At the start of Genesis 33, Jacob is preparing to face the brother he’s been in tension with his entire life. He’s approaching the brother who has vowed to kill him whenever he left home 20+ years ago. And as he’s approaching this family reunion, Jacob has gotten word of the fact that Esau is coming with 400 men.
This is a terrifying moment for Jacob.
Genesis 32:7 says, “Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, ‘If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.’”
So, Jacob is scared! And he has reason to be!
But, there’s a consistent theological point pulsing through the book of Genesis, which is this: God is not afraid when we’re afraid. God is not caught off guard by this moment! God’s good and sovereign plan of redemption will be carried out in and through Jacob!
So, Jacob—the deceiver, the man who has spent much of his life scheming and striving, the man who has often relied upon his own strength—is met by the LORD in the middle of the night. And God wrestles with Jacob until daybreak. And when the sun came up, God reached down and touched his hip, dislocating it, ridding Jacob of his strength, leaving him fully dependent upon the LORD in one of the most pivotal moments in his life.
Jacob clung to the LORD, telling God he wouldn’t let go until he blessed him. God asked him what his name was, and then proceeded to give him a new name, Israel.
And that’s where we find ourselves today.
Jacob is weaker than he’s ever been, and yet also stronger than he’s ever been.
And at the start of our passage today, the moment Jacob has feared has finally come to pass. Esau has arrived. Jacob is about to come face to face with the brother he has spent more than twenty years fearing.
Look at verse 1,
“[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.”
So, the tension in this story is remarkable. The sun is coming up, Jacob is limping, and Esau and his 400 men are coming.
I envision the Jaws theme song playing in the background at this point in time.
So, with the pending arrival of Esau and his men, Jacob takes action.
Verses 2-3 say, “[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.”
I think the dividing up of his family communicates to us the unfortunate reality that Jacob has favorites. Rachel and Joseph are placed in the back, the safest place to be. The servants and their children are placed in the front, followed by Leah and her children, and finally Rachel and Joseph.
But, notice what Jacob does in verse 3. Rather than hide in the back with Rachel and Joseph, he goes to the front— “He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.”
The man who had spent much of his life grasping, scheming, deceiving, and putting himself first now walks toward the danger instead of hiding behind the people he loves.
I think Jacob’s actions here display two things: self-sacrifice and total humility.
Jacob doesn’t know what Esau intends to do. For all Jacob knows, these four hundred men may be coming to destroy him. But he goes first.
He doesn’t have any messengers left to send, and he doesn’t have any place left to hide. Now he’s going to the front of the line to face the pending danger ahead of him.
This encounter with God in the night has seemingly changed the way he faces danger. The man who once grasped for blessing now puts himself in harm’s way for the sake of his family. The one who once lived by self-preservation is beginning to learn self-sacrifice.
Friends, the Old Testament possesses a lot of shadows that can be traced back to someone greater! In this instance, Jacob’s actions point ahead to a greater self-sacrifice. Jacob’s selfless actions point ahead to Jesus’ selfless actions.
Jesus himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” And he displayed for us that love by willingly marching before us to the cross. He didn’t send someone else to face the cross, nor did he stand at a safe distance while we faced the wrath of God. He went first, willingly walking into the danger we deserved.
Jacob walks to the front of the line uncertain of what’s ahead of him, but Jesus walked toward the cross knowing exactly what was ahead of Him. Jacob was willing to put himself in harm’s way for those he loved. Jesus willingly gave His life for those He came to save.
Jesus wasn’t a back-of-the-line kind of man. No! He was a “get behind me as I go and face the danger for us” kind of man.
And, men, here’s a point of application for us: Godly men are loving and sacrificial men. Self-sacrificial love is what we are called to display for our families. We face the danger first, not the other way around. We do hard things for our family, not the other way around.
Now, the second thing I want us to see is Jacob’s actions as he’s at the front of the line. He went before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
The action of bowing was an action of humility. It’s an action of submission and respect. It’s an action that stood in stark contrast to Jacob’s actions in the past.
