Genesis 27:19-29

19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may bless me.” 20Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me.” 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.” 27So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed;
28Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,
And of the fatness of the earth,
And an abundance of grain and new wine;
29May peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you;
Be master of your brothers,
And may your mother’s sons bow down to you
Cursed be those who curse you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”

It’s pretty clear that Isaac wasn’t fully convinced that this was Esau. He tests by everything he can (touch, smell, and even the tasted of the stew), and it all overrides the voice that he is hearing, so he goes ahead and blesses Jacob. It reminds me a bit of the deception of the enemy. He’s a clever one, but he can’t disguise his voice very well. We may feel like we’ve checked everything else out, but if the voice doesn’t match, don’t fall for the trick. Naturally, you also have to be praying and communicating with God daily to even know his voice, but when you do, there’s not mistaking the voice.

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