Genesis Chapter 27
Connoisseurs of British comedy will recognise the title of this blog post as the theme for a spoof sermon written by Alan Bennett for the show beyond the fringe, it comes from this chapter in Genesis. “My Brother Esau is an hairy man, but I am a smooth man”
The sketch is a very witty spoof sermon, which has nothing to do with the verse!
The actual background to this verse that is admittedly (in my opinion) inherently funny when taken out of context is that Isaac is getting on a
bit, his eyesight is going and he thinks he is at death’s door. So asks Esau to go out and get him some
nice venison for a stew. In exchange for his blessing. (which might seem a bit
extreme these days, but it was very important for Jacob and Esau)
Rebekah hears this and decides that Jacob should get the
blessing so orders him to kill two young
goats, which Rebekah cooks up just like Isaac likes, telling Jacob to
take it in to dad pretending to be Esau. Now we get the punch line - Esau seems extremely hairy while Jacob really is not, and If the subterfuge fails Jacob is likely to get
a curse rather than a blessing.
Mum however wraps goat skins around his hands and arms and
his neck (Just how hairy was Esau for goodness sake?) and they manage to pull
the wool over Dad’s eyes (Pun intended, aimed for, but missed!)
Esau then comes in and gets told that Jacob has just given
the blessing to Jacob.
Esau seems to hold a bit of a grudge against Jacob and plans
to solve his birth right and blessing issues by killing Jacob once old Dad has passed away.
Rebekah now intervenes and arranges to send Jacob away for a
bit to her family. Jacob sets off on his own, while Esau calms down and is away for 2 decades.
By the way if you are not familiar with the Allen Bennett sermon - you can find it here
A word of warning - Don't listen if you are going to be offended.
This piece by Bennett was part of my "spiritual journey"...years ago. But our father, my brother and I were "hairy men". My brother and I still are.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your witty, incisive and balanced interpretation. Though a lifelong atheist, I've always been uneasy about the mocking of any religion, and so have been resistant to this early work of the National Treasure that is Alan Bennett. I'll return to it fortified by the idea that the bible story is not intended to be taken too seriously.
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