Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Isaac Blesses Jacob

27 Isaac was old and almost blind, when he called in his first-born son Esau, who asked him, “Father, what can I do for you?”

² Isaac replied, “I am old and might die at any time. ³ So go hunting with your bow and arrows and kill a wild animal. ⁴ Cook some of that tasty food that I love so much and bring it to me. I want to eat it once more and give you my blessing before I die.”

⁵ Rebekah had been listening, and as soon as Esau left to go hunting, ⁶ she said to Jacob, “I heard your father tell Esau ⁷ to kill a wild animal and cook some tasty food for him before he dies. Your father said this because he wants to bless your brother with the Lord as his witness. ⁸ Now, my son, listen carefully to what I want you to do. ⁹ Go and kill two of your best young goats and bring them to me. I'll cook the tasty food that your father loves so much. ¹⁰ Then you can take it to him, so he can eat it and give you his blessing before he dies.”

¹¹ “My brother Esau is a hairy man,” Jacob reminded her. “And I am not. ¹² If my father touches me and realizes I am trying to trick him, he will put a curse on me instead of giving me a blessing.”

¹³ Rebekah insisted, “Let his curse fall on me! Just do what I say and bring me the meat.” ¹⁴ So Jacob brought the meat to his mother, and she cooked the tasty food that his father liked. ¹⁵ Then she took Esau's best clothes and put them on Jacob. ¹⁶ She also covered the smooth part of his hands and neck with goatskins ¹⁷ and gave him some bread and the tasty food she had cooked.

The Battle with Sin

^7 (A) Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do this. ⁸ It was sin that used this command as a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.

⁹ Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life, ¹⁰ and I died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death. ^11 (B) Sin used this command to trick me, and because of it I died. ¹² Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and good.

¹³ Am I saying something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is. ¹⁴ We know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. ^15 (C) In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. ¹⁶ Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good. ¹⁷ So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

¹⁸ I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. ¹⁹ Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. ²⁰ And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.