Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.” So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,” Isaac said. But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob (Genesis 27:21-23 – NLT).
Isaac was Abraham and Sarah’s son of promise, being born supernaturally in their old age by the promise of God. Though Isaac had a supernatural life beginning by the Word of the living God, he didn’t always allow God’s Word to rule his life.
Here at the end of Isaac’s life, you see once again Isaac trying to change what God had spoken. God had earlier decreed that Isaac’s second born son Jacob would receive the blessing of the firstborn instead of the rightful heir Esau receiving it. (Genesis 25:23).
God had previously decreed that Jacob would receive the blessing of the firstborn since Esau had given the blessing away one day in a fit of hunger (See Genesis 25:27-34). He promised his brother Jacob his rights as firstborn if his brother would give him some stew after he came in from the field and was starving. Esau trusted the flesh more than the spirit, just as his Father Isaac did in his old age.
Isaac had a stubborn streak that wanted to depend on the feelings of the flesh more than God’s decreed Word. Knowing he was going to die, he tried to change God’s decree. In a fit of hunger, he told Esau to kill an animal and prepare him his favorite stew so that he could give him the blessing of the firstborn.
Isaac’s wife Rebecca overheard him, and hurriedly prepared a stew and dressed Jacob to smell and feel just like his older brother Esau. Jacob posed as his brother while giving Isaac the stew, and Isaac heard the voice of Jacob, but felt his hairy arms and smelled his clothing and discounted the voice that sounded like Jacob. Isaac gave Jacob the firstborn blessing that should have gone to Esau.
Isaac, in his old age, reasoning away the voice of God, tried to do things his way, and was deceived by the flesh. The flesh will always deceive you. Feelings cannot be trusted! God’s Word always proves itself true!
Trust God’s Word today over what you can see and feel. Feelings are deceiving. You may feel like a failure, and that life doesn’t matter. You may feel unable to do what God has promised you. You may still feel the guilt over your past, seeking to steal away from you the righteousness that Jesus has given you.
Circumstances may cause things to look as though God promises will never come to pass in your life. Refuse to counsel with your feelings and your flesh! Make a choice today to believe God’s Word in spite of your feelings. Don’t give away your blessing as a child of God, by believe the feelings of the flesh over the Word of our Faithful Father! Put God’s Word above your feelings and emotions today! God is always faithful to His Word!