The Issue: Integrity vs. the Secret Life

The Story: The narrative is found in Genesis 27. It is the story of secret plots, scheming, lies, deception, and theft. It’s the story of Rebekah plotting to have Jacob, rather than Esau, receive the blessing of Isaac, the father of both boys.

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau. ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.” (Gen 27:5-13)

Teaching: Jacob went along with his mother’s scheme. He lied to his father, received his blessing, and Esau was driven out. In Isaac’s words,

“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,

and away from the dew of heaven on high.

By your sword you shall live,

and you shall serve your brother;

but when you grow restless

you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (Gen 27:39b-40)

Jacob lived up to–or we might say–down to, his name. (“Jacob” means He takes by the heel, or He cheats.)

Takeaway: The fallout from secrecy, deception, lies, scheming, and theft would lead to devastation, family strife, more lies, and bitterness for years because of this act of treachery. But God was going to show Himself sovereign and good through it all, however. Why? Because God is God and we are not. He sees. He is just. He does what is right. And the duty of all those who are God’s regenerate people must be to learn to lean into truth, to pursue truth, to live lives of transparency rather than darkness. Why? To quote Jesus, “the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (Jn 3:19). Believers are to be better than that. We’re to be men and women of the light. Transparency is essential.