Isaac was 37 when his mother died.  He was 40 when he married Rebekah.  But she had the same problem that Sarah did.  She was barren for many years.  So Isaac prayed to God to give them children, and God did.  Twins.  Jacob--the youngest--and Esau.  Very different personalities.  And they looked very different as well.  Esau was covered with hair.  Jacob wasn't.

Esau was born first,  and as the firstborn, he would be Abraham's heir and receive the blessing.  So "...the boys grew: Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; Jacob was a plain man who dwelled in his tent."  Later, their differences would cause conflict.  It came about over the birthright of the first born.  One day, Esau came in hungry and valued his birthright so little that the gave it to Jacob--and swore to honor it--for a pot of beans.  "Thus Esau despised his birthright."  The only thing left to do was to trick Isaac into giving the blessing--and the birthright--to Jacob. "Isaac loved Esau--because he ate his venison:  but Rebekah loved Jacob."  Partiality never works out well, and it will cause a huge conflict their lives. And Rebecca was right in the middle of it.

"...when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim, he called Esau..." and told him that he would die soon and to go get him some venison.  Rebekah heard this, spoke to Jacob, and told him to go get venison and she would cook it like Isaac liked it.  She told him that Isaac would eat the meat, think it was Esau, and give Jacob the blessing.  But Jacob told his mother, "I have smooth skin and my father will know the difference when he feels my arms, and curse me."  Rebekah said, "...the curse will be on me, just do what I say."  She then wrapped Jacob's arms in furry goat skins and dressed him in Esau's clothing--which probably smelled to high heaven considering the life Esau led in the wild.

It worked.  Isaac gave Jacob the birthright and blessing, thinking he was Esau.  Later Isaac found out what had been done and trembled.  He was old and feeble, bedridden--and at the mercy of Rebecca and Jacob--who had tricked him.  I'm sure he felt betrayed by the woman he loved.  I would have.  I hate it when someone you love lets you down.  This beautiful love story ends badly because  Rebecca did something very wrong that would have lasting repercussions.  Perhaps she saw the man she loved at the end of his life, and wanted to come under Jacob's protection in her old age.  (Rather than Esau's.)  Who knows.  The Bible is full of stories of human failure.  That is why we need a savior.