We learned a beautiful lesson in reconciliation back in chapter 25 where two brothers, Isaac and Ishmael reunited at the grave of their father Abraham. Once again, here two brothers are meeting after 20 years. As we saw in the last chapter, Jacob was very anxious about meeting Esau. As he was plotting and planning to deal with Esau in the flesh, he had an encounter with the God-man, Jesus which changed his walk, but in return, he had a new blessed walk with God. As we study this chapter, I pray, we open our hearts and learn the lesson God wants to teach us through this scripture.
Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
The moment Jacob was dreading since he separated from Laban was here. Esau was at his camp and now it was time to face the music. He keeps Rachel who he loved the most at the back, safest place.
4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?”So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.8 Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”
Jacob humbly bows down seven times, afraid to even look at Esau, but Esau rushes toward him and hugs him. Both brothers were overwhelmed by emotions and could not speak and so they just wept. As saying goes ” Time heals all wounds”. If you have a broken relationship, one where maybe you were the one at fault and time has passed; I encourage you to reconcile, too many times broken hearts are not healed because, like Jacob, we are dreading the meeting instead of embracing the moment. I think one of the first things we need to do once we start walking with Lord is to fix broken relationships. Finally, noticing all the family, Esau asks for an introduction. Jacob then gave his testimony concerning the large family and all the blessing God had bestowed upon him. Esau finally asks about the flocks and gifts Jacob had sent. Jacob assured him that they were indeed intended as a present, in hopes that he would find favor in Esau’s sight. We too like Jacob have a tendency to think like that. We are always trying to make a deal with God in order find favor in His sight. How many time have you found yourself saying in trouble, God, if you get me out of this, I will read the Bible regularly or go to church regularly. The trouble passes and we are back to our old ways. Sadly, many in the world have a problem with FREE SALVATION. Many question the grace of the Lord, how would I get a pardon for my sins and pardon from death without any penalty or price? Most of us have a difficult time accepting grace graciously. And, we may learn to accept GRACE for ourselves but we certainly do not understand when someone we think is living a sinful life is a recipient of grace.
9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it.
Esau is being very gracious in his dealings with Jacob. He had every right to be angry yet, he truly is acting like the older brother. But, if you read carefully you will see a heart that does not glorify God.Esau fails to acknowledge God but Jacob gives all glory to God for the material blessings he has. Both, Esau and Jacob are saying “I have enough”. However, the Hebrew words are different. Actually, Esau said, “I have much ( Rab),” whereas Jacob said, “I have everything ( Kol).” At first, Jacob gave a gift in order to appease Esau and find favor in his sight, but now he gets it right. Now he says, I am giving you these gifts because I have found favor in your eyes. If you don’t remember any other point from this chapter, please remember this in your walk with Christ. Don’t try to earn your salvation or blessings from God. Too many of us think salvation is based on our responsibility. Oh, we understand that we are saved by grace but once we are born again, Satan suddenly plants these ideas in our head about keeping the salvation. suddenly, you start wondering, am I praying enough? Am I tithing enough? Am I attending church enough? Am I reading scriptures enough? And before you know it, you are weighed down by all you HAVE TO DO. But, once you understand that God blesses, God is gracious, God gives, God loves not on basis of what we do or don’t do but because He is God. He gave His only son so I can have a life. And when you realize that pressure is off you, Suddenly you will want to pray, read scriptures, go to church not to earn the blessing but BECAUSE YOU ALREADY ARE BLESSED. Do you understand? Esau was not gracious to Jacob because of the gifts and once Jacob realized that he offered the gifts to Esau out of gratitude.Like Jacob we too need to understand this, we tithe, pray, serve Lord, go to church not to be saved/blessed but because we are saved. It is no longer I HAVE TO DO IT, but rather I GET TO DO IT. When you understand this, it will free you and you will have a closer, more fulfilling relationship with Jesus. This is what sets us apart from all the other religions in the world. Every other philosophy and religion is based on responsibility, to chant, to fast, to pray five times facing a particular direction, to give, to do good works. Biblical Christianity is not based on the responsibility. It is based on our response to unconditional love, unrestrained mercy, and undeserved grace. Be aware Christians, it is not just other religions but some churches also base our salvation on responsibility. For example, Catholic church as well as many denominational churches who require you to take sacraments, baptism and follow certain rituals in order to be saved and if you are part of such church, please leave and seek a bible based church.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”
Once again Esau is very generous and goes out of his way to make Jacob feel welcome and comfortable.
