The Beginning 27

Isaac was the aging father who intended to bless Esau.   Rebekah was Isaac’s wife and the mother of Esau and Jacob.   Esau was Isaac’s older son and a hunter.   Jacob was Isaac’s younger son who received the blessing through a disguise.   Laban was Rebekah’s brother and Jacob’s uncle in Haran. The firstborn son normally had a privileged position and special inheritance rights.   A father’s blessing could formally declare inheritance, authority, prosperity, and future family status.   Clothing, smell, and touch mattered because Isaac could no longer see.  Marriage choices could affect family honor, household peace, and relationships with neighboring peoples.   A person threatened by a family member might flee to relatives in another region. Isaac’s household lived in the southern land of Canaan.   Esau hunted in the open country around the settlement.   Haran was in northern Mesopotamia, where Rebekah’s family lived.  Jacob was sent there to escape Esau’s anger. Isaac asked Esau to prepare a meal before receiving his blessing.   Rebekah planned for Jacob to receive the blessing.   Jacob disguised himself as Esau and presented the food to Isaac.  Isaac blessed Jacob with prosperity, authority, and rule over his relatives.  Esau returned too late and discovered what had happened.   Esau planned to kill Jacob after Isaac’s death.   Rebekah sent Jacob to Haran for safety.