Course Syllabus

Course title: ET 810 The Book of Genesis (OT Bible Elective)

Course description: An exegetical, theological, and expositional study of the book of Genesis.
Course instructor: Robert R. Gonzales Jr. is a graduate of the Reformed Baptist School of Theology,
Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also holds a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Theology
and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Old Testament Interpretation from Bob Jones
University. He is the author of Where Sin Abounds: the Spread of Sin and the Curse
in Genesis with a Special Focus on the Patriarchal Narratives (Wipf & Stock, 2010)
and a contributor to the Reformed Baptist Theological Review, The Founders
Journal, and Westminster Theological Journal. Bob and his wife, Becky, have five
children.
Course credit: 2 credit-hours
Course requirements: Student must satisfactorily complete the following course requirements:
(1) Lectures & Reading The student must listen to all 4 sixty-minute lectures on Primeval History by Dr.
Richard Pratt. The lectures are in audio and video format and may be accessed
here: http://thirdmill.org/seminary/course.asp/vs/prh.
The student must read following assigned works in their entirety:
The Book of Genesis in one of the following versions:
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New King James Version (NKJV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
New International Version (NIV)
New English Translation (NET)
Gonzales, Robert R., Jr. Where Sin Abounds: the Spread of Sin and the Curse in
Genesis with a Special Focus on the Patriarchal Narratives. Eugene, OR:
Wipf & Stock, 2010.
Reeves, Michael. Adam and Eve. In Should Christians Embrace Evolution?
Biblical and Scientific Responses. Edited by Norman C. Nevin. Phillipsburg:
Presbyterian and Reformed, 2009. [Note: the assigned chapter from his book
is available on Virtual Campus as a PDF.]
Longman, Tremper, III. How to Read Genesis. Downers Grove: InterVarsity
Press, 2005.
(2) Book Review The student shall write one book review of either Where Sin Abounds or How to
Read Genesis. The review should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words. Use a book
font (e.g., Times Roman) and render the text as double-spaced.
(2) Expositional Paper The student should write one expositional paper on a passage or a topic from the
book of Genesis. Below are a few passages and topics the student may want to
consider:
Passages Topics
The Creation (1:1-2:3) The Days of Creation
The Fall (3:1-24) The Historicity of Adam
Cain and Abel (4:1-16) The Significance of Genesis 3:15
The Tower of Babel (11:1-9) Identify of the Sons of God (6:1-4)
The Abrahamic Promise (12:1-3) The Nature of the Flood
The Binding of Isaac (22:1-24) Deception in Genesis
The Sin of Judah (38:1-30) Theodicy in Genesis
Let the instructor know if youd like to do your paper on a passage or topic not
listed above. The paper should resemble a manuscript from which you might
preach a sermon or give a lecture. It shouldnt just be technical; it should also be
practical. The instructor is looking for the following elements in the paper:
Proper formatting, spelling, punctuation, and writing style.
Good exegesis, interpretation, and exposition of the text
Helpful illustrations and applications
The instructor has appended a sample expositional paper entitled Isaacs Carnal
Appetite, which is largely based on Genesis 27. The paper should be between
3,500 and 5,000 words. If the student has any further questions about the paper, he
should contact the instructor.
The instructor has included some recommended reading below that may be
helpful to consult in writing your paper.
Course grading:

Lectures and reading = 30% / Book review = 30% / Expositional paper = 30%
Recommended Reading: Aalders, G. Charles. Genesis. 2 vols. Translated by William Heynen. BSC.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.
Arnold, Bill T. Encountering the Book of Genesis. EBS. Edited by Walter A.
Elwell and Eugene H. Merrill. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.
Blocher, Henri. In the Beginning: The Opening Chapters of Genesis. Translated
by David G. Preston. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1984.
Calvin, John. Commentaries on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis.
(Reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker 2003).
Collins, C. John. Did Adam and Eve Really Exist? Who They Were and Why
Should You Care. Wheaton: Crossway, 2011.
________. Genesis 14: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary.
Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 2006.
Currid, John D. A Study Commentary on Genesis. 2 vols. Webster, NY:
Evangelical Press, 2003.
Duguid, Iain. Living in the Gap Between Promise and Reality: The Gospel
According to Abraham. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed
Publishing Co., 1999.
________. Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace: The Gospel in the Lives of
Isaac and Jacob. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing
Co., 2002.

