It wasn't merely Isaac's favoritism of Esau because he was a hunter that indicates Isaac forsook God's will. Isaac despised his wife, Rebecca, who had heard from God that Jacob was the chosen son - "the elder shall serve the younger." How many husbands have wished they had listened to their wives, who often have a better perspective on critical decisions that need to be made. But Rebecca had more than wifely intuition; she had heard from God. Therefore, Isaac despised God's word and chose Esau. This is outright rebellion. I Sam. 15:22-23. But there's more.
Isaac despised lawful contracts. Esau had sold the birthright to Jacob, a legitimate transaction, yet Isaac ignores that fact and ignores the fact that Esau's character is defective, making him unfit for the Blessing. A lawful contract exists when two people agree upon an exchange of things of value. It matters not that one thing is of lesser value than the other. The one receiving the lesser valued item has simply made a poor choice, and the bible clearly condemns Esau for "despising the birthright." Notice it does not condemn Jacob for buying it. And he bought it; he did not steal it, nor did he cheat Esau out of it. Those were Esau's words after he realized how foolish he was and wanted revenge upon Jacob. Never take the words of the wicked as the appropriate judgment upon the righteous. But there's more.
Isaac paid for his poor judgment. He became in his old age blind, like Eli who later became the example of a defective high priest unable to judge the value of God's altar and sacrifice in comparison to his sons. Isaac's favoritism of Esau, like Eli's favoritism of his sons, indicates a failure to accurately value what is most important in God's economy - faith and love for God and those things God values. From the birth of the twins, Rebecca had no such problem. She obeyed God and ensured Jacob was the chosen one. Why? Because he was.
The "deception" of Isaac was actually a correction. Remember the story of the Prince and Pauper. The prince wants to be free of his royal constraints to see the world, so he gets a pauper who looks like him to stand in for him temporarily. But the pauper comes close to a coronation. We are shocked that the wrong one might become king. But that is what was about to happen with Isaac and the blessing - he was about to put the wrong one into the chosen place, Jacob's place. Isaac not only was blind to Esau's character, a despiser of God's word, stubborn toward his wife, and ignored a lawful contract that Esau had effected, but he also was a legalist. He wanted the elder to rule, and according to standard custom, the eldest son rules. This was Isaac's excuse. We always use custom and "law" to justify disobedience to God. Isaac was following the best of human tradition by giving the Blessing to the elder son. Thus he despised God's choice.
But Isaac repented of his sin. After he discovered the "correction" by Rebecca and Jacob, notice he does not rebuke Jacob. In fact, he admits that what he has done in blessing Jacob is God's will, when he says, "And he [Jacob] will be blessed." In other words, I blessed someone other than you, Esau, and he is the one God will bless. Does God bless fraud? No, he blesses truth, and the truth is that Jacob was the one who should have received the Blessing, and he did. God took Isaac to school, and Isaac learned that God ordains and must be obeyed. From then on, Isaac began cooperating with his wife by helping her protect Jacob, and he repented of his rejection of Jacob and ordered him to leave for Jacob's protection. And look at the powerful language Isaac uses in the blessed send-off in Gen. 28:1-4. Now Isaac knows he has been wrong to reject his son, Jacob, and he gives him the appropriate blessing knowing to whom he gives it. Thus he repents of his intended folly of trying to give it to Esau.
This is just the beginning of the restoration of Jacob in our minds. What can we learn from this relationship? "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up." Jacob was persecuted by his father, but Isaac had his come-uppance when God took him to school. Persevere, in spite of family rejection of your choice of what really matters - Christ, His Word, and faith over the "practicalities of getting ahead in this world." Fathers, remember what is most valuable. Yes, a good education, a good job, etc. are important, but they cannot compare to the value of that which is eternal. Don't be like Isaac and ignore God's word, even when it comes from your wife, especially when it comes from your wife. You will face serious consequences for such poor valuation of what is most important. But there is so much more to learn from Jacob.
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