July 29, 2007

 Gen 33:1-20 1
MY LORD ESAU

As Alexander the great, famous Greek king and empire builder, proceeded down the coast of the eastern mediterranean sea on the campaign that would eventually take him to the Indus river-where he would weep, having  “no more worlds to conquer”- he paused for 7 months at Tyre. Tyre was a city he could not afford to leave behind unconquered. So he besieged it and eventually destroyed it completely.

During this campaign he sent to Jerusalem for assistance in arms and supplies. But when Jaddus, the High priest received Alexander’s command he replied that he could not help him because he had already sworn an oath of allegiance to Alexander’s opponent king Darius of Persia.

Alexander was furious, and everyone expected him to attack and destroy Jerusalem when the campaign along the coast was wrapped up.

Jaddus was terrified. Knowing he could not resist he brilliant young military strategist , he thought that Jerusalem would be devastated.

Josephus the Jewish historian relates that One night  God spoke to Jadddus in a dream and told him not to fear Alexander but rather to go out and meet him, accompanied by the people of the city. All were to be dressed in white, and the priests were to be decked in their full ceremonial robes.

When Alexander approached, Jaddus opened the gates of Jerusalem to welcome the Greek warrior. Also he led the people forward as the dream had indicated. All the Greeks expected sudden reprisals. But when Alexander saw the high priest, he bowed down before him-instead of cruelly slaughtering the Jewish people.
 
Parmenion, his next in command, asked why he would bow down to a Jewish priest. Alexander explained that before he had begun his campaign, when he was still in Macedonia, a man dressed as the high priest, had appeared to him in a dream to prophesy that he would eventually conquer Asia.

He had received this as a blessing from the true God, and now,seeing the True God’s priest, he worshipped God by bowing to HIs earthly representative. God had prepared Alexander for the meeting that the Jewish priest feared.

Something similar had happened prior to the meeting of Esau and Jacob, recorded in this chapter.

Twenty years before,when Jacob had cheated his twin brother out of their Father’s blessing, Esau had vowed to kill Jacob, and Jacob had lived under the threat of that vow for 20 long years. He was returning toward home because he had nowhere else to go. But he feared Esau and actually quaked with terror the night before their meeting.

Recall that Jacob had sent his possessions and family ahead of him across the Jabbok. THEN remember that God had sent an Angel to wrestle with Jacob and bring him finally to submission.

The Morning of that dreaded meeting dawned, cool and clear. Now we see that God, who had been working in the life of Jacob, had also been at work in the life of Esau as well. The meeting between the brothers, the meeting that Jacob had feared, turned into a warm family reunion.

Do you ever assume the worst ? Did you know that experts say that 80% of the things we worry about never happen, and that another percentage of those that do are not as dramatic as we imagined.

So it actually was with Jacob and Esau. God had told Jacob to GO HOME and Jacob,like many of us, just was not able to commit his life to the will of the Lord. HE FELT like he was in trouble and took matters into his own hands. It cost him many cattle and livestock and also a nights sleep or two. And now the fateful meeting is about to take place and the one who stole his brother’s blessing makes some amends and steps tentatively forward to meet his crisis.

Esau sat slightly forward in the saddle, eyes searching the entourage before him for some glimpse of his brother.

Funny how after all that had passed he now bore Jacob no ill will. He chuckled to himself as he investigated his sense of excitement at seeing that rascal again. It seems as if Jacob had prospered in the time he was away..hmmm quite an impressive array of servants and stock. Esau wondered just a bit at what was in Jacob’s mind, after all he had left under fear of death. Ah well, let him sweat a bit.  

The Bible indicates that Jacob passed over the river to find Esau and a band of 400 armed men. His worst fears had been realized. There was his doom. He puts his entourage ahead of him and then comes to Esau himself. He bows himself seven times as he approaches Esau. Though there was fear in this, I believe it was proper humble respect and not groveling.

The tell el Amarna tablets tell us that it was customary that one approaching a king or ruler bow seven times. This was a token of respect to Esau the ruler of the region.

But note that in taking the birthright and the stealing blessing, he had been told by Isaac, “Esau will bow to you.” But before that happened,he was made to submit to Esau.


It is perhaps an indication that he had learned from his experience with the all night wrestling match. He had learned the humble submission that God required and had come to see,at least in part, that victory must come from the Lord.

Then an amazing thing happened! ESAU COULDN’T CONTAIN HIMSELF ANY LONGER AND RAN FORWARD AND HUGGED JACOB AND KISSED HIM IN A DISPLAY OF JOYFUL REUNION AND RECONCILIATION.

It seems that he had realized that Jacob, though dealing deceitfully with him, had really been entitled to the birthright and that God had chosen Jacob as inheritor of the promises and he had become reconciled to this fact. Now, seeing that Jacob held no bitterness toward him Esau is overjoyed. Jacob was stunned and relieved beyond words.

Both of these men dissolved into joyful tears. God had worked mightily to accomplish his will and note that it is in a manner consistent with God, a manner involving PEACE joy and blessing.

James 3:17-18  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

James also carefully points out that “The wrath of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.”