________, and Matthew Harmon. Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace: The
Gospel in the Lives of Isaac and Jacob. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Co., 2013.
Greidanus, Sidney. Preaching Christ from Genesis: Foundations for Expository
Sermons. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2007.
Hagopian, David G. ed. The Genesis Debate: Three Views on the Days of
Creation. Mission Viejo, CA: The Crux Press, 2001.
Hamilton, Victor P. The Book of Genesis: Chapters 117. NICOT. Edited by R.
K. Harrison and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1990.
________. The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1850. NICOT. Edited by R. K.
Harrison and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1995.
Jordon, James B. Creation in Six Days: A Defense of the Traditional Reading of
Genesis One. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1999.
Kelly, Douglas F. Creation and Change: Genesis 1:1-2:4 in the Light of
Changing Scientific Paradigms. Ross-shire, U.K.: Mentor, 2002.
Kidner, Derek. Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary. TOTC. Edited by D.
J. Wiseman. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1967.
Kline, Meredith G. Kingdom Prologue: Genesis Foundations for a Covenantal
Worldview. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2006.
Leupold, H. C. Exposition of Genesis. 2 vols. 1942. Reprint, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1987.
Mathews, Kenneth A. Genesis 11:2750:26. Vol. 1b of NAC. Edited by E. Ray
Clendenen. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005.
________. Genesis 111:26. Vol. 1a of NAC. Edited by E. Ray Clendenen.
Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996.
Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of
Genesis. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.
Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.
John H. Walton, Genesis. The NIV Application Commentary. Edited by Terry
Muck. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.
________. The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins
Debate. Downers Grove: Intervarsity, 2009.
Gordon Wenham. Genesis 115. Vol. 1 of WBC. Edited by David A. Hubbard
and Glenn W. Barker. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1987.
________. Genesis 1650. Vol. 2 of WBC. Edited by David A. Hubbard and
Glenn W. Barker. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994.
Williams, Peter. From Eden to Egypt: Exploring the Genesis Themes. Epson,
U.K.: Day One Publications, 2001.
Disclaimer: by recommending the works above the instructor does not wish to
imply that he agrees with every perspective or position advanced in these works.
The student should read these books critically.



!
!"!#$% '"())*+( *),-)# )..$!"!$/
"-!,012*!"0- 3,456 7489 :;<
This moining I want us to focus oui attention on !"# %&' () *%++, as highlighteu in uenesis 27.
0ne scholai has iemaikeu, "A moie poweiful anu a moie fiuitful chaptei foi the sacieu enus of
tiageuy was nevei wiitten than the tiagic chaptei of Isaac's ueathbeu."
1
As I was tiying to think of a
helpful way to captuie oi summaiize Isaac's failuie as it's poitiayeu in this passage, my minu
immeuiately went to that passage in Bebiews 12:1, which in the King }ames veision ieaus:
Wheiefoie seeing we also aie compasseu about with so gieat a clouu of witnesses, let us lay asiue eveiy
weight, anu !"# %&' -"&," .(!" %( #+%&/0 1#%#! 2%, anu let us iun with patience the iace that is set befoie us.
The key phiase is "the sin which uoth so easily beset us." Isaac's pioblem in uenesis 27 was not
an isolateu lapse in juugment. Rathei, Isaac's pioblem in oui naiiative was the iesult of a pattein of
sinful behavioi in a paiticulai aiea that he faileu to ueal with piopeily anu that eventually iesulteu
in his making some veiy unspiiitual uecisions. Bis sin is what we commonly call a "besetting sin." A
besetting sin is a paiticulai sin with which a believei habitually stiuggles anu to which he may
fiequently succumb.
Befoie we move on anu iuentify Isaac's besetting sin, I neeu to make a confession. When you anu
I think of "besetting sins," we commonly think of paiticulai aieas of weakness, such as "a bau
tempei," "laziness," "lust," "oveieating," "gossip," etc. It's possible, howevei, that the paiticulai
"besetting sin" oi "sin that easily entangles" the authoi of Bebiews hau in view was moie basic anu
funuamental. In fact, some commentatois believe he was iefeiiing specifically to "unbelief" as the
believei's "besetting sin." That may veiy well be the case. Anu since I uon't want to twist a text just
to suit my puipose, I wanteu to make you awaie of the uiffeience of opinion conceining the piopei
inteipietation of Bebiews 12:1.
Neveitheless, having maue that concession, I believe we may still use Bebiews 12:1 to
chaiacteiize Isaac's paiticulai weakness anu sin in uenesis 27. Though unbelief is at the ioot of all
oui sin, that unbelief will often manifest itself uiffeiently in uiffeient people. Foi example, as we
suivey the vaiious chaiacteis in Bebiews 11 in light of the 0T naiiatives wheie theii life is
poitiayeu, we can iecall that theii faith woulu often manifest itself in unique ways anu theii
unbelief woulu often manifest itself in unique ways. Abiaham stiuggleu with honesty. Noses
stiuggleu with patience. Samson stiuggleu with lust. Although all oui vaiieu sins may be tiaceu to
unbelief, it's also tiue that unbelief will often manifest itself in each of us in slightly uiffeient ways.
I think the iest of the Bible suppoits this. Think, foi example, of the uiffeient categoiies into
which the Bible sometimes places uiffeient sinneis. Some aie calleu "sluggaius." 0theis aie calleu,
"liais." Some aie calleu "foinicatois." Still otheis aie calleu, "gluttons." Boes that mean that these
paiticulai inuiviuuals only commit one kinu of sin. 0f couise not! What it uoes mean is that the
paiticulai sin mentioneu is, peihaps, the most piominent oi at least one of the most piominent sins
in theii life.
Anu I think it's safe to assume that even aftei we become believeis, we may still stiuggle with
those paiticulai sins that at one time significantly chaiacteiizeu oui life. If laziness was the
pieuominant sin in oui unconveiteu state, we may still stiuggle with the iemnants of that sin. If we

