Genesis 33:1-20 Jacob Meets Esau
“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. (Booths)
Jacob Settles in Shechem
After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel. (El-Elohe-Israel means God is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.)”
The day of reckoning has finally come. Jacob/Israel has returned to face his twin brother Esau. No coward, Jacob runs ahead of everyone else, followed by his concubines with their children, Leah and her children, and Rachel and her children. Jacob is terrified about this meeting; however, Esau runs to him as he is running to Esau and the two embrace in tears. Then Esau asks about all the livestock that has already arrived, explaining that he already is quite prosperous. Jacob explains that this is a present for Esau and convinces Esau to accept his gift, an important part of any reconciliation. “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.”
Esau offers to guard Jacob and his company; however, Jacob has plenty of servants to help guard already. The two brothers part on excellent terms, presumably never to meet again.
The reunion of Jacob and Esau underscores several important points. Both parties are anxious for reconciliation. Both parties are willing to forgive and forget. And both parties are willing to compromise. If anybody can claim to be offended, it would be Esau. But in the last twenty years, Esau has prospered and can be proud of having succeeded on his own; why hold Jacob’s previous offenses against him? Esau is accompanied by 400 warriors; we have no idea how big Esau’s possessions actually are. Family relationships are more important than holding grudges.
Nobody can hurt you as badly as your family can. While we all have suffered at the hands of strangers, it is particularly painful if a close relative such as a sibling hurts us. But unforgiveness hurts the person who fails to forgive, not the person who has committed an offense. There is a great test when considering painful situations: in five years, will I even remember this situation? During our years working at our mission hospital, there have been many hurtful incidents; however, when I look at some of my notes, I can’t even remember all the details of situations that seemed to be so terrible at the time.
Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. When you fail to forgive, you are only hurting yourself and not the person who has offended you. When Jesus Christ was being crucified, he prayed to his Heavenly Father to forgive those who were crucifying him because they didn’t know what they were doing. Even though my father was nearly killed by a drunk driver who hit his vehicle head-on, I never heard my parents breathe a single word against that man; instead, they pitied him.
Is there someone in your life who needs your forgiveness? Perhaps you feel you have been hurt so badly that you cannot possibly forgive. Ask God for help, and then see what He will do. Forgiving those people will give you a peace that only God can give.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our eyes to the people whom we feel have offended us and then help us to forgive them. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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