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21 Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not." 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 Then he said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am." 25 He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you." So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come near now and kiss me, my son." ~ Genesis 27:21-26
Today, we continue our study of Genesis 27 where we discover a story of deceit and intrigue which points us to the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. Long ago God chose Abraham to deliver the Messiah to the world. In response, He has given us a choice of participating in this story or to be eternally separated from the story and Himself. This story continues today in the tent of Isaac as he prepared to pronounce his blessing upon his son, Esau.
In v.21-23 of today's passage we read, "21 Isaac said to Jacob, 'Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.' 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, 'The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.' 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him."
Previously, Isaac had called his son Esau into his tent asking him to make him some stew which he would eat. It would have been at that time that he would have passed the blessing of the Lord to him. But, Rebekah, Isaac's wife overheard Isaac's conversation with Esau and she schemed to have Jacob, Esau's twin brother, go into the tent posing to be Esau so that he would received the blessing.
When Jacob went into his father's tent and near his father in order to show that he met the requirements for the blessing, he pictured for us the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus came to this earth in the flesh in order to receive the blessing of the promise which He Himself had promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And then, miraculously He shared His blessing or inheritance with anyone humble enough to believe in Him as the Messiah. All of human story, past, present and future finds its fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the end of all of our substantive searches in this life.
We read in II Timothy 3, "But know this, in the last days perilous times will come." This means that in the last days, terrible, difficult, hard and violent times will come. That sounds like the day we are living in right now. Given our current condition, everyone today is searching for three things: direction (the way), what is real (the truth), and something that will last forever (the life). The Lord Jesus Christ summed it up in John 14:6 when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." All of our questions are answered in a personal relationship with Him.
Like everyone on this earth today, Isaac sought the truth. So, in order to ensure that it was Esau that he was speaking to, Isaac touched Jacob. Isaac already had questioned how the venison was obtained so quickly, so he was already skeptical of his son's identity. He even felt him to make sure he was hairy. We all wrestle with our doubts regarding the identity of the Lord Jesus. This is good because doubt is what creates the questions that puts on the hunt to discover what is really real. We can't have faith without our doubts because it is our faith which casts the shadow of our doubts which create our questions.
In Hebrews 2:14-18 we read, "14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."
Esau pictured for us Adam who was the first fallen man of the earth. His hair brought with it biblical symbolism of awareness of his helpless condition. The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us that the Lord Jesus had to be made like us and that He himself had to suffer and He had to endure temptation. The symbolism of Isaac touching Jacob points us to the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had hair like Adam, He had flesh like Adam, and to Him belongs the ultimate birthright and blessing. As Isaac desired to know the identity of his son, we must also strive to know that the Lord Jesus really is the Son of God, the One through whom we are blessed with eternal life.
Isaac felt Jacob's hands. Similarly, while on the cross, it was the hands of the Lord Jesus that were accentuated, confirming Him as the God who died for His people. In John 20:25-28 the Apostle Thomas said, "25 Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"
Interestingly, the number eight in the Bible represents new life or resurrection. Even though the Lord made Thomas wait eight days, He yet placated to his request to verify His nail prints by seeing them and touching them. The Lord always responds affirmatively to honest questions.
In v.24-25 of today's passage we read, "24 Then he said, 'Are you really my son Esau?' He said, 'I am.' 25 He said, 'Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.' So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank."
Isaac could have given the blessing to Esau at any time in his life. At this point in the narrative Esau was 77 years of age, and Isaac was 136. Isaac planned to give the blessing to Esau when his eyesight had dimmed to the point that he thought he was about to die, even though he would live another 44 years. Due to his eyesight, Isaac simply couldn’t tell the difference between his two sons. Had he given the blessing at an earlier stage of life, this event would have never happened. So that we could see how this story points us to the coming of the Lord Jesus, it came when it did. Before Esau could shoot his game and cook it and bring it to his father, Jacob brought to him his meal and wine.
In v.26 of today's passage we read, "Then his father Isaac said to him, 'Come near now and kiss me, my son.'"
This is the first time in the Bible that someone kisses another. The kiss was tied to the son’s blessing. This word for kiss will only be used 35 times in 35 different verses of the Old Testament and another word will be used twice. This means there are only 37 mentions of kissing in the Old Testament. The father kisses the son and he receives the blessing. In Psalm 2 we read, "10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." Just as Jacob received the blessing with a kiss, we too participate in the blessing when we kiss the Son.