Jacob isn’t coming to challenge Esau. He’s not coming to demand anything from Esau. He’s humbly coming to ask for favor. The man who once deceived and elevated himself above Esau is now lowering himself before Esau.
Again, these actions here are letting off the aroma of Christ, where Jesus similarly “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant.”
The Son of God—the One who had every right to exalt Himself—humbled Himself. He became a servant. He went low. And He went all the way down to death, even death on a cross. Jacob’s humility is only a faint shadow of the greater humility of Christ.
Likewise, men. Godly men are humble men. We’re willing to set aside our pride and lower ourselves before others.
So, the man who grasped at Esau’s heel… the man who acquired Esau’s birthright… the man who deceivingly stole Esau’s blessing… the man who fled from Esau…is now bowing himself before Esau as a servant. His grasping has turned to bowing. His deception has turned to humility.
Now, the number seven was also a number of completion. It represented completeness and fullness. So, this further highlights the actions of Jacob here. He’s bowing down, displaying complete humility, not partial humility.
Now, look what happens next!
“[4] But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”
What a profound moment! Jacob was likely expecting a confrontation, and he was met with an embrace. He was likely expecting wrath, but was met with compassion. He was likely expecting a fight, but was met with a warm welcome.
I wrestled this week with the question of why did Esau begin his journey toward Jacob with 400 men. And, unfortunately, the Bible doesn’t tell us his reason. But, fortunately, it does tell us Jacob’s initial response to the news that he’s coming with 400 men. He was “greatly afraid and distressed” because of the possibility that he would be “attacked.” So, although we don’t know Esau’s motives, we know Jacob’s response, which can possibly teach us that Esau’s motives weren’t good.
Yet, Esau doesn’t attack.
He embraces Jacob with a strong embrace and a kiss, weeping together with his brother. The man who likely sought out to harm his brother now embraces his brother with a warm embrace.
Make no mistake! This was a miraculous moment in time. Somewhere along the way, something changed in Esau. The man who once vowed to kill Jacob met him with a hug. The brother whose heart once burned with anger over Jacob’s betrayal now weeps on his shoulder.
It could be that Jacob’s consistent action of seeking out restoration began to seemingly chip away at Esau’s heart. As the book of Proverbs teaches us, “A harsh word stirs up anger, but a gentle answer turns away wrath.” In other words, a steady dose of kindness and humble service possesses a unique way of softening the hardest of hearts. God can use our kindness and humility to turn a heart set on murder to a heart willing to restore.
We don’t know what caused the change of heart with Esau. But, we do know his heart did change.
They embraced one another and wept. And after this warm embrace, Esau lifted his eyes and saw the women and children. He said, “Who are these with you?”
Jacob responds, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
Notice how even now that Jacob has Esau’s affection, he continues in his servant language, which shows us how Jacob’s humility wasn’t a front to earn Esau’s favor; it was an authentic expression of the state of his heart.
But, I also love how Jacob understands the source of his blessing— “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
Jacob has grown to understand that the family and possession he has are all a byproduct of God’s grace, not his works. Jacob is beginning to get it, isn’t he!?
After, the servants draw near to him, and they and their children bow down in front of Esau. Then Leah and her children draw near and bow down. Then Joseph and Rachel draw near, and bow down before him.
This led to Esau saying to Jacob, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?”
Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
Some highlight how this phrase “find favor” means to receive grace. So, Jacob is saying that he hopes to find unmerited grace from Esau. He’s confessing the fact that he’s done Esau wrong over the years and he deserves Esau’s wrath. But, he’s hoping to receive something from Esau that he doesn’t deserve. He’s hoping to find favor from him.
Esau responds, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”
Jacob responds, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sights, 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. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.”
Then he urged him, and he took it.
