Daily Devotional Sunday 22nd September 2024
by William Moody
Genesis 33
Jacob Meets Esau
33:1 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 company1 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 of2 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.3
18 And Jacob came safely4 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 money5 the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.6
Footnotes
[1] 33:8
Hebrew camp
[2] 33:12Or along with
[3] 33:17Succoth means booths
[4] 33:18Or peacefully
[5] 33:19Hebrew a hundred qesitah; a unit of money of unknown value
[6] 33:20El-Elohe-Israel means God, the God of Israel (ESV)
Jacob now approaches his brother with caution and great humility (v1-3). If he had acted like this twenty years earlier, much pain would have been avoided. But even now God was overruling.
When Jacob feared the worse, Esau responded with love (v4-11). The two brothers have grown up and each act with graciousness and thoughtfulness. They are beginning to see what is more important in life than possessions.
Why does Jacob not allow Esau to accompany him (v12-17)? Did he not trust him? Did he realise space was needed from a godless brother?
Jacob buys a plot of land (v18-19) and builds an alter (v20). Jacob remembers the Lord’s faithfulness. The name means ‘mighty is the God of Israel’.
In our Christian lives our praying shouldn’t be just when we are in need. In a living and fulfilling relationship with the Lord we will long for His presence to express our praise and thanksgiving as well as our requests. Do you enjoy God’s presence? Do you long to talk to, to praise and thank God?
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