Genesis 27:1

Genesis 27:1 says, And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.  Isaac was old and going blind when he called for Esau to come to him.  Though Esau was grown, he came when Isaac called.  Hopefully, we will never get to old to come when our parents need us, but just as important, as parents, as we grow older, hopefully we will never abuse the right to call on our children for help.  Verse two states, And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:  Isaac told Esau that he knew that he was old and didn't know how much longer he would live.  As we get older, we become more aware of our mortality, but no matter our age, we never know how much longer we are going to live.  As followers of Christ, we need to live each day committed to doing His will, because it could be our last.  Verse three adds, Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;  Isaac asked Esau to go and kill a deer and bring him some venison.  This would require a good bit of effort on the part of Esau, but it wasn't really a totally unreasonable request, because this is what Esau did.  I might note also that there was nothing wrong with hunting and eating meat then, and that is even more true today.  God removed restrictions that had been placed later in the Old Testament on what meat could be eaten in the New Testament.  Verse four continues, And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.  Isaac wanted some of the savory meat.  He said that he wanted to eat some of it before he gave Esau his blessing.  It seems that Isaac made the giving of the blessing dependent on the receiving of the meat.  If that was the case, then hopefully we will never do the same.  We should never expect our children to do things for us in order to receive our blessings.  Verse five says, And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.  Rebekah heard what Isaac told Esau, and Esau went to do what his father had asked him to do.  Verse six adds, And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,  Rebekah went to Jacob and told him what Isaac had told Esau.  Jacob was her favorite, just as Esau was Isaac's favorite.  We really should never favor one child over another in our love for them.  Verse seven adds, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.  Rebekah simply repeated to Jacob what Isaac had said to Esau about what Isaac wanted Esau to do.  Verse eight states, Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.  Just as Esau had obeyed Isaac, Rebekah asked that Jacob obey her, but she was about to carry out a plan so Jacob could receive the birthright blessing.  Verse nine adds, Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:  Rebekah planned to fool Isaac.  We could say that Rebekah was simply carrying out God's plan for Jacob to be blessed instead of Esau, but I personally do not believe that God ever expects us to use deceit to accomplish His will. Verse ten concludes, And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.  Rebekah had her plan, but we are never told that this was God's plan.  I believe that God can accomplish His plans without our having to use dishonest means to accomplish them.