JACOB FLEES TO LABAN
By the end of Genesis 27, Isaac will have handed the family blessing down to his second-born, Jacob.
This should seem unusual, since Esau is technically oldest and is entitled to that inheritance. At the start of the chapter, though, Isaac has no intention of doing so.
Instead, Isaac sets out to confer the blessing on Esau, the firstborn of the two twins. Isaac is old and blind. He believes himself to be near the end of his life.
The time has come to pass the blessing on (Genesis 27:1–4). When the day comes, Isaac tells Esau to go out into the field to hunt fresh game and to prepare for him a delicious meal.
When Esau returns, Isaac will eat the meal and give to Esau the blessing.
Esau agrees, which is a far cry from his earlier attitude—an oath, given to Jacob, in a moment of recklessness, to sell his birthright (Genesis 25:29–34).
Isaac’s wife Rebekah overhears the exchange between Isaac and Esau (Genesis 27:5).
She loves Jacob more than Esau (Genesis 25:28), and she wants him to receive this critical blessing.
Before the twins were even born, Rebekah received an oracle from the Lord prophesying that the younger would one day rule over the older (Genesis 25:23).
Rebekah decides to step in to help that prophecy along. As was the case with Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, trying to “help” God’s plans usually backfires (Genesis 16:1–5; 21:9–12).
Rebekah compels Jacob to participate in a scheme to deceive Isaac into giving him the blessing by pretending to be Esau.
She will prepare the meal Isaac is expecting from Esau. She will dress Jacob in Esau’s clothes to make him smell like his brother.
She will cover his smooth hands, arms, and neck with goat’s skin to make him feel to the touch like hairy Esau. This is an elaborate, very deliberate act of deceit.
Jacob offers one objection about the plan: What if his father catches on and curses him instead of giving him the blessing?
It’s worth noting that Jacob’s concern here is not about whether or not this action is moral; rather, his concern is only about what will happen if he is caught in the lie.
Rebekah assures Jacob the curse will fall to her if that happens. She commands him to obey and do what she says. Jacob agrees (Genesis 27:6–13).
When Jacob goes to his blind father with the meal, it seems the plan is doomed from the start.
Isaac knows it’s too soon for Esau to have returned, and the voice of this man claiming to be Esau sounds like Jacob.
Jacob is forced to lie outright to Isaac insisting that he is Esau.
This statement—deception about his identity—is something God will turn on Jacob later in his life (Genesis 29:21–26; 32:24–28).
Isaac is finally convinced by Jacob’s disguised hairy hands and the smell of the fields on his clothes (Genesis 27:14–25).
Esau planned to kill his brother Jacob as soon as his father would die and the period of mourning would end.
When Rebekah learned of this, she told Jacob to head for her brother Laban’s home in Haran.
She feared not only that Jacob would be killed but that Esau would run away or be killed in a blood feud, and she would lose two sons at once.
However, to explain Jacob’s departure to Isaac, she said she was afraid Jacob might marry a Hittite, as Esau had done.
Jacob expected to return soon, but it was not to be for more than twenty years. His father would still be living, but his mother would have passed on.
As the son of Abraham and receiver of the promises of God, Isaac’s prayer of blessing carries the weight of certainty. Isaac knows God will bring his blessing to pass.
He prays for great wealth in grain and in the fat of the land. He also prays for the one before him to be lord over his brothers and other nations.
Finally, Isaac passes on the promise that all who bless or curse this one will receive the same in return (Genesis 27:26–29).
Moments after Jacob leaves with these blessings from Isaac, Esau returns with his own meal. Shocked and shaking with anger, Isaac realizes he has been duped by Jacob.
Still, he says the blessing will stand. Jacob will be blessed (Genesis 27:30–35). Esau is distraught.
He recalls the time Jacob “cheated” him out of the birthright for a bowl of stew and mocks the meaning of Jacob’s name. Ya’aqob literally means “heel grabber” or “usurper.”
