Status Updates From Jacob: Unexpected Patriarch...

The story told in Genesis 27, where Jacob steals the blessing his father intended for Esau, is a direct continuation of the birthright purchase story. The plot line is propelled by the father's love for his firstborn -- rooted in Isaac's fondness for the meat that Esau feeds him -- and the mother's unconditional love for the younger Jacob. (pg. 28).

The last of the nation's patriarchs and the father of twelve sons and one daughter, Jacob stands at the junction at which the life of one family becomes transformed into the history of the nation. (pg. 11).