Genesis 33:1-20

The moment of truth arrived between Jacob and Esau.  Jacob had to come face to face with the brother that he had deceived and taken advantage of.  Up until the last minute he did not know if the result would be a warm greeting or all out war.  Fortunately, Jacob’s gifts had demonstrated his humility and Esau’s anger had dissipated and the reunion was friendly and sweet.

JACOB IS RESTORED WITH ESAU: There are times in life when we dread something because we anticipate how bad it could be.  I think that most of us have a tendency to be pessimistic during these times and end up worrying excessively about things that are beyond our control.  I think all of us can relate with the feeling in the pit of Jacob’s stomach as he saw Esau and his men approaching.  What a wonderful sense of relief it must have been to feel his brother’s embrace and spill out all of the pent up emotions that had built up and changed over the last twenty years.  Both men had matured and they were brothers and now they were restored to one another.  Esau did not want to accept Jacob’s gift, but Jacob insisted and in the end Esau received the gift which confirmed in both of their minds that the past was truly in the past.  Very difficult conflicts can occur within families and between relationships.  Bitterness can grow and take root in our hearts.  When this happens, the parties involved must be willing to lay the past aside, demonstrate humility, make restitution and forgive one another.  Without humility and forgiveness, pride and bitterness will reign.

JACOB IS REESTABLISHED IN CANAAN: Esau offers to accompany Jacob and his clan but Jacob insists that Esau go on ahead and that he will eventually catch up.  Apparently Jacob does not go all the way to Seir and decides to settle in Succoth.  It may be that Jacob simply did not want to be too close to Esau but whatever the case may be, Jacob purchases land on which to settle and establish his home.  Once the land was purchased the first thing that he did was to build and altar on which to sacrifice as an act of worship to God.  It is important to note that Jacob recognized how richly God had blessed him and Jacob wanted to establish that God truly would be his God has he had promised before crossing the Jordan the first time.  It is easy to remember God in times of trial, but it is even more important for us to remember and obey God when things are going well.  Jacob has great wealth, his conflicts with Laban and Esau have been resolved and he has purchased land on which to build his home.  It would be an easy time to forget to be thankful and recognize that God was the source for all of this blessing.  It is vital that we remember our Lord in the hard times as well as the good times.