1
Alexanuei Whyte, 3&1/# 4"+5+,!#5% () !"# 6/. +'. 7#- 8#%+!9#'!% (uianu Rapius: Kiegel Publications, 199u), 1u2-
uS.


#
weie conveiteu out of a backgiounu of immoiality, we may still stiuggle with lust. If oui foimei life
was chaiacteiizeu by impulsiveness oi a lack of self-contiol, then such may be oui "besetting sin" as
Chiistians. Though all oui sins can be tiaceu to unbelief, oui iemaining unbelief may manifest itself
thiough the vaiious weaknesses that chaiacteiize each of us. So I still think it's biblically
appiopiiate to speak of a believei's "besetting sin."
That leaus us to oui passage in uenesis anu Isaac's besetting sin. When I think of Isaac's sinas
poitiayeu in this naiiativeI'm ieminueu of the legenuaiy uieek heio Achilles. In uiecian
mythology, Achilles was an almost invincible waiiioi befoie whom neaily all foes weie uefeateu.
Accoiuing to one veision of the epic, Achilles mothei, who was a gouuess, took him when he was an
infant anu uippeu his entiie bouy into a magical iivei in oiuei to make him immoital anu invincible.
Theie was one pait of his bouy, howevei, that she was not able to immeise into the iivei. She was,
accoiuing to stoiytellei, holuing the chilu by the heel. Thus, Achilles heel was his one weak spot, anu
accoiuing to the stoiy, it was an aiiow that pieiceu his heel, which biought his uownfall.
You may be wonueiing, "What uoes Achilles' heel have to uo with Isaac." Isaac, like Achilles, hau
a soft spot. 0nly foi Isaac, it wasn't his heel. It was his stomach. !"##$ &#' # "()* "+(* )(, -(('
)(('. Noses pioviues us with a hint of this weakness eailiei in the naiiative. Aftei the biith of Esau
anu }acob is uesciibeu, we ieau in uen 2S:27-28 -
ESv uenesis 2S:27 When the boys giew up, Esau was a skillful huntei, a man of the fielu, while }acob was
a quiet man, uwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loveu Esau /0$#1"0 &0 #*0 () &2" -#30, but Rebekah loveu }acob.
So Isaac's weakness was his love foi goou foou. Theiefoie, we coulu entitle oui message,
4!"##$5" 6#,7#8 9++0*2*0.: 0i, if you piefei a moie geneiic title, "The Believei's Achilles' Beel."
Somebouy says, "What wiong with enjoying goou foou." In one sense, "Nothing." It's not sinful
in-anu-of-itself to enjoy a well-piepaieu cuisine of wilu game. Nany of us woulu have some
iepenting to uo if that weie so. It's not wiong foi us to enjoy foou anu to have favoiite uishes. It is
wiong, howevei, when oui appetite foi goou foou becomes inoiuinate oi excessive. Foi you it may
not be the love of goou foou. It may be an inoiuinate love foi money. It may be an excessive concein
foi ieputation. It may be a pieoccupation with comfoit anu ease. All of us have some kinu of
Achilles' heel. Some of us may have moie than one.
Foi Isaac it was an inoiuinate love foi foou. Anu one of the ieasons uou placeu this stoiy in the
Bible was to wain us against potential weak spots in oui own lives so that we might be on oui guaiu
anu that we might not fall into the same sin as oui fathei Isaac.
With these thoughts befoie us, I'u like to uevelop oui theme unuei two heauings: (1) The signs
of Isaac's cainal appetite; (2) The cuie foi Isaac's cainal appetite.
"9 !=4 (>?8@ AB "@55C+@ *5D85E )FF4G>G4
I'u like to highlight foui ways in which Noses exposes Isaac's cainal appetite oi spiiitual
Achilles' heel.
!" $ %&'(&) &**+,-,+ -. /0,+( &( 1(%/(,'/))+2 /' -(/'2-(&,+ 2+.-'+ 0/' ./3+,4-(5 ,4&, 3&6 7+ /,4+'8-.+
)+5-,-3&,+"
We've alieauy seen the fiist hint of Isaac's cainal appetite in chaptei 2S. Lest you think I ieau
too much into the text, let's move back to chaptei 27 anu note how Noses inuicates that Isaac's love
foi wilu game continueu to be a pioblem into his olu age. The phiase "uelicious foou" appeais 6
times in the passage (vv. 4, 7, 9, 14, 17, S1). Nost telling is Isaac's appenueu phiase in veise 4:


