Pleasant Smells
As soon as I walked through the kitchen door I could smell home.
Reference: v.27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said,
“Ah, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a field
that the Lord has blessed.” (NIV Bible)
Explore: Last week I visited my parents house. This is the home that I grew up in and my parents have lived in for nearly forty years. As soon as I walked through the kitchen door I could smell home. It’s not that there was anything cooking in the oven or simmering away on the stove top, it just had the distinct smelt of Mum’s kitchen. It’s amazing how smell can trigger so many memories and feelings. It’s a sense that we often forget about but it so pivotal to our lives.
Although Jacob had deceived Isaac in pretending to be Esau, he had done it well (thanks to his mother’s ideas). Not only did he consider Isaac’s ability to touch by putting hair on his hands, but he also considered Isaac’s sense of smell, and so he put on Esau’s clothes to complete the deception. The smell of his favoured son was the final impetus for Issac to bless Jacob.
Application: While Jacob had deceived Isaac, Esau must have been very special to him. What a beautiful thing to say to your child: ‘your smell is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed.’ We often cause our parents a great deal of heartache, particularly in our younger years. They look after us, protect us, defend us and get very little in return. It’s not until we move out of home or have children of our own that we fully start to appreciate all that our parents have done for us. They are still human and may make decisions that we don’t always agree with, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were able to be like a pleasant smell to them. May we strive to live today like a pleasant smell for everyone we meet.
Prayer: Lord, when you walked on this earth you had such a great impact that we are still experiencing the affects of your life 2000 years later. May we have a positive impact, even just for a moment, on the people we meet today. Amen.
Who do you know that needs a pleasant ‘smell’ in their life? How can you work towards being a pleasant smell to the people you meet?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.