In more casual understanding, the name can be understood as “he lies,” or “cheater.”
This is a somewhat ironic moment, since Esau’s oath to sell the birthright should have meant allowing Jacob to take the blessing in the first place.
Esau begs his father for some kind of blessing of his own (Genesis 27:36–38). That blessing, though, reads more like a curse.
Esau and his descendants will be wanderers, living away from moisture and the fat of the land.
They will live by the sword and only at some point in the future break free from the rule of his brother (Genesis 27:39–40).
The sad end of this family strife, lived out through the nations of Israel and Edom, is summarized in the book of Obadiah.
Esau, heartbroken and bitter, falls into a dark rage, committing himself to murder Jacob after Isaac dies.
Rebekah learns of his plan and urges Jacob to obey her once more by running away to live with her brother Laban in Mesopotamia.
She then urges Isaac to send Jacob away to find a wife from among her own people (Genesis 27:41–46).
Her punishment for this fraud is not small; so far as we can tell from Scripture, Rebekah will never see Jacob again (Genesis 35:27; 49:31).
Genesis 27:41-46 KJV
[41] And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
[42] And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
[43] Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
[44] And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
[45] Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
[46] And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
Genesis 27:41 KJV
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
Esau bore malice to Jacob on account of the blessing he had obtained.
Thus he went in the way of Cain, who slew his brother, because he gained that acceptance with God of which he had rendered himself unworthy.
Esau aimed to prevent Jacob or his seed from having the dominion, by taking away his life. Men may fret at God’s counsels, but cannot change them.
Esau is thinking: My father is old and won’t live much longer. Just as soon as my father dies, I’ll kill Jacob. I’ll get rid of him! This is the thought of his heart, and he evidently talked about it to others.
Esau’s despair over losing Isaac’s blessing to Jacob (Genesis 27:30–35) quickly turns to a calculating and murderous rage. Whatever angst or rivalry Esau felt for his younger twin brother is amplified beyond words.
If he did not hate Jacob before, he certainly hates him now. Interestingly, even that rage is constrained by that era’s sense of respect.
Probably out of honor for his father, Esau plans kill Jacob only after Isaac died and the period of mourning was over.
Then again, Esau might have simply wanted to be sure he was not completely disinherited by Isaac. Of course, killing one’s brother was no small matter in this era, or any other.
In a sense, Esau had already been destined by his father’s “blessing” to live the life of Cain as a wandering nomad (Genesis 4:11–12). Now he planned to commit the sin of Cain (Genesis 4:3–8).
Later generations would reflect the heat of this anger. Israel and Edom, the nations descended from Jacob and Esau, would be hated enemies. The book of Obadiah describes the eventual doom of Edom.
Genesis 27:42 KJV
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
To prevent mischief, Rebekah warned Jacob of his danger, and advised him to withdraw for his safety.
We must not presume too far upon the wisdom and resolution, even of the most hopeful and promising children; but care must be taken to keep them out of the way of evil.
When reading this chapter, we should not fail to observe, that we must not follow even the best of men further than they act according to the law of God. We must not do evil that good may come.
And though God overruled the bad actions recorded in this chapter, to fulfil his purposes, yet we see his judgment of them, in the painful consequences to all the parties concerned.
It was the peculiar privilege and advantage of Jacob to convey these spiritual blessings to all nations.
The Christ, the Saviour of the world, was to be born of some one family; and Jacob’s was preferred to Esau’s, out of the good pleasure of Almighty God, who is certainly the best judge of what is fit, and has an undoubted right to dispense his favours as he sees proper, Romans 9:12-15.
Esau was actively planning to murder Jacob after Isaac died. His anger is understandable.
Using an elaborate deception in which he pretended to be Esau (Genesis 27:15–17), Jacob had tricked their father into giving him the blessing intended for Esau (Genesis 27:1–5; 27:30–35).