$
"Piepaie foi me uelicious foou, "1$& #" ! 8(;0." Bis wife, Rebekah, iepeats this phiase in veise 9
wheie she commanus }acob:
ESv uenesis 27:9 uo to the flock anu biing me two goou young goats, so that I may piepaie fiom them
uelicious foou foi youi fathei, "1$& #" &0 8(;0".
Then Noses himself highlights the phiase in veise 14:
ESv uenesis 27:14 So |}acobj went anu took them anu biought them to his mothei, anu his mothei
piepaieu uelicious foou, "1$& #" &2" )#*&0, 8(;0'.
Can you see the emphasis that the Boly Spiiit is unueiscoiing in oui naiiative. Isaac uoesn't
meiely eat uelicious foou. Be emphatically loves uelicious foou. Anu that excessive love foi foou
gives iise to othei spiiitual weaknesses anu sins as we'ie going to see.
Aie theie things in this life that you 5#+//0 /(:#. They may be legitimate in-anu-of-themselves.
But they so uominate youi life that otheis aiounu you begin to think of you anu iefei to you as the
man oi woman oi chilu who's ciazy about such-anu-such. "She's boy-ciazy." 0i, "Be's in love with
basketball." 0i, "She's all wiappeu up in music." 0i, "Be's a 'woikaholic.'" 0i, "Be'u spenu all his
time on a fishing boat if he coulu affoiu it." 0i, "She loves the shopping mall."
Bo you get what I'm saying. I may not have pusheu youi paiticulai button, but it's likely that
you have a button. It's likely that we all have buttonsthings in this woilu that we sometimes like
*(( 31$&. So much that we become known as the guy oi the giil who's heau ovei heels foi such anu
such oi who's a fanatic about such anu such. 0nfoitunately, the "such anu such" is often not Chiist
oi spiiitual things but meiely tempoial things. Anu such an inoiuinate appetite fiequently leaus to
othei pioblems, which biings me to the seconu sign of a cainal appetite.
9" $ %&'(&) &**+,-,+ *'/3*,. 1. ,/ 3&:+ %4/-%+. %/(,'&'6 ,/ ./1(2 ;1253+(,"
Isaac's love foi Esau's cookeu game not only inclineu his heait to tieat Esau as his favoiite.
Woise, it blinueu Isaac to Esau's own piofane chaiactei. At least two times befoie the event in
chaptei 27, Noses highlights Esau's ungouliness anu unfitness foi the blessing.
Fiist, in 2S:29-S4, we ieau that Esau sells his biithiight foi a meie bowl of stew. We'ie going to
look at this text in moie uetail when we stuuy Esau's life latei in oui seiies. Foi now, let me just cite
Alexanuei Whyte, who aptly assesses the spiiitual significance of Esau's action:
The covenant piomises maue to his fatheis hau no inteiest; they hau no existence even to Esau. They can
take the piomises who caie foi them; as foi Esau, a biiu in the hanu is woith two in the bush.
Whyte then summaiizes Esau's chaiactei with the following poignant woius: "All the time, an
animal moie than a man. All the time, all bouy anu no soul. All the time, a piofane peison, who faileu
the giace of uou."
2

