NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passage: Genesis 27:18-30
Discussion Questions:
- What kinds of excuses might someone use to rationalize sinful behavior?
- How should knowing that God can accomplish His purposes through flawed people impact us?
- What helps you trust God during chaotic situations?
Food for thought:
There’s a story about the first mate of a ship who despised the captain. In the ship’s log, the first mate wrote: “The captain was sober today when he was on the bridge.” The truth of the matter was the captain was always sober when he was on the bridge. The first mate’s written words may have been truthful, nevertheless what he communicated was misleading and deceitful.
Deceitfulness is an egregious sin and will always come with consequences. Nevertheless, God is able to accomplish His purposes through flawed and even deceitful people.
In Genesis 27, Isaac was preparing to bestow the family blessing on Esau, his firstborn and favorite son. Isaac told Esau to hunt for some game and to serve it to him. Then, Isaac would bestow the blessing. Rebekah quickly devised a scheme for Jacob to get the blessing.
She instructed Jacob to help her prepare a meal for Isaac. Next, she helped Jacob disguise himself as Esau. Despite his failing eyesight, Isaac seemed to sense something wasn’t right. When he questioned Jacob, his younger son responded with a blatant lie. According to God’s words to Rebekah, it was God’s will for Jacob to be greater than Esau (Genesis 25:22-23). But there was nothing godly about the underhanded way mother and son sought to make it happen.
Isaac continued to question the veracity of Jacob’s claim to be Esau. He again asked Jacob if he really was Esau, and Jacob again lied. Using his senses of touch and smell, Isaac tried to discern the truth. However, the disguise that Rebekah put together for Jacob was enough to trick Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau.
In the ancient Near East, the firstborn was not automatically given the family blessing. It came solely at the discretion of the father, usually toward the end of his life. Once transmitted, however, the blessing could not be revoked or altered. Isaac had planned to give Esau the blessing, but Jacob’s deception accomplished its purpose.
The first part of Isaac’s blessing included agricultural provisions: dew and productive land. The second part involved power and authority, both inside and outside the family. Echoing God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac pronounced a blessing on those who blessed Jacob and a curse on those who tried to mistreat him. Jacob’s future as the leader of the family was now assured through the blessing of Isaac. He would carry out the promises provided through God’s covenant with Abraham, even though his actions and character were flawed. That should comfort us, knowing that God can and will use us despite our brokenness and imperfections.
Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/ExploreTheBible.