This gift was not simply well wishes from dad to son. It was the formal conferring of the blessing of God, for wealth and political rule to one son and not the other.
The blessing seems to have been irrevocable and possibly even prophetic (Genesis 27:37).It’s not surprising that Jacob’s action would threaten his relationship with Esau.
Still, to murder one’s brother was no small crime. Fortunately for the intended victim, Esau, he did not keep his plan to himself. He told someone what he planned to do, and the word got back to their mother Rebekah.
She, of course, was the one who hatched the plot to deceive Isaac in the first place (Genesis 27:6–10). She immediately tells Jacob about Esau’s plan.
Interestingly, Rebekah doesn’t mention that Esau plans to wait to kill Jacob. Either she didn’t know that, or she is afraid that Esau won’t be able to hold himself back for long.
In either case, the following verse will make clear that she wants Jacob to get out of town right away. Her description of Esau’s heart is interesting.
It’s a human experience to comfort oneself with a plan to take revenge on those who have hurt us. It’s a false comfort that allows us to go about our daily activities until the moment comes when we can act.
In that sense, her assessment of Esau’s plan is sensible. Then again, one has to wonder what Rebekah thought would happen. She conspired with Jacob to cheat Esau out of his life’s most valuable possession!
Her punishment for that will be played out over the next few passages. Once her favorite son flees, he won’t return until after her own death (Genesis 35:27; 49:31).
Genesis 27:43 KJV
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
Here again we see Rebekah taking things into her own hands. She tells Jacob, “You are going to have to leave home.” Little did she know that she would pay for her part in this, her sin.
We must remember that Jacob is her favorite. She wants Jacob to go to her brother, Laban, and that is where she will send him. This is where Jacob is going to learn his lesson.
This is where the chickens will come home to roost. Old Uncle Laban is going to put him through school and teach him a few things. Jacob thought he was clever, but Uncle Laban is an expert at cleverness.
Poor Jacob will find he is just an amateur, and he is going to cry out to God in desperation before it is all over. Earlier, Rebekah overheard her husband’s plan to bless their oldest twin son, Esau (Genesis 27:1–6).
Since she preferred the younger, Jacob, she hatched a plot (Genesis 27:7–14). Working with Jacob, she creates an elaborate disguise which fools the elderly, blind Isaac into blessing the wrong son (Genesis 27:15–17).
Esau, of course, is distraught when he finds out that he’s been cheated by his brother (Genesis 27:30–35). That despair rapidly turns to white-hot rage, and an intent to murder (Genesis 27:41).
Luckily for Jacob, word of this vengeful hate makes it to Rebekah, who again compels her son Jacob to action. She uses the same language she had employed earlier.
Rebekah tells Jacob to “obey [her] voice,” as when she compelled him to participate in the scheme to deceive Isaac. Now she commands his obedience again, this time to run away from his murderous brother.
Specifically, she commands Jacob to flee to her brother Laban’s house, in Haran, in Mesopotamia. We last saw Laban when Abraham’s servant went to Abraham’s people looking for a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:1–4).
He found Rebekah (Genesis 24:23–28). Her father and her brother Laban agreed to allow her to travel back to Canaan and marry Isaac. That had been many, many years ago.
Now Rebekah is counting on her brother to provide Jacob a place to stay away from Esau. In addition, we will see that she may also want Jacob to find a wife of his own from among her people.
At least, that’s what she will tell Isaac. When Abraham and Sarah tried to scheme a solution, they created heartache and a split family (Genesis 16:1–5; 21:9–14).
Rebekah’s deception of Isaac may have fulfilled a prophecy (Genesis 25:23), but it also created a rift between brothers.
And, in her own case, it will mean saying goodbye to her favored son; after this passage, Scripture only mentions Rebekah in reference to her death (Genesis 49:31).
