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From Eternity Past
his fathers. His whole interest was in the present. He was ready to
sacrifice the heavenly to the earthly, to exchange a future good for a
momentary indulgence.
“Thus Esau despised his birthright.” In disposing of it he felt a sense
of relief. Now he could do as he liked. For this wild pleasure, miscalled
freedom, many are still selling their birthright to an inheritance eternal
in the heavens!
Esau took two wives of the daughters of Heth. Worshipers of false
gods, their idolatry was a bitter grief to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau
had violated one of the conditions of the covenant, which forbade
intermarriage between the chosen people and the heathen; yet Isaac
was still determined to bestow upon him the birthright.
Years passed. Isaac, old and blind, soon to die, determined no
longer to delay the bestowal of the blessing upon his elder son. But
knowing the opposition of Rebekah and Jacob, he decided to perform
the solemn ceremony in secret. The patriarch bade Esau, “Go out to
the field, and take me some venison; and make me savory meat, ... that
my soul may bless thee before I die.”
Rebekah told Jacob what had taken place, urging immediate action
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to prevent the bestowal of the blessing upon Esau. She assured her son
that if he would follow her directions, he might obtain it as God had
promised. Jacob did not readily consent. The thought of deceiving his
father caused great distress. Such a sin would bring a curse rather than
a blessing.
But his scruples were overborne, and he proceeded to carry out
his mother’s suggestions. It was not his intention to utter a direct
falsehood, but once in the presence of his father he seemed to have
gone too far to retreat, and he obtained by fraud the coveted blessing.
Consequences of Deception
Jacob and Rebekah succeeded in their purpose but gained only
trouble and sorrow by deception. God had declared that Jacob re-
ceive the birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled had they
waited in faith for Him to work. Rebekah bitterly repented the wrong
counsel she had given her son. Jacob was weighed down with self-
condemnation. He had sinned against his father, his brother, his own
soul, and against God. In one short hour he had made work for a