Genesis 27:1-5: “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. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 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. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.”
This section gives us an insight into the relationship between Isaac and Esau. While it is true that the Lord blessed Isaac and he played an important role in the Messianic line, we can also see that he was very interested in temporal things as well. He loved to eat venison that Esau hunted and prepared for him. This could be one reason why Esau was more interested in food than in his birthright. Of course, we can’t blame Isaac for choices that Esau made as an adult and we can’t absolve Esau of the fact that he despised his birthright. This passage also gives us an insight into the fact that there was tension between Isaac and Rebekah over the relative importance of their sons. It would seem that Rebekah had a preference for a more settled lifestyle similar to the one that she came from in Haran, the city of Nahor(see Gen 11: 31). However, Isaac probably had a preference for the less settled life that was evidenced by Esau’s hunting. Isaac was thinking of his belly when he thought that it was time for him to die so he sent his son to get him a good meal before he died. He then planned to bless Esau and make sure that he received the benefits of the promises that God had given to Abraham.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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