Come that I May Bless You
How does it feel when your father blesses you during Erev Shabbat?
Our Parasha starts with the condition of Isaac as he was already old. His eyes were dim, and he couldn't see. According to some scholars, Isaac was 137 years old at this time. Because of his age, maybe he felt that he was near death, so he called Esau to hunt and make savory food before blessing him. The question is, why must Isaac eat before blessing Esau? In my understanding, it has something to do with Esau’s selling of his birthright for a lentil stew. Now his father Isaac was also willing to give his blessing with a full stomach. And while Esau was hunting, it caused a great delay, allowing Jacob to prepare two young goats and receive the blessing of his father Isaac.
Before the preparation of the savory food to be cooked, the animal had to be killed, and of course, there was the shedding of blood. This could be a foreshadowing of the sacrificial death of Yeshua, who shed His blood, which is the blood of the new covenant as well (Hebrews 9:16–22).
In the case of Rebekah, when she put the skins of the goats on Jacob's hands, it was a picture of atonement (kaparah) or the covering of sin. Perhaps that's the reason why Rebekah said in verse 13, "Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go." Yeshua did not only cover our sins, but He paid for them (propitiation). Romans 3:24–25 says:
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.”
Another important thing that we have to notice is the involvement of the five senses from our characters. First is SEEING. It's not impossible for Rebekah to have shared with Isaac what Adonai said to her in Genesis 25:23b, that the older will serve the younger. In verse 1, it says that the eyes of Isaac were dim and he couldn't see. It can be literal because of his age, but it can also have a deeper meaning—he couldn't see the prophetic message of Adonai to Rebekah that Jacob should be the one. Notice how he called Esau: he called him "Esau, my older son," not "my firstborn son." Coincidence?
Second is HEARING. Rebekah heard what Isaac told Esau. So she spoke to Jacob and told him everything. After Jacob heard it, he followed Rebekah's instruction to bring her two choice kids of the goats for the savory food. Third is TOUCHING. In verses 21–23, Isaac told Jacob to come near so he could feel whether he was really Esau. Isaac did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like Esau's, and so Isaac blessed him.
Fourth is TASTING. Isaac repeated his statement in verse 4 that he must eat before giving his blessing. So Jacob brought the savory food with wine, and Isaac ate and drank. Fifth is SMELLING. Maybe still unconvinced, Isaac invited Jacob to come near and kiss him. Then Jacob came near and kissed his father, and finally, Isaac was convinced that it was indeed Esau because of his smell.
Our senses are gifts from Adonai YHVH, and we must use them in a good way.
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HearingHebrews 4:7"Today, if you hear God's voice, do not harden your hearts."
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SeeingPsalm 66:5"Come and see the works of God, who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men."
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TastingEcclesiastes 3:13"Moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God."
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TouchingDaniel 10:10"Behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands."
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Smelling2 Corinthians 2:15"For we are a fragrance of Yeshua to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."
Now, let us proceed to the blessing that Isaac gave to Jacob. In verse 28, Isaac mentioned the dew of heaven. The Hebrew word for dew is tal, which means "light rain," a symbol of the fertility of the land, since they were living in the wilderness. Next is the fatness of the earth. The word "fatness" in Hebrew is saman, meaning "fertile land or place," made possible by rain. Then the abundance of grain and wine. It is very obvious that the first part of Isaac's blessing to Jacob is abundance and riches, and it really fits him because his descendants settled as farmers in the land.
The second part of Isaac's blessing to Jacob is in verse 29, and it deals with supremacy over other nations and people. Here, Jacob would rule over his brothers, and even the sons of his mother would bow down to him. Eventually, this would happen again during the time of Joseph when he had a dream that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him.
The last part of Isaac's blessing was, "Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you." Comparing this with Genesis 12:3, which Adonai Himself declared, we see that here the curse comes before the blessing. After the giving of the blessing, Rebekah attained her desire to witness the fulfillment of Adonai's word to her: "The older will serve the younger."
The lesson here is that the majestic plan of Adonai YHVH will always prevail. Since He is an Omnipotent God, He can even use our shortcomings to fulfill His plan.
-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --
Our Haftarah deals with the comparison between Adonai YHVH and the dead idols of Babylon. In verses 3 and 4, Adonai told the house of Jacob and the remnant of Israel that He is not helpless like idols. The point of Adonai is that even the idols of Babylon can’t save themselves, but Adonai can save His people Israel throughout their lives—even to their gray hairs, He will carry them.
In verses 5–7, Adonai pointed out that His power cannot be compared to idols because they are powerless. Also, the effort of the people who make idols, treat them like gods, and prostrate themselves is nonsense because their idols can't answer when they cry out for help.
To prove that He, Adonai YHVH, is the One True God of Israel, He tells His people in verse 9 to remember the former things like their deliverance from Egypt and His provision in the wilderness. This could serve as evidence that He is the only God.
-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --
In the Apostolic Writings, the author of Hebrews discussed the faith of the Patriarchs. To prove his faith, Abraham offered Isaac. He trusted Adonai YHVH that, just in case Isaac died, He was able to raise him up—even from the dead. Another example of faith was Isaac, who blessed his two sons concerning things to come. Although it turned out the way it did because Rebekah insisted, Jacob got the blessing of his father by pretending to be Esau. When Jacob was about to die, he also blessed the sons of Joseph. And Joseph, when he was dying, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel and gave instructions about his bones.
Like the Patriarchs, let us confidently put our faith in Messiah Yeshua, for He is the great fulfillment of Adonai's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The connection of our Parasha is about blessing. In the Torah, Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob as the fulfillment of "The older will serve the younger." In the Haftarah, the greatest blessing of Israel is that they have Adonai YHVH—a powerful and true God who cannot be compared to any idol. In the Apostolic Writings, the Patriarchs extended their blessings to their sons as proof of their faith in Adonai YHVH.
Returning to my introduction... it is a privilege to be blessed by our earthly father, but it is a greater privilege to be blessed by our Heavenly Father through His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach!
"Even when human plans falter and motives are flawed, Adonai’s purpose prevails. The blessing meant for you will always find its way — not by force, but by faith."
Shabbat Shalom,
Topher
torahclass.com
jtsa.edu
shema.com
shalomfortheworld.com
reconciledworld.org
bible.org
bethanybible.org
The MacArthur Study Bible
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