Jacob Mets Esau
June 6, 2024
Commentary
Esau arrived with four hundred men to meet Jacob. If Jacob had wanted to fight, Esau was ready. Esau knew nothing of Jacob’s changed heart and found Jacob cautiously awaiting him (vv. 1-2). Jacob humbly approached Esau to ward off any retaliating spirit, as he bows to him (v. 3). This spirit completely disarmed Esau as he forgave Jacob fully, freely, and forever (vv. 4-7).
Jacob pressed Esau to accept his gift of 550 animals (v. 8). When Esau hesitated to accept the livestock, Jacob insisted (vv. 9-11). In that part of the world, the acceptance of a present is the equivalent to a bond of friendship, and Jacob wanted to make sure that all their past troubles were behind them. When Esau offered to accompany Jacob, Jacob cleverly avoided traveling with Esau (vv. 12-13). He used commendable tact in declining his brother’s generous offer as he told him he needed to travel slowly because of the young children and animals.
Jacob did not plan to travel south with Esau to Bier but instead to go north to Succoth (vv. 14-17). Jacob settling down in Shechem which is directly west of the Jabbok River and about 20 miles from the Jordan in Canaan (v. 18). (As we find out in the next chapter this was a big mistake). The land where he settled was owned by the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Jacob paid him one hundred pieces of silver for it, set up tents and built an altar to honor God (vv. 19-20).
Application
Even though Esau was in many ways a very generous, likable, and noble person he was unsaved. It is very important that I maintain a good testimony when I am dealing with unsaved people.
Genesis 33:1– 20 (NET)
1 Jacob looked up and saw that Esau was coming along with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. 3 But Jacob himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob replied, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. 7 Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
8 Esau then asked, “What did you intend by sending all these herds to meet me?” Jacob replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.” 10 “No, please take them,” Jacob said. “If I have found favor in your sight, accept my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, it is as if I have seen the face of God. 11 Please take my present that was brought to you, for God has been generous to me and I have all I need.” When Jacob urged him, he took it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let’s be on our way! I will go in front of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. 14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
15 So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” “Why do that?” Jacob replied. “My lord has already been kind enough to me.”
16 So that same day Esau made his way back to Seir. 17 But Jacob traveled to Sukkoth where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called Sukkoth.
18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near the city. 19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for 100 pieces of money. 20 There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.”
Illustration: No One Wants to Be The Indian
I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above another and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now, I find, that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath another and the lower we stoop, the more we get. Today, in the world and in the church, there is a unity crisis because there is a great scarcity of humility, and an over-abundance of pride everywhere we turn. Fewer and fewer people are willing to take orders. We see more and more wars for independence and new countries born. There are more and more broken marriages and fewer and fewer that get to the “until death do us part.” It is hard to get people to work together when neither the leaders nor the followers are humble. All of us want to be chiefs and no one wants to be the Indian, especially the squaw or the papoose. Every man does what is right in his own eyes. (F.B. Meyer)