As Rebekah deceitfully schemed to trick her husband, Isaac into blessing her favorite son, Jacob, her son realized that what his mother was asking him to do, could land him in a lot of trouble, should Isaac figure out their deceitfulness. He expresses to Rebekah that if his father detects that he is not Esau and is robbing Esau of his blessings as the firstborn son of Isaac, Isaac would curse him instead of blessing him. To this Rebecca responds by saying foolishly, “Upon me be thy curse, my son” urging him to play along in her scheme.
This mother-son scheme leads to discord and separation of Jacob and Esau, for Esau in his anger of being robbed of his blessings expresses that he would kill Jacob. Overhearing this, Rebekah sends Jacob away to her brother’s place and we learn that this was the last time she sees her favorite son, Jacob. She dies when Jacob is away and we can extrapolate that upon her was the curse laid, of being separated from her son for the rest of her life.
Points to ponder:
It is important to recognize that our actions, especially those of deceit, have serious consequences. We may be able to trick men and women, but we cannot trick the omniscient God over all. Though it was God’s plan for the elder Esau to serve the younger Jacob, Rebekah’s actions are not justifiable.
Taking a different perspective – Jesus willingly laid down his life for all of mankind (John 10:18). Jesus was a made a curse for us so that we could become the righteousness of God and not be separated from him (Galatians 3:13). Taking these facts into account, in a sense, you could say that when man was cursed (for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God), Jesus stepped in and said “Upon me be thy curse.” Jesus Christ became a curse for you and me so that we will not be separated from the love of God, for the rest of this life and the life to come.
Genesis 27:11-13 (KJV)
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
