Genesis Chapter 27 - The Price of Deceit

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when others we try to deceive..."

Rebekah probably died of a broken heart, or at least had reason to. She overheard Isaac give Esau instructions to hunt game and prepare a last meal for him. In return he would give Esau the blessing of the firstborn. Rebekah immediately went into action. Her plan was to have her favorite son Jacob wear Esau’s clothes and to appear as Esau with a meal of wild game. She prepared the meal and helped Jacob with his costume as she wanted him to receive the blessing instead.

Even though her plan worked, did she get what she really wanted in the end? Could her husband respect her for deceiving him? Love is based on respect, and her acts of deceitfulness were damaging to their relationship. Also, she ended up having to send her beloved son Jacob away to her brother’s land to escape being killed by Esau.

What a mess she made of things, and it cost her the close relationships she cherished the most. So often when we go after what we think we want, it usually turns out sour, and we regret having the desire in the first place. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourselves in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." When we choose to live pleasing to the Lord, His desires become our desires, and they bring joy, not heartbreak.

One cannot help but feel somewhat sorry for Esau who was once again tricked by his brother. Esau was honoring his father’s final request, doing what his father instructed him to do…hunt game and prepare a meal. Perhaps his motive was not to please his father, but to receive something in return…his father’s blessing. The end result for him was not only losing his first born’s right, but also a curse was given him. He would serve the brother who deceived him and took his blessing. This was the final straw, the one that broke the camel’s back. Esau made plans to kill his brother Jacob after their father died.

We need to check our motives in all that we do. If greed and selfish ambition are our motives, we can rest assured that the outcome will be bitter, not better. There is a verse we should make our daily prayer to keep our motives pure: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)