If you’re reading the Bible as a rule book to live by, this story of conniving, scheming, deception, and injustice should give you pause. For here, immorality wins the day as, through a series of carefully calculated steps, Jacob gains his father’s blessing and escapes any consequences for his behavior. Morality, indeed. On the other hand, if you’re reading the Bible as a story that captures our sometimes-messy relationships with God and one another, this story features juicy intrigue, deep grief, and unresolved family conflict that might sound eerily familiar. Is there a word here that can bring us life after all?
Perhaps you find, as I do, a poignant reminder of the power of words spoken. How many of us, like Isaac, have wished we could retract something we’ve said not out of love in the light of day but out of hasty, unfettered emotion, or based on assumptions that simply didn’t ring true. Words are weightier than we often realize—that is, until it’s too late.
And though I’ve always faulted Rebekah for her manipulative ways, I also wonder this time if Isaac so senses his mortal vulnerability that he’s a bit rash in establishing the family legacy. Like the critically ill family member clamoring about who’ll do the taxes or mow the lawn, Isaac seems to operate out of a desperate need to control outcomes more than out of a trust in God that brings peace.
In any case, what’s done is done. Isaac gives his blessing to the younger son, and Jacob (whose name will change to Israel) becomes the next patriarch in line as Genesis marches along. There’s no looking back, no “what ifs,” only God’s persistently redemptive ways at work, even in the midst of scheming, conniving, and deceit. And in that, I do find life. You?
- What strategies do you use to ensure you utter words you don’t want to “take back”? When have words spoken brought consequences that could not be changed?
- When have you felt powerless about your life circumstances? How did you respond?
- What other details did you notice in today’s reading?
Prayer: We like to use our words to fix things, O God. Help us today to speak to others in ways that honor you. In our powerless moments, bring us to silence, to trust, to awe. Amen.
Breath Prayer: Bless me // me also.
