Top Highlights

• Most of this narrative makes very little sense to many modern people, as we ascribe virtually no value to the paternal blessing of the firstborn son.
• It can be stolen, just as anything of value can be stolen. This concept should challenge us to rethink our idea of blessing, and to move away from seeing it as something spiritual or theoretical rather than something real and, in fact, very tangible.
• Jacob will be blessed with enormous power and authority. The nations around Jacob will become his slaves, they will pay homage to his great rule. This part of the stolen blessing also did not seem to come true in his lifetime.
• Addressing the Pharaoh whom Joseph served, Jacob said, “Few and hard have been the years of my life...” (Gen.47:9).
• Then upon the actual meeting of brothers, Jacob “himself went on ahead and bowed low to the ground seven times until he was near his brother” (Gen.33:3).