His mother said to him, "My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me." – Genesis 27:13

Today's Scripture Reading (August 25, 2021): Genesis 27

American author and public speaker Tucker Max argues that "The devil doesn't come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns. He comes as everything you've ever wished for." He is right. One of the problems with our culture is that we have turned the devil into a caricature, and one that is almost impossible to believe is real. We place him in his silly red suit, with his stupid-looking horns, and then write him off as a children's cartoon in which no sane person would believe.

But the things that we wish for, well, for that we are willing to make excuses. How can anything that we want have anything to do with the devil. How could anything that we love be evil?

It is hard to find a hero in the story of Jacob and Esau and the stolen blessing. Jacob plays the role of the deceiver and thief, the one who deceives his father and steals the blessing. Esau is a spoiled child who wants everything right now and cannot delay gratification. He is unwilling or unable to resist a smaller, more immediate reward so that we can gain a larger goal later. And none of this story would have taken place if it wasn't for the favoritism demonstrated by both of their parents. Each parent favored one child over the other, and both were bound and determined that their favorite child would gain an advantage over the other child.

As the time for Isaac to give his blessing to his oldest son, Esau, nears, Rebekah has a plan for Jacob to execute in an attempt to steal the very blessing that Isaac intends to give to Esau. If the plot is carried out correctly, Jacob will gain the advantage that Rebekah had always wanted for her favorite son. And if there were blame to be had, she would bear it. If there were a curse, Rebekah would suffer through that as well. But in her desires for what she wanted to achieve in her life, the devil was at work.  

Rebekah got precisely what she wanted. Jacob would win the blessing over his brother, Esau. But there would also be a curse under which Rebekah would suffer. In fact, in getting the blessing for Jacob, she would lose everything that she felt was important, namely, Jacob. After winning Isaac's endorsement, Jacob would go on the run, afraid that this time his brother, Esau, might kill him. The consequence of Jacob's exile, a direct result of Rebekah's plan, was that Rebekah would never see her beloved son again. Satan had come down to Rebekah giving her precisely what she wished for, and in the process, would steal away from her the very thing toward which she had dedicated her life.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 28