Genesis 27:44 KJV
And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
Notice that she says she will send him away for a few days. Rebekah overheard Isaac’s plan to bless Esau, and hatched a plot to help Jacob steal it (Genesis 27:1–6).
She herself concocted a disguise and compelled Jacob to use it (Genesis 27:7–17). That resulted in a successful deception (Genesis 27:30–35), but it also drove Esau into a murderous rage (Genesis 27:41).
Once again, Rebekah manages to come across valuable information. She has heard of Esau’s plan to kill Jacob for stealing away the blessing Isaac had intended to give to him.
Now she is commanding Jacob to run away to her brother Laban’s household in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:1–4; 23–28). She wants Jacob to stay there until Esau cools down, until his murderous rage passes.
She doesn’t suggest how long that might take. Given how much she favors Jacob (Genesis 25:28), she probably does not realize that this will be, essentially, a permanent goodbye.
She intends to call Jacob back some day. However, once Jacob flees, he will not return until after Rebekah has died (Genesis 35:27; 49:31). Her deception might have obtained a blessing for her son, but it cost her dearly.
Genesis 27:45 KJV
Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
We can picture the life of Rebekah during those years when we consider that Esau probably did not think much of his mother after that little episode. Esau has a plan to kill Jacob (Genesis 27:41).
His rage is sinful, but not unexpected. Jacob conspired with their mother, Rebekah, to fool their blind father, Isaac, into giving a blessing to Jacob instead of Esau (Genesis 27:1–6; 30–35).
Rebekah has learned of Esau’s vengeful intentions. She is compelling Jacob, actually commanding him, to run for his life to her brother’s household in Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:1–4; 24:23–28).
She tells Jacob she wants him to stay there until Esau forgets that Jacob has stolen Isaac’s blessing from him. She wants Jacob to stay far away until Esau’s fury passes (Genesis 27:43–44).
She promises to send for Jacob when that day comes, though she gives no clue about when it might be. She does describe her greatest fear: losing both of her sons.
If Esau kills him, Jacob would be dead and then Esau himself would likely be killed or sent away. She desperately wants to prevent that.
As it turns out, Rebekah’s plot will cost her a relationship with the son she greatly favors (Genesis 25:28). So far as we can tell from Scripture, Jacob will not return until after Rebekah has died (Genesis 35:27; 49:31).
Genesis 27:46 KJV
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
She expects Isaac to agree and solve her problem. Rebekah expected her plan would ensure she kept Jacob by her side. But by her plan, she loses her favored son, Jacob.
In the previous verses, Rebekah has commanded Jacob to run from the murderous rage of his brother (Genesis 27:41) and to go stay with her brother Laban (Genesis 24:1–4, 23–28) until Esau’s fury passes.
We’re not told anything of Jacob’s response. Did he refuse to go or did Rebekah need for Isaac to send him to make it happen?
We don’t know. In either case, Rebekah seems to have included Isaac in her plan, which once again involves deception. Rebekah does not tell Isaac her true fear that Esau would kill Jacob.
Perhaps she doesn’t think that would compel Isaac to act quickly enough.
Perhaps she doesn’t think Isaac would believe such a thing of his favorite son. Instead, Rebekah manipulates Isaac once again, this time by complaining about Esau’s wives, the Hittite women who had made life bitter for both of them, according to Genesis 26:35.
Now she says to Isaac colorfully that she hates her life because of those women.
In fact, what good will her life even be if Jacob also marries one of the local women?
She does not come out and say directly that Isaac should send Jacob to her brother to find a wife. At least, we’re not told that she does so.
Still, in the following verses Isaac will send Jacob away for that very reason. Rebekah has accomplished her goal to get Jacob out of town.
This, so far as Scripture is concerned, is the last time Rebekah will see Jacob (Genesis 27:43–44).
His reunion with Isaac will happen many years later (Genesis 35:27), but no mention is made of his mother, who presumably has passed away, never again seeing her favorite son (Genesis 49:31).
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