Just a side moment here to drive that home: God desires us to trust him and to follow righteousness and peace. The means we take the godly course the trusting course, and like Jacob, give proper submission to others and honor, and let God be God. Are you living at peace with those about you?

Notice next a little incident that almost flies past our eyes, after Jacob is asked to introduce the family, which he does in his assigned order, and after he views the large herds, he is reminded of the 5 droves he met yesterday. He inquires of Jacob about the large gift.   And Jacob said, "Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me."

Now catch this please:

11  Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took [it].

Jacob makes a form of restitution here. He gives a blessing HIS own blessing in place of the one he stole. Listen, part of restoring a peaceable relationship may be restitution. Who have you wronged? Oh maybe not materially, but how about reputationally? Have you stolen their good name? Do your best to replace it.

Oh you cannot take back words that damage, but you can start in a proper direction by seeking to build up that other person.

Jacob  doesn’t give all the blessing of Isaac to Esau, that’s not even his place, but he does realize the hurt he has caused and make an attempt to rectify things here. TAKE MY BLESSING he says, I have enough.

I want to point out another thing here as well,that Jacob has come to realize since his wrestling match: in verse 9   Esau says, “ I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.” His “enough is a Hebrew term that means “MUCH” I have much. He had great wealth by now and though he appreciated Jacob’s generosity he felt it was unnecessary.

It was a great token showing that Jacob had no intent of taking over his wealth. But Jacob insists. In oriental customs which have continued over centuries, millennia really,  the most certain way to be assured of reconciliation is to have his gift accepted. He had taken Esau’s beaming happy face as a sign of God’s blessing and now felt it would be a great personal favor  if Esau would accept his gift even though he had no need of the great wealth .

The KJV reports both brothers saying “I have enough” in 9 and 11, but the Hebrew words are different.

Esau says “I have much”[rab} while Jacob says I have [kol] I have ALL there is I have everything. Now Esau may have had more wealth at this time than Jacob, but Jacob had  gained a new view of His wonderful God. He knew that God had blessed him beyond measure and in the Lord he had an inexhaustible supply.

Then Esau accepts because he too wants full reconciliation.(learn) Jacob had grown up a little. He had also wrestled with God and been reborn . Now he demonstrates that. He makes a peaceful reconciliation with Esau ,makes proper restitution, and realizes the sovereign hand of God in this relationship and in his life.  

Now the two brothers catch up on the last 20 years,Jacob relating life under Laban and  of God’s great blessings.  Esau telling of Rebecca's death, of his wives and family and all he had undergone .He told him that Father was still alive but blind and infirm and living in Hebron.

Esau assumed that Jacob would be joining him on his journey southward toward Hebron. He offers to accompany him but Jacob realizes it is impractical to travel together. Esau’s band of men would be impatient with the slow pace they would have to keep, desiring to get home to their families.

And Jacob’s group would travel slowly. They had been under great strain escaping from Laban and now they wanted to take it easy for a while.

Jacob assures Esau that he will come along in time and would eventually see him in SEIR. But his children were young, the oldest probably only 12 or so, and the flocks were exhausted and some were nursing .

Esau offered to leave a portion of his men to protect Jacob but Jacob assured him that this was unnecessary. His one concern had been Esau himself and now that this fear was erased, Jacob was fully confident there would be no further obstacles in his way and he would be safe.

He probably also realized  that he needed to remain separate from Esau and independent as far as future accomplishment of God’s plans for his children were concerned. Might as well establish that from the start. They had been reconciled but were of different natures and different ways of life. They would visit each other no doubt, but each must pursue their own way of life,their own independent purposes.

Esau agrees and heads back to Seir. Jacob also plans to head south but went much more slowly stopping for considerable interval of years at Succoth and at Shechem. Succoth means booths(Tabernacles ) East of the Jordan and north of the Jabbok in a plain where the pastures would support his flocks.

There Jacob and his herds and his family  could rest a while and gain strength. Jacob built reed grass huts for the cattle and a simple house for himself until the time came to cross Jordan into Caanan land.

The years actually flow by while he makes this journey and we find him a greatly matured man as he settles in Caanan land.

But notice one important thing, he does build an altar and worship God. He has not done this since Bethel years before, and now he has wrestled with God and been subdued, he becomes a worshipper and follower of the Lord God of Abraham and Isaac, yes and now finally the God of Jacob too.

If you have wrestled with God then you too will be a worshipper, the Bible tells us we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We are a body, we need the interaction of each part to accomplish what God has for us. And like Jacob and Esau, we as God’s family must be at peace with one another, submitting to one another in the fear of the Lord.

Also there will be restitution. Who have you wronged? Oh maybe not materially, but how about reputationally? Have you stolen their good name? Do your best to replace it. And realize that even in peaceful living there is sometime a need for being apart. If we have different ways, maybe we need to not be in each others face as we learn to be unified as a body.

And above all, peaceful restoration means worshiping God, worship means realizing his worth and ascribing it to him, not only in word, but in our lifestyles, our action. Submit yourselves under God’s hand, humble yourself under hIs hand and like Jacob, he will exalt you when it’s time.

Amen