As Jacob flees from the great anger of his brother, he lays down to sleep in the wilderness and has an incredible dream.  The dream is incredible because it is from the Lord, and the Lord speaks to Jacob as He reveals Himself at the top of a ladder in heaven. 

Additional Scripture: Genesis 15:18-19, 26:4, 13:14-16, 22:17, 12:3, and John 1:43-51

Despondent over Esau’s pagan wives, Rebekah and Isaac instruct Jacob to go back to get a wife from the house of Laban in Paddan-aram, because they will not permit him to marry a foreign woman.  Esau, in turn, adds to his household another wife - this time a relative nearby.

Additional Scripture: Genesis 13:7-13, 24:1-4, 26:34-35.  2 Corinthians 6:14.  Genesis 2:24.  Genesis 9:18-19, 25.  Genesis 15:18.

The choice of Rebekah and Jacob to sin by means of the deception of Isaac changed their family forever.  It turned Esau in great anger against Jacob, dishonored Isaac and shook his spirit, and betrayed the honor and respect of Rebekah's marriage and their family.  Sin has consequences and sometimes the consequence is huge. 

In the middle of Jacob’s deception, masquerading as Esau, Jacob receives Isaac’s blessing.  And though Isaac believes he is blessing Esau, the prophetic blessing spoken from Isaac is a word from the Lord, and therefore later comes true in the life of Jacob.

Additional Scriptures:
Genesis 25:23, 28:10ff, 30:25ff, 32:22ff, 33:1ff, 32:28, 35:10, Ch. 42-45, 47:9, 47:28-29, 48:13-49:1

After Rebekah plots deception against her husband, she and Jacob now bring this deception to pass before Isaac, bringing confusion and untruthfulness before him, before he is to give the blessing to Esau.  In so doing, they do not bring truth and God’s word to Isaac, and therefore they do not act in holiness.  

Additional Scripture:
Proverbs 14:25-26, Matthew 12:34-35, Exodus 20:3-6

When Isaac is old, his focus continues to be for Esau.  As his sight leaves him, he seeks to bless Esau.  But Rebekah overhears Isaac’s intentions and, in a plot to deceive her husband and take advantage of his blindness, because her focus is Jacob, she recruits Jacob to pass himself off as Esau and be the supplanter. 

[note: technical difficulties prevented an episode on 4.28.24]

Additional scripture:
1 Samuel 3:1-21, 1 Samuel 2:12-36, Matthew 13:10-15, 2 Timothy 3:12-13, John 3:19-21

God appears to Isaac at Beersheba and reminds Isaac, “I am with you.”  Isaac then receives an unexpected visit from Abimelech, who proactively reached out to Isaac for the purpose of peace.  And the first words out of Abimelech’s mouth at their encounter is a testimony of the Lord.

Isaac follows God’s leading into the land of Gerar, and as he plants, God blesses his yield.  From there, God continues to give Isaac more until he had great wealth.  So, how will Isaac steward that which he has been given?  Because it is the Lord who decides who is given how much.

Additional Scripture Ref. Psalm 89:1,11 / Psalm 135:6-7 / Psalm 135:15-18 / Proverbs 30:4-9 / Zephaniah 1 / James 5:1-6 / Matthew 5:3 / Matthew 6:9-13 / Matthew 6:19-21 / Mark 8:34-36 / Eccl. 5:10,12

Isaac follows God’s guidance during a time of famine to the land of Gerar.  But then, Isaac takes his eyes off God, creating and following his own assumptions instead, and walking a dangerous path.  But, while Isaac and Rebekah dwell there among a pagan people, God works through a pagan king to accomplish God’s purposes, and correct Isaac and Rebekah.

God appears to Isaac and affirms that His call to Abraham and His covenant with Abraham and the blessing for Abraham, is also for Isaac, and for Isaac's offspring.  God affirms the continuity that the covenant is an everlasting covenant, the possession an everlasting possession, and God's relationship with His people is present every single day.  To God be the glory!