Author Topic: Isaacs blessing went wrong? (Read 1360 times)

spouse of Jesus · « **on:** January 10, 2011, 08:39:41 AM »

I was reading the story of Isaac blessing his two sons when he put his hand on one of them and thinking it was Easu he blessed him. but it was Jacob. And that blessing was given to him not the one Isaac really intended in his prayer.
I got confused. Does it mean that if make a mistake or a typo in our prayers, then our prayers will be granted in a mistaken way?
For example, if you want to ask God to let John visit you but instead of John you say Jan, then God's way of giving you what you wanted is to send Jan not John?
I always believed that God looks into the heart, so I had no problem praying for those whose name I didn't know. So I would ask God to heal "that child" or help "this boy" believing He knows whom I mean.
But some say that they must actually mention people's name in prayers.
Is it right?

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #1 on:** January 10, 2011, 01:36:51 PM »

Quote from: spouse of Jesus

I was reading the story of Isaac blessing his two sons when he put his hand on one of them and thinking it was Easu he blessed him. but it was Jacob. And that blessing was given to him not the one Isaac really intended in his prayer.
I got confused. Does it mean that if make a mistake or a typo in our prayers, then our prayers will be granted in a mistaken way?
For example, if you want to ask God to let John visit you but instead of John you say Jan, then God's way of giving you what you wanted is to send Jan not John?
I always believed that God looks into the heart, so I had no problem praying for those whose name I didn't know. So I would ask God to heal "that child" or help "this boy" believing He knows whom I mean.
But some say that they must actually mention people's name in prayers.
Is it right?

God knows who you have in mind when your praying for them. A slip of the tongue wont make any difference.

In the case of Jacob and Essau, God allowed that mistake to occur because He wanted Jacob to lead the Israelites rather than Essau due to his worldliness. Supposedly Jacob and his mother were inspired by God to go through with what they did. But if we want to be technical, for all we know, the formula of the blessing that Issac used to bless Jacob was void of any name so it was bestowed on the person standing before the patriarch regardless of what their name was.

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #2 on:** January 10, 2011, 02:02:29 PM »

In this case the blessing was given to the one standing before Isaac not the one he really meant, though he didn't mention any name.
Still it makes sense to think that God allowed this to happen so that the blessing was given to the worthier person.
But God can't inspire anyone to dishonesty like what Jacob and his mother did.

Catholic Samurai · « **Reply #3 on:** January 10, 2011, 02:13:14 PM »

Quote from: spouse of Jesus

But God can't inspire anyone to dishonesty like what Jacob and his mother did.

You're right. If anything, it was an exception (a good many of which are made in the Old Testament).

Cristian · « **Reply #4 on:** January 10, 2011, 03:12:06 PM »

Quote from: spouse of Jesus

I was reading the story of Isaac blessing his two sons when he put his hand on one of them and thinking it was Easu he blessed him. but it was Jacob. And that blessing was given to him not the one Isaac really intended in his prayer.
I got confused. Does it mean that if make a mistake or a typo in our prayers, then our prayers will be granted in a mistaken way?
For example, if you want to ask God to let John visit you but instead of John you say Jan, then God's way of giving you what you wanted is to send Jan not John?
I always believed that God looks into the heart, so I had no problem praying for those whose name I didn't know. So I would ask God to heal "that child" or help "this boy" believing He knows whom I mean.
But some say that they must actually mention people's name in prayers.
Is it right?

Well, actually Isaac intended to bless the "first born" and the first born at that time was Jacob, since Esau had sold the primogeniture to him.

If Isaac´s blessing would have been wrong then it would have been null, but when Esau came to ask the blessing Isaac didn´t regret of what he have done and gave the "second hand" (so to speak) blessing to Esau.

Any thoughts?

Cristian · « **Reply #5 on:** January 10, 2011, 03:19:20 PM »

Quote from: Catholic Samurai

Quote from: spouse of Jesus

But God can't inspire anyone to dishonesty like what Jacob and his mother did.

You're right. If anything, it was an exception (a good many of which are made in the Old Testament).

What Jacob and Rebeca did was not sinful. St Augustine says we are facing here a mistery and not a lie. Besides remember that Rebeca had the promise from God that the oldest will serve the youngest (Gn 25, 23). This, plus the fact Esau had already sold the primogeniture to Jacob, are enough ground to believe what they did was not sinful.

Btw Spouse, which Bible you use? You should try to get one with (Catholic) commentaries. We shouldn´t read the Bible without comments.

ora pro me · « **Reply #6 on:** January 10, 2011, 08:01:10 PM »

St. Louis Marie De Montfort discusses this blessing in his book, True Devotion to Jesus through Mary.

Sigismund · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2011, 06:36:14 PM »

God can write straight with crooked lines. That at least is how I have always understood the story.

Hobbledehoy · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2011, 10:00:04 PM »

In the First Nocturn of Matins for the Office of the Second Sunday of Lent Holy Mother Church sets forth this important event in sacred history. The famous exegesis by Saint Augustine upon this text, to which Cristian has alluded, is found in the Second Nocturn.

Here is an interesting interpretation found in Daily Breviary Meditations: Meditations for Every Day on the Scriptural Lessons of the Roman Breviary, in accordance with the Encyclical "Divino Afflante," written by His Excellency the Most Rev. Joseph Angrisani, Bishop of Casale-Monferrato, and translated by Rev. Father Joseph A. McMullin of St. Charles Seminary at Philadelphia, PA (New York: Benziger Brothers, Inc., 1954; Imprimatur + Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York, 1 January 1954).

Although this commentary is primarily meant for Priests, I think layfolk may fruitfully meditate upon it.