The seconu time Noses highlights Esau's ungouly chaiactei is founu in 26:S4-SS. Theie we ieau,
ESv uenesis 26:S4 When Esau was foity yeais olu, he took }uuith the uaughtei of Beeii the Bittite to be
his wife, anu Basemath the uaughtei of Elon the Bittite, SS anu they maue life bittei foi Isaac anu
Rebekah.
Beie, Esau makes thiee teiiible mistakes that show he's not fit to be the iecipient of the
Abiahamic blessing.

2
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%
Fiist, he takes two wives iathei than one, thus imitating the bigamy of the wickeu anteuiluvian
Lamech anu uisiegaiuing the cieation noim of monogamous maiiiage. Seconu, Esau maiiies
women fiom Canaan iathei than taking a wife fiom his own clan, as uiu his fathei Isaac. Thiiu, Be
appaiently maiiieu against his paients' wishes as the passage implies that Isaac anu Rebekah weie
uispleaseu with Esau's choice.
In light of Esau's obvious lack of a passion foi the things of uou anu in light of his woiluly
minuset anu lifestyle, one woulu think that Isaac woulu come to the iiiesistible conclusion that Esau
was unfit foi the blessing. If theie was any oiiginal ambiguity in the meaning of the biith oiacle that
spoke of the "eluei seiving the youngei," that ambiguity shoulu have evapoiateu in light of Esau's
piofane chaiactei anu immoial behavioi.
But the Isaac of uenesis 27 is not meiely physically blinu. Bis cainal appetite has maue him
spiiitually blinu. Be's lost "sounu juugment." Be's not playing the pait of a wise anu uisceining
fathei. Insteau, he's making a momentous choice that has seiious iamifications foi the outwoiking
of uou's piomise all on the basis of his inoiuinate love foi savoiy meat.
9++82$#*2(7< Aie we allowing an inoiuinate affection foi some of the tempoial things of this
woilu unuuly influence majoi uecisions we make. Aie we allowing oui love foi the "finei things of
life" to clouu oui spiiitual juugment anu uampen oui zeal foi uou's kinguom.
Biotheis, I confess that I stiuggle with this. Inueeu, it's haiu to live in such an affluent countiy as
Ameiica anu not stiuggle with this. The aus on Tv oi in the newspapei oi on the Inteinet constantly
bombaiu us with pictuies of oui favoiite foou oi oui favoiite clothing oi oui favoiite new electionic
gauget, anu befoie long we finu ouiselves spenuing much moie time seaiching foi a goou ueal on
some piece of meichanuise than we spenu cultivating oui walk with uou.
When we fiist staiteu out as Chiistians, we seemeu to be so heavenly minueu anu zealous foi
the things of uou. But just as Isaac began to lose his sight when he got oluei, so we begin to lose
sight of what matteis most to uou. Anu this loss of spiiitual vision anu uisceinment is one of the
maiks oi signs of a cainal appetite. But thiiuly
<" $ %&'(&) &**+,-,+ /0,+( )+&2. ,/ .+%'+,-=+ 7+4&=-/'"
The confeiial of a fathei's blessing was, in the ANE anu the Bible, supposeu to be an event that
involveu the whole family (see uen. 49). Bowevei, accoiuing to oui text, Isaac uoesn't bothei to
gathei all the whole family togethei in oiuei to make his plans known. Insteau, he plots with Esau
secietly within the piivacy of his tent.
Such stealthy pioceeuings suggest an uneasy conscience on Isaac's pait. Be knows that what
he's uoing is wiong, anu so he attempts to hiue it.
9++82$#*2(7: Biotheis anu sisteis, is this not what cainal appetite can uo. Fiist, it pieoccupies
oui attention. Then it clouus oui juugment. Then, when we know that we'ie no longei walking in
the paths of iighteousness with a goou conscience, we begin to covei oui tiacks.
Young peison, you may liteially "love" Facebook, just as Isaac "loveu" uelicious foou. You finu
youiself spenuing moie anu moie time pei week checking anu posting anu chatting. You even finu
youiself neglecting weightiei matteis, like homewoik, choies, anu even youi uevotional life. In fact,
if you hau to choose between Facebook anu the Bible, you'u piobably choose Facebook. Anu
because youi paients have waineu you about the auuicting powei of Facebook, you finu it
necessaiy to be secietive. When mom enteis the ioom, you quickly close the biowsei anu pietenu


