Jacob Meets Esau – Genesis 33

When I was in high school I interacted with a guy who wanted to challenge all aspects of my faith.  Years later he did some work for a person I worked with and found out she knew me and asked her to tell me that he had come to believe everything I had believed back then.  Have you ever had an experience of someone you were sure was against you only to find they had changed dramatically in their attitude toward you?  Jacob did.

[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. (Genesis 33, ESV)

Jacob has had reason to fear Esau because he is coming with 400 men, a veritable army.  So as Esau nears he ranks his family in order of importance to him, placing the less valuable members at the front and the more valuable at the rear (Rachel and Joseph).  He himself stands in front of them all and faces Esau in contrite position.  But Esau surprises him with heartfelt and effusive love and excitement, hugging him, kissing him and weeping.  It seems Esau has had a revolution in his life like Jacob has and is no longer gripped with anger and a desire for revenge.

Esau is excited about Jacob’s family and questions Jacob about all the bribes Jacob sent his way before he got there.  Jacob explains they are gifts for his brother and insists Esau take them.  Jacob has just declared that he has seen the face of God when he wrestled with the man in his camp, and now he says he sees the face of God in Esau’s face.  Esau invites him to travel with him to his home in Seir, but Jacob begs off, insisting that he doesn’t want to slow Esau down and refusing to have any of Esau’s army travel with him.  He does not intend to got to Seir with Esau.  Does he still not trust him?

Instead Jacob replays the journey of his grandfather Abraham and travels to Succoth (booths) and makes booths there for his livestock, hence the name of the place.  Then he travels to Shechem, a city by which he can graze his flocks and have access to various goods.  He must purchase the land, apparently because it belongs to the city’s residents.  And there he erects an altar, as Abraham did some 200 years earlier.  He names the altar “God, the God of Israel.”  This recognizes the change God has made in his life and his commitment to Yahweh as the only God.

So on the one hand we see big changes God has made in Jacob’s life and yet still remnants of the old Jacob who does not keep his word and deceives.  Jacob is like us, a confusing mixture of desire to follow God and self-directed living.  Lord, help us.