The Five Senses Of Isaac And Isaac's Ability To Connect With God

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Introduction
Chapter 27 contains references to each of the five senses. This becomes a helpful observation as we learn about Isaac’s character and the role of the senses in the human experience. The observation also tells us that the writers of the story are trying to highlight the human senses and how they affect people. One thing we learn in Isaac and Jacob’s story is that sensuality hinders our ability to connect with God.
Why Esau?
In Esau and Jacob’s birth narrative we learned that both parents had their favorite child. Isaac’s favorite was Esau because he was able to hunt wild animals and he loved game meat. It was not for anything that Esau did in regard to displaying character, it was only for the way in which he was able to satisfy …show more content…

Though there is some redemption in Sarah’s ability to be a good mother. We can speculate such because of Isaac’s apparent fondness of his mother when he is “comforted” after his mother’s death. However, since his relationship with his father likely halted when he almost sacrificed him, he struggles with some things that maybe Abraham could have raised him to avoid. Abraham could have taught him a better way to see his wife, since he almost does what Abraham did in Egypt by claiming that his wife was actually his sister thereby seeing her as a way to preserve himself. Although Isaac did not have the same disposition as Abraham, he could have taught Isaac more about how to navigate the world and also how to hear the voice of God amidst his surrounding culture. Had Isaac been able to do that, his sense of direction would come from God who is spirit, rather than his physical …show more content…

He does so in the context of obedience. Jacob displays a character much different from Isaac and Esau. Jacob is not introduced as a person indulging in the stimulation of the senses, instead he shows himself early on to be obedient. Jacob listens to, and obeys his mother, while Isaac relies on his senses used to experience food. First, we know that Isaac cannot see. Next, when Jacob is pretending to be Esau, Isaac first hears him, but is unsure of who he is hearing, thus his hearing is undeveloped. Then Isaac asks to feel him, but after feeling he is still unsure even though Jacob is wearing animal pelts. Then Isaac moves to the sense of taste and he tastes the food in order to be sure. Remaining still unconvinced, Isaac has Jacob lean in so that he can smell him. At which point he resolves that it is indeed Esau. Rather than having his hearing developed in such a way to discern between his children, Isaac relied most heavily on taste and

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