Here’s my sermon on Genesis 27 “Blessings of Isaac” preached at Cross of Christ Fellowship on 5/17/26. Audio here.
Genesis 27-28:9 “The Blessings of Isaac”
Intro: Dysfunctional Family? Father driven by appetite, murderous rage of elder brother, scheming mom, lying son
-Can God actually work through such a family to bring his blessings to the world?
-Nothing can stop God’s good plans from coming to pass—not even the sins of his people!
RELEVANT: There are many challenges in the world, the church and our own lives.
-Our only hope can be in God who is gracious and sovereign.
–TODAY: Blessings of Isaac. Will God’s Word come true, even in the face of so much sin and evil?
-Nothing can stop God’s good plans from coming to pass—not even the sins of his people!
I. GOD’S PROMISE IN DANGER: Old, Blind Isaac Ready to Give Abrahamic Blessing to Esau (27:1-4)
-SETTING: Isaac is “old” and blind “eyes were so dim that he could not see”, and think he will die soon (2)
-In reality, it is still many years before he dies!
-GOD’S PROMISE IN DANGER: Isaac is happy to give the blessing to Esau after he returns from hunting (3-4)
–Danger Because: God said the blessing of Abraham would go to Jacob, not Esau (25:23)
-Also, Jacob already has the birthright, which meant that he was supposed to get the blessing!
–IMPORTANCE OF BLESSING: God’s promised blessing from Abraham to Isaac to heir
-Hard for us to grasp, but God’s means of directing future prosperity.
–Isaac’s Flaw: Driven more by his appetite, than the promise of God.
-“delicious food, such as I love” (4, 9, 14)
-Nothing wrong with loving food, but he was in the wrong to favor Esau and neglect prophecy.
QUESTION—How will God’s plans come to pass? Will it be through the righteous acts of Rebekah or Jacob?
- GOD OVERRULES THE SINFUL ACTS OF MAN TO BRING ABOUT HIS PLANS (27:5-8:5)
-SCHEMES OF REBEKAH (5-17)
-Rebekah overhears and makes a plan for Jacob to deceive his father and take the blessing (5-10)
-Jacob has initial resistance and fears, but these are overcome (11-13)
-Additional precautions put in place (Esau’s clothing): (14-17)
-DECEIT OF JACOB (18-25)
-Jacob lies to his blind father and brings the food (18-25)
-Commentator—Isaac’s 5 senses tricked [Hear, Seeing, Tasting, Touching, Smell]
-ISAAC UNKNOWINGLY BLESSES JACOB (26-29)
-Isaac gives his blessing (the blessing from Abraham to Isaac to heir) to Jacob, not realizing it is Jacob!
-Blessing: -prosperity for Jacob (27b-28)
-nations and siblings to bow down to him (29a)
-Cursing and blessings [Gen 12:1-3!] (29b)
-ESAU’S MURERDOUS ANGER (30-41)
-Right after the blessing, Esau enters and seeks the blessing from his father (30-31)
-Isaac learns the truth and “trembles very violently” (32-33)
-Commentators: “trembles violently” occurs when people encounter God
-Here, Isaac faced with God’s overruling his sinful and foolish attempt to bless Esau!
-Isaac accepts the fact that Jacob will get the blessing (33b)
-Though Esau seeks blessing with tears, he will not get the Abrahamic blessing, but a “negative blessing” (34-40)
-Esau “hates” his brother and is determined to murder him (41)
-2ND DANGEROUS SITUATION: WILL JACOB SURVIVE HIS MURERDOUS BROTHER? (42-46)
-Rebekah hears again about a dangerous situation and seeks a resolution—send Jacob back to her family (41-45)
-Part of the plan—Jacob needs a non-Canaanite wife (46)
-ISAAC KNOWINGLY BLESSES JACOB (28:1-5)
-Isaac KNOWINGLY blesses Jacob (1b), and sends him to Paddan-aram to find a wife (1-2)
-Blessings of Abraham, knowingly passed on to Isaac and sent to Rebekah’s Family (3-5)
OBSERVE: God fulfills his good plans and purpose—blessing of Abraham goes from Isaac to Jacob—in spite of the sin and disfunctions of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau.
-God makes a promise and God keeps his promise!
–Nothing can stop God’s good plans from coming to pass—not even the sins of his people!
GOSPEL: God overrules the sinful acts of people to graciously bring His blessings on the Earth: Acts 2:22-24
-God overrules the sinful acts of man
-GOD’s “definite plan and foreknowledge” and sinful acts of man “crucified and killed by hands of lawless men”
-God overrules the sins of people to bring about his gracious good purposes.
-God does not sin, nor is He author of sin, but overrules the sinful acts of man to bring salvation!
-In Christ, the promise of Abraham is fulfilled
-The nations are blessed as they are saved from their sins and become reconciled to God
-People from every ethnic group coming to experience the joy of knowing God!
-It comes about through GRACE—unearned—and God’s SOVEREIGNTY—God’s rule.
APPLICATION: WE NEED TO REMEMBER THESE TRUTHS ABOUT GOD TODAY!
1 GRACE OF GOD; 2 SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
1. GRACE OF GOD: The scandal of grace.
-SHOCKING GRACE: God still chooses Jacob and blesses him and the world through Him.
–SINS OF ISAAC’S FAMILY: Isaac’s Sensual Love for Food; Esau’s Rage; Rebekah’s Schemes; Jacob’s Lies.
-God did not choose Israel because they were righteous: Deut. 9:4-6
-God does not choose us because we deserve it: Eph 2:8-9
–Unbeliever: Hear the good news of God’s grace toward you! Believe on Christ.
-Believer: Remember, you are saved by God’s grace, not by any work you do.
-Isn’t God amazing to save any of us?
2. SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD: Nothing can stop God’s purpose and plans in your life—not even your sins and failures.
-LARGE SCALE: Islam, False Religion, Secularism, Persecution.
-CHURCH: Much weakness, many needs, many failures…
-CCF: Small, weak, many needs…
-OUR SELVES: Weakness, failures, frailty.
-Powerful Protection and Care of JESUS: John 10:28
-Believer: Fix your eyes on the powerful care and love of God: He is greater than our sins and failures!
CLOSE: –Nothing can stop God’s good plans from coming to pass—not even the sins of his people!
