Genesis Chapter 33
I love this account of Jacob being reunited with his twin brother Esau. You can just imagine the tension and fear in Jacob as he sees his brother approaching with 400 men. This time Jacob attempts to step out in faith as he puts himself at the front of the procession, ahead of all his family. Jacob had just recently wrestled with the angel of the Lord and had learned that he needed to trust God. In fact, God gave him a new name saying he would be called Israel. God wanted him to be named a name that would remind him that God was in charge.
Let's Reflect
1. What do you notice about the order he put his wives and children in as they would be in procession to meet Esau?
2. All the worry and all the fear were dropped in a single moment as Esau hugged his brother. These two brothers had not seen each other for many years. It had been approximately 20 years. What was the first question Esau asked Jacob?
3. The second question Esau had was to ask why Jacob had sent all the gifts ahead to him. What was Jacob’s answer?
4. The gifts given from Jacob were a peace offering for the past indiscretions. Esau did not really need the gifts as he had become wealthy himself. Did Esau accept his brother’s gifts?
“Although Esau did not receive the great blessing—the covenant blessing,—that having gone to Jacob who secured it by deception, yet Esau did receive a great blessing of a temporal kind, which Isaac pronounced upon him with all the fervor of a father who loved his son most ardently. Esau thus received what he most wanted, for he cared very little for the spiritual blessing,—not being a spiritual man,—and when he obtained the temporal blessing, that satisfied his heart, and he said, ‘It is enough.’” [Spurgeon]
5. I think that Esau assumed that Jacob would want to come and live near him where he had settled, but God had given specific directions to Jacob. Where did God direct Jacob to go? See Genesis 31:13
6. And now that we know the answer of where Jacob was told to settle, we find him temporarily settling in a town that was not part of God’s plan. He was in Succoth and then later he bought land in what city that was in the territory of Canaan?
7. Jacob was still operating as Jacob and not depending on God as his new name was to indicate. He hadn’t completely forgotten about God, but he had not followed God’s directions completely. What did he do at his new home that showed he still wanted God in his life?
