Resolution
Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” Genesis 27:1 NASB
Too dim – As I argued in my book Crossing, the Hebrew text contains clues that Isaac actually engineers the entire event of his “deception” during the patriarchal blessing in order to resolve personal tension between himself and God’s directive. Following the traumatic event of his near-sacrifice, the story suggests that Isaac fears God and runs from Him for decades. But the day comes when it is no longer possible to flee this internal struggle. He must face the fact that God’s purposes require compliance. However, Isaac, like most of us, is not willing to simply admit he has deliberately avoided God for decades, so he constructs a way to endorse God’s real agenda without losing face. He engineers a blessing event that will allow him to acknowledge the role of the younger son but claim that he was not to blame for years of favoring the older son.
When the Hebrew text tells us that Isaac’s eyes were “too dim,” it uses the verb kaha’ and the plural noun for ‘ayin (eye). The verb is often translated “ineffective” and “weak.” Some commentators point out that Isaac’s vision has always been weak and ineffective since he has spent most of his life deflecting God’s intention. Using the phrase now is almost a pun. When Isaac finally decides to acknowledge the son God has chosen, his prior state of blindness is used as the foil for this statement. Now, at last, he actually “sees” with eyes that are too dim. Isaac is attempting to resolve a lifetime of trauma.
Trauma resolution is the attempt of victims to “integrate the [traumatic] memory into the overall context of their lives.”[1] Isn’t that precisely what Isaac is attempting? The long traumatic history that began with his own father’s willingness to kill him has at last been integrated into a consistent story of divine intention. This is the reason that he cannot retract the blessing when he is confronted by Esau. Giving the blessing was never about the sons. It was about Isaac. For decades Isaac fled from the God of his dread. Now, at last, he is willing to confront his own resistance and offer to God what he knows God has engineered all along. He might arrange the scenario so that his patriarchal status is maintained, but it is trauma resolution that motivates the entire event—that is, Isaac’s trauma resolution.
If this were the end of the story, we would all offer words of encouragement to Isaac. Finally he has come to terms with God. Unfortunately, this isn’t the end of the story. One of the crucial elements of this biblical account is the continuing traumatic consequences in the lives of other people, in this case, Jacob and Esau. In fact, Isaac’s personal trauma and its delayed resolution sets these two brothers at odds for decades. What happens to us happens to others. Reading Isaac’s story is a glimpse into what we must face and who will suffer the consequences. When our eyes are finally “too dim,” and we come to the place of “seeing” what God wants, we may attempt to integrate our own experiences into a consistent story, but we will miss the point of God’s instruction if we think that we are the only victims in this process.
Topical Index: trauma, Isaac, resolution, too dim, Genesis 27:1
[1] Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (Penguin Books, 2014), p. 258.
Life is fickle. Last Wednesday all was well as far as I knew. Today my future is destined to take a path I did not choose. My manager of 56 years has suffered a bowel rupture and emergency surgery at 2 am Saturday. By this morning I am cautiously optimistic that she is going to survive. However this event ends life for me will be forever changed. Writing and waiting in critical care ICU. Please pray for us today.
Dear John, please keep us updated! I am praying for shalom and YHVH’s perfect way that takes ALL into account, including sparrows and daily bread, too. Amen.
I have been trying really hard lately to take responsibility for the traumatic history in my family, and bring certain elements to a head for the purposes of resolution. This is creating enormous amounts of friction with where everybody is at with the status quo, but I know that if I do not do it, my children will still have it on their plates in a fundamental way (me, too!) In this process, I am encountering all that built up resistance in me, too. It’s looking pretty awkward and ugly right now, y’all!
All families have stuff they collectively ‘don’t talk about’, but it is precisely THAT that DOES need to be dealt with – not just talked about, either, but people willing to take the hit for it, so to speak, for responsibility always involves a price to pay, for that price grows with compound interest if the generations choose to ‘owe it forward’,, thus making subsequent generations even more reluctant to take it on.
Confession of the sins of the parents is an active sea change in the behavior surrounding what you choose to DO about it. I am really struggling right now with an ENORMOUS change of almost everything in my life in an effort to solve this for myself and my family. If you are so inclined, please say a prayer for not only me, but all of us who are attempting to take responsibility for sins past that we find on our own plates as well as those of the people we love. Thank you.
My wife and I are both LPC’s – we are somewhat unique in that we are both Christian counselors and specialize in sexual addiction. We are one of the only couple therapists teams in the county that have two certifications in sexual addiction and another as Christian sex therapists. One of our certifications – Certified Sex Addiction Therapist – is through the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals. Much of our work is focused on helping clients understand trauma/pain – something the “church” is woefully inadequate at doing- then the work becomes the resolution of trauma in the lives of those that we work with. The understanding and healing of past trauma is the path to wholiness – whole & holy. We believe that healing comes as someone simply learns to tell their story in a safe place (authentic community) and experience grace – love and acceptance – as they learn to walk in the light of truth and honesty – freedom. I could say so much more but I really just wanted to say thank you Skip for talking about this, understanding it, and mining the gold of Truth that helps us teach and disciple those we work with. We work with mostly “Christians” that are so directionless and disappointed – frustrated from the non-help offered along the way. Thanks again.
