Genesis 33:1 – 17 “Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?”
Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau.
“To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.
“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably. Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die. Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.” “Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said.
But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir, but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth. (Succoth means “booths” or “shelters.”)
It’s crunch time!!! Jacob is finally meeting Esau, the brother who was ready to kill him for stealing his birthright and his blessing twenty years ago. Esau has always been a hunter and a warrior and now has four hundred armed men with him. What is Jacob to do? After dividing the women and children into groups, Jacob himself goes out first, bowing to the ground seven times as he meets Esau. The number seven recurs in the Bible; seven is considered the number of perfection. For Jacob to bow seven times might symbolize an act of infinite humility.
Imagine Jacob’s feelings as he is bowing. At any moment Jacob is expecting a sword across his neck or a dagger in his back; yet, he completes his bowing and nothing bad has happened. Never before has Jacob felt so exposed or so vulnerable! And then the unimaginable happens! As Jacob slowly stands up after bowing for the seventh time, Esau runs to him, hugs him, throws his arms around Jacob’s neck, and kisses Jacob. At this point, Jacob might be wondering if this act of affection is a signal for an attack, but no! Esau really is thrilled to see Jacob. The brothers hug, weep, and then hug some more. Each of them remembers when they were boys together before there were any thoughts of inheritances or blessings.
Jacob goes on to introduce his family and finally gets Esau to agree to accept the presents of livestock that he has already sent to Esau. When Esau offers to accompany Jacob to protect Jacob’s group, Jacob convinces him that is not necessary. Perhaps Jacob is still not sure how far to trust Esau.
Our focus is forgiveness and restitution. Why was this meeting between Esau and Jacob so successful? Jacob humbled himself. Proverbs 3:34 says, “He (God) mocks the mockers, but gives grace to the humble.” For twenty years Jacob has suffered at the hands of Laban. Most of one night Jacob has wrestled with an angel sent by God. Jacob has had to face his own shortcomings and his sins against his brother and has had time to repent completely. The reconciliation between Jacob and Esau is effective because Jacob has humbled himself.
APPLICATION: Humbling yourself is the toughest thing there is to do! We all want to make excuses, to let ourselves off the hook. We avoid confronting our sins as much as possible and we magnify the few good things that we do and ignore the glaring offenses we have committed against others.
Do you want peace with those whom you have wronged? Humble yourself! Allow God to show you where you have hurt others and how you can go about apologizing. Ask God to show you if there is some specific act of contrition you need to do to heal that situation. And when God gives you the answers, do it, no matter how difficult it might seem. Living with guilt is far worse; Jacob lived with guilt for twenty years.
PRAYER: Father God, open our eyes to see our sins against others. Show us how to apologize and what we might need to do to make things right. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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