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| Of the Things Mystically Prefigured in Esau and Jacob.
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Chapter 37.—Of the Things
Mystically Prefigured in Esau and Jacob.
Isaac’s two sons, Esau and Jacob,
grew up together. The primacy of the elder was transferred to the
younger by a bargain and agreement between them, when the elder
immoderately lusted after the lentiles the younger had prepared for
food, and for that price sold his birthright to him, confirming
it
with an oath. We learn from this that a person is to
be blamed, not for the kind of food he eats, but for immoderate
greed. Isaac grew old, and old age deprived him of his
eyesight. He wished to bless the elder son, and instead of the
elder, who was hairy, unwittingly blessed the younger, who put
himself under his father’s hands, having covered himself with
kid-skins, as if bearing the sins of others. Lest we should think
this guile of Jacob’s was fraudulent guile, instead of seeking in
it the mystery of a great thing, the Scripture has predicted in the
words just before, “Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the
field; and Jacob was a simple man, dwelling at home.”957
Some of
our writers have interpreted this, “without guile.” But
whether the Greek ἄλαστος means “without
guile,” or “simple,” or rather “without reigning,” in the
receiving of that blessing what is the guile of the man without
guile? What is the guile of the simple, what the fiction of the
man who does not lie, but a profound mystery of the truth? But
what is the blessing itself? “See,” he says, “the smell of
my son is as the smell of a full field which the Lord hath
blessed: therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the
fruitfulness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let
nations serve thee, and princes adore thee: and be lord of thy
brethren, and let thy father’s sons adore thee: cursed be he
that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.”958
The
blessing of Jacob is therefore a proclamation of Christ to all
nations. It is this which has come to pass, and is now being
fulfilled. Isaac is the law and the prophecy: even by the mouth
of the Jews Christ is blessed by prophecy as by one who knows not,
because it is itself not understood. The world like a field is
filled with the odor of Christ’s name: His is the blessing of
the dew of heaven, that is, of the showers of divine words; and of
the fruitfulness of the earth, that is, of the gathering together
of the peoples: His is the plenty of corn and wine, that is, the
multitude that gathers bread and wine in the sacrament of His body
and blood. Him the nations serve, Him princes adore. He is the
Lord of His brethren, because His people rules over the Jews. Him
His Father’s sons adore, that is, the sons of Abraham according
to faith; for He Himself is the son of Abraham according to the
flesh. He is cursed that curseth Him, and he that blesseth Him is
blessed. Christ, I say, who is ours is blessed, that is, truly
spoken of out of the mouths of the Jews, when, although erring,
they yet sing the law and the prophets, and think they are blessing
another for whom they erringly hope. So, when the elder son
claims the promised blessing, Isaac is greatly afraid, and wonders
when he knows that he has blessed one instead of the other, and
demands who he is; yet he does not complain that he has been
deceived, yea, when the great mystery is revealed to him, in his
secret heart he at once eschews anger, and confirms the blessing.
“Who then,” he says, “hath hunted me venison, and brought it
me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed
him, and he shall be blessed?”959
Who would not rather have
expected the curse of an angry man here, if these things had been
done in an earthly manner, and not by inspiration from above? O
things done, yet done prophetically; on the earth, yet celestially;
by men, yet divinely! If everything that is fertile of so great
mysteries should be examined carefully, many volumes would be
filled; but the moderate compass fixed for this work compels us to
hasten to other things.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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