Isaac thought of his son Esau as he pondered his impending death. Perhaps he remembered how father Abraham had blessed him with all his possessions (25:5). In the same way, Isaac wants to bless Esau with “my blessing” (4, 25).

Rebekah heard this, reading into it “the presence of the LORD” (7), likely due to her inside knowledge from God about her sons (25:23). Instead of inquiring of the LORD or discussing with Isaac, she immediately conspires with Jacob to steal the blessing. It is ironic that she tells Jacob to “listen carefully” while she repeats Eve’s error (3:3). Jacob is more concerned with being caught than doing what is right (12). Isaac, fixated on “tasty food”, trusts his senses of touch (22) and smell (27) more than what he hears (18, 22, 24), and is deceived.

All of this was unnecessary. As seen with Abraham (22:16-18) and Isaac (26:2-5), God’s blessing cannot be conveyed by human beings, nor can it be stolen through deceit. It is God’s alone to give, in his way, and in his time. Isaac’s family would suffer for this deception, but God’s calling and purpose for Jacob stand. God has a lot of work to do in Jacob’s life. God would faithfully and patiently carry it on to completion. He continues to do the same for us.
Application: Father, your ways are not my ways. Help me to listen carefully to your word, trust your promises, and cooperate with your work in my life.
One Word: Value God’s blessing most