Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 27 before reading the devotional below.
Parts of today’s story may not make sense to a modern reader, but I think we can all relate to family dysfunction and secret scheming. You might wonder why a blessing is so important, or why Isaac couldn’t just give both of his sons blessings. We need to realize that these blessings are deeply spiritual, like a prophetic message directly from God. Isaac is speaking what is spiritually true in that moment, and as a result Jacob is able to sneak his way in and position himself to be in the right place at the right time.
It’s an interesting dynamic between Isaac and Rebekah — she clearly has a favorite son and she’s willing to lie to her husband to get Jacob the blessing. She lies to Isaac again in the last verse of this chapter, giving an excuse for why she is sending Jacob out of town for a while. This may be God’s chosen family, but they aren’t always the best example of how to behave.
Here’s your freedom for today:
God’s blessings fall on us even when we sin.
Sometimes we believe that our sin keeps us from getting God’s blessings. But that’s a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is, and that logic also suggests that we earn the blessings we get. God’s blessings are his to give, and even when we sin as Jacob did God still blesses us. When we are free from sin, we do walk an easier road and certainly less harm will come to us. However, you do not have the power to end all of God’s blessings in your life.