Blessed to be a Blessing: Isaac, Esau, and Jacob

As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau came in from his hunting. He also prepared savory food, and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father sit up and eat of his son’s game, so that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.” Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him?—yes, and blessed he shall be!” When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright; and look, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered Esau, “I have already made him your lord, and I have given him all his brothers as servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, father? Bless me, me also, father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
Then his father Isaac answered him:
“See, away from the fatness of the earth shall your home be,
    and away from the dew of heaven on high.
By your sword you shall live,
    and you shall serve your brother;
but when you break loose,
    you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” ~ Genesis 27:30-41


Does Jacob deserve a blessing?

He's tricked his father into giving him the blessing that rightly belonged to his brother, Esau. And to the surprise of no-one, Esau isn't happy about it. Neither, it seems, is Isaac.

Esau begs for another blessing and is given one - not the one he wanted, nor perhaps the one he deserved.

But are blessings just about deserving?

Most of us don't need to trick someone for a blessing. And most of us, even when we do tricky things, still find ourselves with God's blessing in many ways.

Blessing isn't something we get because we deserve it. Blessing is something that reminds us that all of us have a blessing of God.

And those blessings are meant to be shared.

Lord, help me to take the many blessings I have from you and share them with others for the ongoing blessing of your entire creation. Amen

Thoughts for engagement:

- Have you ever felt blessed even if you didn't think you deserved it?
- How can we be blessings to those we struggle to even like?

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