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14 Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
Jacob declined to travel together on the account of children and flock as they would not be able to keep up the pace. Seir was Edom, Esau’s home, so Jacob says ” you go ahead and I will meet you there”. Does Jacob ever make it there? No. Perhaps, he learned his lesson by staying with Laban and all the heartache it caused him. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14, 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has a light with darkness? Yes, Esau did not hold any grudge and he acted admirably yet, Jacob knew, it was best for him to keep his distance. We too need to apply this principle to our lives. You should not have certain dealings with unbelievers because eventually, it will take you down a path of heartbreak and heartache.
15 And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
Esau’s behavior is exemplary here. From the moment he met Jacob to now, he has been very generous, gracious and kind. Esau would be praised and honored in our churches/society for the way he treated Jacob. However, Bible tells us Jacob I love but Esau I hate. Throughout the Bible Esau is shown in the negative light. Why? God is not interested in outward appearance. He looks at the heart and Esau is a picture of flesh -a proud and rebellious man for whom there was found no place to repent. You may know many people like Esau in your life. Your unsaved neighbor, a person who sits next to you in church, maybe an aunt or uncle, coworker or friend from another religion, oh they are so nice, so generous, so kind, so giving and they genuinely might be. But there is a basic flaw in Esau that will send him to hell: He did not have heart for God, therefore he had no need for grace. A self made man say, “I have enough” ( v9). Jacob on the other hand, has lots of problems, but beneath them all, he had heart for God and therefore he embraces grace. A believer, he says “God hath dealt graciously with me” (V11). The reason Jacob goes down in Bible as a giant of faith is because he understood grace. This is the heart of the issue for many, why is Jesus the only way? This is a stumbling block for many especially those from other religion. Why is it not good enough that I am generous, kind, etc. What we fail to understand is no matter how good the person is, we are never good enough by standard of God, and thus we need Grace. we need Jesus.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.[a]18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.[b]
Jacob is backsliding already. He builds house when he was supposed to live in tent in promised land. Instead, he build a house in wrong side of the river. He builts a house and booths for his cattle; in otherwords, he becomes a farmer where is he was supposed to be a shepherd. For whatever reason, he decides to move from Succoth to Shechem, located on the right side of the Jordon river and technically in the promised land.Shechem was carnal and evil place. Like his father Issac ( ch 26) and His uncle Lot ( ch 13), Jacob did not go into city, but pitched his tent toward the city. This will prove to be devastating mistake on Jacob’s part as we will see in next chapter. El-Elohe Israel literally means, “The God, the God of Israel.” Jacob says the right thing but with his tent facing sinful city, he saying it from the wrong place.
Let us not be like Jacob, we say all the right things but our eyes are set toward the worldly matters. Let us look upon our savior and always seek to do his will. Seek his guidance and he will lead you to green pasture. Learn to keep your distance from Esau’s in your life. They might be very good and kind by worldly standards but they may lead you away from your God. Please choose your relationships wisely, especially those of you who are not married as you look for spouse, make sure person you pick is born again. Remember Soloman and how his wives led him away from God. As a parent, my wish for my children is that they will find someone who is born again. I don’t care about etnicity, color, education, social class but just that they know the Christ. May God continue to use us for his Glory. Pray, be prepared when called upon to witness. Amen.
only savior jesus 