&
like you weie uoing youi homewoik. 0i you wait until eveiyone's sleeping anu then you login anu
uo youi stuff when nobouy knows.
You say, "Come on, Pastoi, you'ie making a mountain out of a molehill. You'ie tieating Facebook
as if it weie a caiuinal sin!" Well, a quaitei is a small anu insignificant thing. But if we holu it close
to oui eye, it can block out the light of the sun. In the same way, something as small anu seemingly
insignificant as Facebook can slowly uominate oui attention, clouu oui spiiitual uisceinment, anu
piompt us to engage in secietive behavioi.
0f couise, this is not just a uangei foi young people. Auults can be guilty of this. A husbanu oi
wife can tiy to hiue fiom his oi hei spouse wheie they'ie spenuing money. What they'ie spenuing
on may not be evil pei se, but they know they'ie not being a goou stewaiu. So they'ie secietive.
Biothei oi sistei, aie you uoing things in seciet that you'u be ashameu if othei family membeis
knew. If so, it's a goou sign that you'ie not walking in the path of spiiitual wisuom because theie's
some thing that has too much of youi attention anu affection. Fouithly anu finally,
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It was uou's will that Isaac confei the blessing on }acob, not on Esau. Now theie may have been
some initial ambiguity in the piophecy as it ieaus in the oiiginal Bebiew. In English, it ieaus, "The
oluei shall seive the youngei." Latei allusions to the text in Nalachi anu Romans inteipiet the
piophecy as uou piefeiiing }acob ovei Esau. Neveitheless, when it was fiist given, the Bebiew
coulu have ieau eithei way: "The oluei shall seive the youngei" oi "the oluei the youngei shall
seive." Like much piophecy in the Bible, it may only become cleaiei as futuie events unfolu.
But by the time Isaac was ieauy to confei the blessing, plenty of events hau unfolueu to make it
cleai that Esau shoulu not be the iecipient of the blessing. Yet, Isaac hau maue up his minu (on the
basis of his belly) that Esau woulu ieceive the blessing. Anu so, in the fiist half of uenesis 27, we
encountei an Isaac who is stanuing in opposition to uou's plan of ieuemption. It was uou's plan that
}acob be the heii of the blessing. Rebekah saw this. Bei scheme foi oveiiuling hei husbanu's
mistake was wiong, but hei intuition was iight. She knew that hei husbanu was blinu in moie than
one way. She knew that he was poiseu to hinuei uou's piomise.
9++82$#*2(7< Biotheis anu sisteis, whenevei we give ouiselves ovei to a cainal appetite;
whenevei we get oui eyes off Chiist anu set oui highest affections on tempoial oi eaithly things;
whenevei we lose sounu juugment anu, as a iesult, finu ouiselves behaving in ways that we feel
necessaiy to hiue fiom the spiiitually minueu; when these things aie happening, we'ie not
auvancing uou's kinguom but we'ie in opposition to it. We'ie unueimining the gospel of Chiist.
Now uou will oveiiule anu what we intenu foi evil, he'll use foi goou. 0ltimately, he will builu
his chuich, anu oui sin won't stop him! But uou's success will come at the expense of oui shame! As
a believei anu followei of }esus Chiist, uo you ieally want to stanu against him. Bo you ieally want
to be known in this life as someone whose life anu testimony unueimineu the gospel insteau of
auoining it. Bo you want to be on Chiist's team scoiing goals foi his victoiy. 0i uo you want to be
like the guy on my college soccei team who as a uefensive back often kickeu the ball in the wiong
uiiection anu scoieu moie goals foi the opposing team than he uiu foi ouis.
That biings me, biiefly, to the cuie foi a cainal appetite. What was .
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Two things, anu I'll have to be biief.