“We believe that healing comes as someone simply learns to tell their story in a safe place (authentic community) and experience grace – love and acceptance – as they learn to walk in the light of truth and honesty – freedom.”
Yes. Agreed, from a fellow LPC. Good listening, like using E.V.E. – Echo, Validate, Empathize. It’s also quite beneficial, don’t you agree, to have the help of the Ruach for insight into embedded lies, as well as to speak the truth that binds up the broken hearted and sets the captives free?
Thanks, too, to Skip for his approach to promoting the seeking of truth in this venue and with such depth and breadth of relevant topics.
Laurita,
I’m trusting that HaShem will honor your energy and your efforts as you nudge your family forward on the path to emotional healing and healthier relationships. It can be daunting for sure. And, encountering all the different levels of maturity, openness, defensiveness, resistance etc. in the group can compound the task. But you are absolutely right…avoiding it now creates even more challenges down the road.
I’m praying that the King will guide your journey. My guess is that He is very pleased with your desire and willingness to start the process. I don’t think any of us doubt that you have the skills to do this, and do it well. Blessings!
These posts chalenge our hearts, to trust, accept, and belive that Yahweh is in the midst of our struggle to be free of the effects of past trauma. I have loads to carry from them, we all do. Some how if we step up to the plate and process them we grow stronger because of those very loads. We are formed by them, that is the Glory of God, Jacob became Isreal in his struggles. This is not to be glib for we need help, prayers, support a listening ear and grace through the process. I thank Yahh for my sweet Kathryn’s patience with my process while I yet fail to often with patience for her’s. We are all in process and that process is the Lords, for “I will acomplished what concerns you” (psalm 138:8) says he, and he ” will complete the good work begun …in you”. ( Philp 1:6) Prayers for Laurita and John forthwith. .
“Isaac fears God and runs from Him for decades.” He was AFRAID!
“Isaac, like most of us, is not willing to simply admit he has deliberately avoided God for decades, so he constructs a way to endorse God’s real agenda without losing face.” He was PRIDEFUL!
So, as I now see it, Isaac’s resolution of his trauma was both horribly delayed AND tragically inadequate. Certainly being afraid of God (and man) and being prideful are not good ingredients for effective trauma resolution.
Yes, I know. Give credit where credit is due. And I must humbly admit, I have yet to fully resolve my own trauma. But, I agree. It’s not the end of the story, and therefore, Isaac’s trauma resolution was yet TRAGICALLY inadequate. Why?
“One of the crucial elements of this biblical account is THE CONTINUING TRAUMATIC CONSEQUENCES IN THE LIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE”…AND…”we will miss the point of God’s instruction if we think that we are the only victims in this process.” Being afraid of God (and man) and being prideful will delay and make trauma resolution inadequate, for us as victims as well as other victims in the mix and mess.
So it seems to me that some of the “continuing traumatic consequences” were FURTHER manifested when Isaac’s disfavored son, Jacob, also ended up disfavoring his other sons by showing favoritism toward JOSEPH, contributing to the trauma of their sibling rivalries. Isaac did eventually try to resolve his own personal trauma. Yes. And maybe he also tried to somewhat make up for his favoritism toward Esau by cooperating with the deception to bless Jacob (I haven’t finished reading “Crossings”). However, maybe what he SHOULD have done was not be afraid of God and draw near in righteous fear or, not having done that, confess his sins of being afraid of and running from God, as well as showing favoritism toward Esau and disfavor toward Jacob, and work to repair his relationships with each of them, as well as to help them repair their relationships with each other.
Now, looking at the “continuing traumatic consequences” further manifested in Jacob’s family, it is interesting to note that it seems that there were no consequences manifested through the life of Joseph. Maybe he is a GOOD picture of how to deal with trauma.
Just a couple of notes. First, the fact that WE recognize what Isaac should have done is not the same as being Isaac. Outsiders often have a clear view of what other should do, except when it comes to being the insider. Then we are usually blind.
Second, the consequences for Joseph are not manifested in Genesis. They come later. About 1000 years later.
Those ripples from Joseph’s failings reverberate generation after generation it seems. Is there something carried in the DNA or that spirits attach themselves too? Train tracks formed from iniquities? The seed of Joseph has lingering issues with pride, vanity, etc. There are clear judgments that follow the generations, and gifts of insight, visions, administrative abilities etc…The mysteries are still being manifest today!
Mark, google “epigenetics’.
I find it interesting that scripture tells us the choices of the wicked affect/curse up to four generations, but the choices of the righteous bring blessings to a thousand. My family has had some serious error in our beliefs, but I am the beneficiary of a legacy of God-fearers. We stumble. He is ever faithful.
But you have misunderstood the Hebrew verb here (Exodus 34:7). Please take a deeper look, e.g., TWOT or my writings on the subject. There is NO generational curse nor any action by God to punish the children for the father’s iniquity. That is not the same as natural consequences, but it makes a big difference about who we think God is.
First, you may be hearing that I’m judging Isaac for some reason. If so, I can only say that I’m not. I’m trying to learn from Isaac. Secondly, are you saying that Joseph is not a good picture of how to resolve trauma? If so, why not?
I never thought you were judging Isaac. And for Joseph, it’s not that he isn’t a good picture. He just isn’t the LAST picture. After all, he plays to the distress and trauma in his charade with the brothers.