Bible Reading
Genesis 27 “And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.”
[29:42]Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
[01:03:28]Luke 22:42 “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
[01:27:50]Observation questions
- In Genesis 27, what different desires or fears seem to drive Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau as the blessing is being sought?
- What details in the chapter should have caused Isaac to stop and discern more carefully before giving the blessing? [38:49]
- What actions did Rebekah and Jacob take to make Jacob appear to be Esau, and what did Jacob say when Isaac questioned him?
- In Galatians 5:22–23, which parts of the fruit of the Spirit especially speak to responding to strong emotions with restraint? [01:05:01]
Observation questions
- Why is it important that emotions are not called evil, while allowing emotions to rule decisions is shown to be dangerous? [49:49]
- God had already purposed that Jacob would receive the blessing. Why was Jacob still wrong to use deception to obtain what God had promised? [01:15:59]
- How does Isaac’s choice to trust the evidence that fit his desires show the way emotions can weaken discernment? [01:22:21]
- What is the difference between Christ’s submission to the Father in Luke 22:42 and simply pretending that painful emotions do not exist? [01:27:50]
Application questions
- What emotion most often tries to take the steering wheel in daily life—anger, fear, desire, insecurity, disappointment, self-pity, or something else? What usually happens when that emotion is allowed to make the decision? [50:16]
- Is there a situation where there is a strong urge to “fix it now,” get something quickly, or force an outcome? What would it look like to wait for God’s way instead of taking a shortcut? [01:06:26]
- When confronted about sin or a harmful response, is there a tendency to cover it with excuses, blame, or spiritual-sounding language? What would honest confession to God look like in that specific area? [01:17:22]
- Think about a recent disagreement or tense relationship. What facts might be getting missed because of anger, hurt, fear, or the desire to be proved right? What would it look like to seek discernment from Scripture and the Spirit before responding? [01:23:04]
- Are there words, messages, purchases, relationships, or choices that should not be made while emotions are running high? What practical pause or safeguard could help prevent a decision that cannot easily be taken back? [01:25:06]
- Jesus brought His real agony before the Father and still chose the Father’s will. What prayer could be prayed this week that honestly names the emotion but submits the next step to God? [01:30:16]
