Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see (Genesis 27:1)
Isaac’s physical sight was dim and so he could not see Jacob at all.
There was another Prophet called Ahijah who was blind in his eyes because of his age. He was physically blind but not spiritually blind.
And the Lord said to Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to ask you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her. When she came, she pretended to be another woman.
But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with heavy news for you. (1 Kings 14:5-6)
He could not be deceived because his spiritual eyes were not blind.
But his mother (Rebekah) said to him, On me be your curse, my son; only obey my word and go, fetch them to me. (Genesis 27:13)
Rebekah, Jacob’s mother planned an elaborate scheme to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob. Jacob was fearful that if discovered, Isaac would curse him.
Rebekah then pronounced a curse upon herself - a self-inflicted curse.
Proverbs 18:21, tells us: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
We see the effect of this curse upon her life.
And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46)
Rebekah got weary of her life and eventually she died prematurely as a result of her self-imposed curse.
Another example of a self-inflicted or self-imposed curse
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” (Matthew 27:24-25)
The children of Israel in a moment of emotional frenzy declared a curse not only upon themselves but upon their children and their children.
Flavius Josephus the famed historian wrote:” By 70 AD, the Romans broke the outer Jerusalem walls, destroyed the temple and set fire to the city.
In victory, the Romans slaughtered thousands. Of those spared from death: thousands more were enslaved and sent to toil in the mines of Egypt, others were dispersed to arenas throughout the Empire to be butchered for the amusement of the public. The Temple's sacred relics were taken to Rome where they were displayed in celebration of the victory.”
The discovery of Nazi concentration camps towards the end of WW2 revealed the full horror of Hitler's plans to exterminate the Jews. The media reports of the systematic slaughter of the Jews still shock the world.
Even today, we can see the results of those words spoken. This will give you an understanding as to why the Israelites have had to go through unimaginable violence and bloodshed. They spoke a curse on themselves and on the generations that were yet to be born.
I believe this curse will only be broken when the nation of Israel accepts Lord Jesus as their Messiah – that day is not far.
Self-imposed curses are those that we bring upon ourselves by the words that we speak. We are actually cursing ourselves. Many are in the habit of saying, “I want to die, I am tired of living, I am useless and so forth, we are pronouncing a curse on ourselves.
What people don’t understand is that when people use such kind of negative language, they are opening doors to evil powers that can create havoc. This is the reason for the many misfortunes that plague people.
The question remains: What do I do to break self-imposed curses?
- Genuine repentance before the Lord
- Seek deliverance from a genuine anointed man or woman of God or through fasting and prayer
- Replace those negative statements by confessing the right words (For more on this, please refer to Daily Confessions on Noah App)
Let us be sensitive to the Holy Spirit so that he may convict us of negative things we said and lead us to repentance and healing.
Hearing
So he went to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice (Genesis 27:18,22)
The only realm that Isaac was not deceived was the hearing realm because he a prophet. He was not a seer but a prophet who could hear the voice of God.
Touch
and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. (Genesis 27:22-23)
Isaac felt the hands of Jacob and was deceived into believing that they were the hands of Esau.
Taste
Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.” He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. (Genesis 27:24-25)
Isaac was also deceived in the realm of taste. The food probably tasted just like the way Esau prepared it. Perhaps, Esau had learned to prepare a good meal from his mother Rebekah and for her to cook it just like Esau was no big deal.
Nose - Smell
Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
“Surely, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the Lord has blessed. (Genesis 27:26-27)
Isaac was deceived in this realm of smell too. I believe, if he would have only asked the Lord, “who is this person in front of me” I believe, the Lord would have told him and he would not have been deceived.
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” (Joshua 9:3-6)
Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the Lord. So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them. (Joshua 9:14-15)
The men of Israel were also deceived in all these 5 areas of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. If only they had asked the counsel of the Lord, they would not have been deceived.
Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!” (Genesis 27:28-29
The Jewish people have excelled throughout history in the fields of medicine, technology, literature, science, the arts, and much more. There is no rational explanation other than this success is a direct result of the supernatural power of the Prophetic Blessing!
I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed. (Genesis 27:33)
The spoken blessing could not be revoked, transferred, or surpassed.
When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!” (Genesis 27:34)
The words of Esau have been echoed across the centuries by other sons who have missed out on the greatest earthly gift their father could give them—his blessing.
Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?” (Genesis 27:37)
Isaac spoke of the blessing as if it was already done. In the natural, Jacob seemingly had nothing but in the spiritual realm, he was already master and prosperous. Even an unbelieving person like Esau understood this secret but unfortunately, many Christians don’t understand the power of the blessing.
Esau foolishly relinquished his right to the blessing for a bowl of beans and suffered greatly for it. God never forgot Esau’s mockery of the blessing, for His words of anger still cut like a knife: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Romans 9:13).
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 44
- Chapter 45
- Chapter 46
- Chapter 47
- Chapter 48
- Chapter 49
- Chapter 50