What role does obedience play in Rebekah's instructions to Jacob in Genesis 27:9? Setting the Scene Genesis 27:9: “Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I may prepare some tasty food for your father, the kind he loves.” • Rebekah has overheard Isaac planning to bless Esau. • She acts quickly, summoning Jacob and issuing precise instructions. • The narrative records a real historical event; every detail is purposeful. Parental Authority and Expected Obedience • Scripture consistently calls children to heed their parents (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). • Rebekah speaks with maternal authority: “Go now.” • Jacob’s initial hesitation (v. 11–12) addresses practical concerns, not rebellion. • Verse 14 records his submission: “So Jacob went and got two goats and brought them to his mother.” Obedience is presented as the default response within the covenant family structure. Obedience as Instrument in God’s Sovereign Plan • God had foretold, “the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). • Rebekah remembered that prophecy and acted to align events with it. • Jacob’s obedience positions him to receive the blessing, fulfilling God’s word literally. • Human choices—however flawed—cannot thwart divine intent (Proverbs 19:21). Moral Complexity: Obedience under Pressure • The command involves deception, creating ethical tension. • Scripture elsewhere draws the line: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). • Jacob obeys his mother yet participates in sin; God later disciplines him (Genesis 29:25–26). • The passage showcases that obedience to human authority never cancels personal accountability before God. Takeaways for Today • Honor parental guidance while weighing it against God’s moral standard. • Recognize God’s sovereignty even when circumstances involve human failure. • Understand that obedience, when rightly directed, becomes a channel for blessing (Proverbs 6:20–23). • Remember that God can redeem imperfect obedience, yet sin always has consequences. Obedience in Genesis 27:9 functions as a catalyst—placing Jacob where God, by prophetic word, intended him to be—while simultaneously exposing the danger of obeying without discerning righteousness. |
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