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uou use the scheme of Rebekah anu the ueceit of }acob to oveiiule Isaac's folly. That ceitainly
uoesn't excuse Rebekah's anu }acob's sins. It uoes show, howevei, that uou will get his way even if
he has to use the sins of some in oiuei to oveiiule the sins of anothei. Isaac thought he coulu pull
the wool ovei the eyes of Rebekah anu }acob anu even uou. As it tuins out, the wool tieu to }acob's
foieaims ueceiveu Isaac into thinking he was confeiiing the blessing on Esau when in fact he
confeiieu it on }acob.
Bow uoes Isaac iesponu. I believe we finu .
9" $ 413&( '+.*/(.+ /0 '+*+(,&(%+ &(2 0&-,4"
0nce Isaac comes to the iealization that he's been tiickeu anu that's he's blesseu }acob insteau of
Esau, we'ie tolu that he "tiembleu veiy violently" (27:SS). Liteially, Isaac "tiembleu with a veiy
gieat tiembling." As one commentatoi obseives, "Bebiew can haiuly expiess Isaac's panic moie
giaphically."
S

But insteau of ievoking his blessing on }acob anu tiansfeiiing it to Esau, Isaac ueciues to let
things stanu. In fact, uespite Esau's self-pity anu whimpeiing, Isaac iesolutely affiims in veise S7:
Beholu, I have maue |}acobj loiu ovei you, anu all his biotheis I have given to |}acobj foi seivants, anu
with giain anu wine I have sustaineu |}acobj.
Isaac tiembles with shock, submits to uou's oveiiuling pioviuence, anu confeis the blessing on
}acob. Isaac is a man who's come to the iealization that uou has exposeu his own folly, who's
iepenteu of his sin, anu who's iealigneu himself with uou's plan.
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If you have a cainal appetite foi the things of this woilu that's clouuing youi spiiitual vision anu
that's haiming youi witness foi the gospel, be suie uou will eventually expose youi sin. Be won't uo
it because he uelights in youi shame. Be'll uo it because Be loves you, anu because Be's committeu
to insuie that nothingnot even youi backsliuuen conuitiongets in the way of his plan.
The ieal question will be, "Bow will you iesponu when uou uncoveis youi folly." Peihaps he's
taken a gentlei ioute anu uncoveieu youi folly in this seimon. Be's spoken to youi heait anu
convicteu you about an inoiuinate love foi the things of this woilupeihaps even one thing in
paiticulai, foou, clothing, money, Facebook, spoits, fiienus, caieei, etc. Ny exhoitation to you is to
iepent of youi sin anu by faith iealign youi life with uou's plan. In the woius of }esus, "Seek fiist the
Kinguom of uou anu Bis iighteousness" (Natt. 6:SS).
Bon't we also see uou's soveieign giace oveiiuling the evil of meneven of his own people
foi his gloiy anu foi oui goou. I'm ieminueu of a veise that appeais at the enu of uenesis anu which
epitomizes uou's giace woiking behinu the scenes:
"As foi you, you meant evil against me, but uou meant it foi goou, to biing it about that many people
shoulu be kept alive, as they aie touay" (uenesis Su:2u ESv)
uou is so committeu to ensuie that his plan is accomplisheu anu his piomises fulfilleu that he
oveiiules Isaac's sin anu ensuies that }acob gets the blessing. Similaily, uou will oveiiule the
sinfulness of the }ews anu uentile who put }esusthe piomiseu "offspiing"to ueath in oiuei to
accomplish his plan anu biing salvation to the woilu. Piaise his Name!

S
uoiuon Wenham, ;#'#%&% <=>?@ (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publisheis, 1994), 211.