Genesis 33 – Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob

Genesis 33 – Reconciliation of Esau and Jacob

Jacob looked and Esau was coming with 400 men. Jacob divided his family up to meet him in waves. Esau ran to meet Jacob “fell [embraced] on his neck” and kissed him and they wept. They are reconciled. Esau asked what everything Jacob sent ahead was for. He told him it was to find his favor. Jacob refused to receive the gifts back and said, “For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.” He gave credit to God’s grace for what he had. Esau accepted the gifts. Jacob had to move his family slowly, they were frail from the journey. Jacob refused help. He finally arrived safely at Shechem and bought a piece of land there. He built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel “God, the God of Israel.”

This interaction between two estranged brothers, Esau and Jacob, is a beautiful picture of how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. By all indication this should have ended in a bloody mess. To the amazement of the reader these two brother-enemies reconcile. Think of all the fear and anxiety that Jacob waisted thinking about the anger of his brother. Think of the uselessness of fearing man. In Jacob we see how the human mind can easily make itself restless. And for what? In Jacob’s case it distracted him from focusing on walking in the fear of Yahweh (until the night before this meeting). Jesus’ words are appropriate here, “Therefore do not be anxious . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow . . .”  (Matt. 6:31, 33-34) Don’t let the fears of this world squelch your trust in God.