1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 So Esau said, “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. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
Jacob is perhaps one of the most “colourful” of characters amongst the biblical patriarchs. For many years, he certainly lived up to his name. He was a man who lived for himself and to himself. He was self-centred, and he was often found at the bargaining table. He schemed, cheated, lied, bribed, and conned his way out of many difficult situations.
After having wrestled face to face with God at Peniel, Jacob was given a new name Israel, which means ”he strives with God”. One would think that after having prevailed in a struggle with God, that no other struggle in the future would be any worry for him.
This was certainly not the case in Genesis 33. Fresh from his wrestle with God at Peniel, Jacob is now faced the possibility of losing everything. Forced to face the wrath of a vengeful brother whom he deceived into giving up his birth right, Jacob must now confront his worst fear.
Esau’s action in vs4 must have caught Jacob by surprise. Instead of having to assuage the wrath of Esau’s wrath, Jacob was greeted with an embrace and a kiss, signifying Esau’s gladness of heart at this meeting. Esau is a magnificent picture of graciousness and forgiveness. His words of greeting to Jacob are remarkably like those of the father of the prodigal son at his return.
Evidenced by Jacob’s arranging his wives and children in order of importance, with pride of place being given to Rachel and Joseph, the humble manner of his approach to Esau, the presentation of livestock as gifts to Esau, do these seemingly point to a changed man?
Things begin to take a turn from vs12. Jacob led Esau to believe that he would meet him in Seir. Instead, Jacob journeyed to Succoth where he settles for a few years. Succoth was in the opposite direction of Seir where Jacob had told Esau he was coming. Jacob reverted to his default setting and lies to Esau. Perhaps Jacob thought that his livestock would fare better in the greener pastures of Succoth than in the mountains of Seir and so justified his actions to get what he wanted and to protect himself as he still feared Esau. Not only did Jacob deceive Esau, but also disobeyed God. When God called Jacob to leave his uncle’s house, he was supposed to return to the land of his fathers, Canaan (Gen 31:3). However, Succoth was outside of the promised land.
Jacob later arrived at the city of Shechem where he then buys the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father. While Jacob was afraid of Esau, he wasn’t afraid of staying in Succoth, outside the land, or of buying property in Shechem, where his family would be morally polluted. He was afraid of the wrong things! God had promised to protect Jacob if he obeyed; but Jacob felt he was safer in a place of partial obedience than to risk trusting the Lord by obeying completely.
We (including myself) are very much like Jacob in what we do as believers. Although he was attempting to follow the Lord, but at the same time he was not obeying the Lord. By calling the altar “God, the God of Israel,” he was acknowledging his gratitude to God for bringing him safely back to the land. But by not going all the way to Bethel, he was pandering to his fleshly fear of Esau. He was the new man, Israel; but he was still the old man, Jacob. We do the same thing. We begin by faith in the Lord, but then live by the flesh. How can we live out our new identity in Christ?
Let us put our confidence in God and not on the flesh. Let us learn to trust Him as we pay careful attention to our spiritual weakness. In this journey of sanctification, we are God’s wonderful workmanship and work in progress. Let me leave you with 2 verses to reflect upon.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
