jacob had got it surreptitiously, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, v. 34. No man could have laid the disappointment more to heart than he did; he made his father's tent to ring with his grief, and again (v. 38.) lifted up his voice and wept. Note, The day is coming, when those that now make light of the blessings of the covenant, and sell their title to them for a thing of naught, will, in vain, be importunate for them. Those that will not so much as ask and seek now, will knock shortly, and cry, Lord, Lord, Slighters of Christ will then be humble suitors to him. 2. How he was rejected. Isaac, when first made sensible of the imposition that had been practised on him, trembled exceedingly, v. 33. Those that follow the choice of their own affections, rather than the dictates of the divine will, involve