There’s a consistent theme of seeing God’s face here in Genesis 32-33. In Genesis 32:20, Jacob was afraid to see Esau’s face; therefore, he sent servants with gifts so that he may appease Esau, and afterwards he can see God’s face. Yet, right before he sees Esau’s face, he sees God’s face. And after this encounter, he sees Esau’s face and finds grace.
So, feel the weight of what Jacob is saying.
The man who has just seen the face of God is saying that seeing Esau’s face is like seeing God’s face. He’s saying that the unmerited favor he received from Esau was like the unmerited favor he has received from God. The man who saw the face of God and was delivered has also seen the face of Esau and was delivered.
What’s happening here is a beautiful reflection of the gospel. Jacob expected to see the face of an angry brother, but was instead met with the face of a grace-filled brother.
The good news of the gospel is that God has made a way for sinners to see His face and live. At the cross, Jesus bore the wrath that our sin deserved. He took our guilt upon Himself. He died in our place. And He rose again so that everyone who trusts in Him can be reconciled to God. He did this so that when we stand before God, we don’t stand before Him as condemned enemies. We stand before Him as beloved children.
Through Christ, we can one day be met face to face with a grace-filled God. Like Esau running to Jacob and embracing him with a hug, we can be met with a warm embrace from God.
Let’s continue reading,
“[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.”
Some believe this moment highlights a lack of trust still present amongst the brothers.
To me, it seems like Esau’s actions are genuine. It seems that Esau is prepared to begin a life alongside Jacob.
But, it also seems that Jacob is not prepared to do the same. Every offer that Esau makes, Jacob responds with, “Thanks, but no thanks!”
But, notice what Jacob does! In verse 14, he gives the impression that he will join Esau in Seir. But, in verse 17, he went to Succoth and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock.
First of all, I think you could make a strong argument that Jacob lied to Esau! He said he was going to meet Esau in Seir when he knew he never would!
Even after this radical encounter with God, you find remnants of Jacob’s sinfulness present in his life.
Second of all, God has told Jacob to return to the land of his kindred. Yet, he doesn’t go there right away! Instead of going to Canaan (the place God told him to go), instead of going to Seir (the place he said he would go), he goes to Succoth and builds a house there.
Even after this radical encounter with God, you find remnants of Jacob’s sinfulness present in his life.
But, then in verse 18, we see Jacob make it to the place God told him to go, “[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.”
We will see more of Hamor in the weeks following, but the point of this final chapter is that Jacob has made it home! He has made it to the land God has promised to Abraham and his descendants. He has arrived in the land God commanded him to return to. And he has pitched his tent in the land that he has purchased. And he builds an altar and calls it El-Elohe-Israel!
El-Elohe-Israel means God, the God of Israel.
This is a moment of worship for Jacob! Jacob isn’t simply declaring that God is real. He’s not simply declaring that there is a God. He’s declaring that the God is his God.
When Jacob left Canaan to go to Paddan-aram, God appeared to him in a dream. And when he woke up, he made a vow and said, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, [21] so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God…”
Jacob is now safely in Shechem. He has come again to his father’s house in peace. Despite Jacob’s messiness, God has been with him every step of the way. And now Jacob’s hands are up in worship!
“The God is my God!” Jacob says. “THE LORD is MY LORD!”
Friends, can you say the same today?
Can we all agree with the premise that there is a God? I hope so, yes!
But, can we all say with Jacob, “The LORD is my LORD, the God, is my God?”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Jacob went to the front of the line rather than hiding behind his family. How does this action reflect the gospel? Where are you tempted toward self-preservation rather than self-sacrifice? What might it look like for you to “go first” in loving and serving the people God has entrusted to you?
Jacob’s posture toward Esau changed from grasping and deceiving to bowing and humbling himself. How does this action reflect the gospel? What areas of pride, control, or self-reliance might God be exposing in you?
Jacob expected wrath but received grace from Esau. How does this reflect the gospel? How does the gospel change the way you approach God when you are confronted with your sin and failure? How should receiving God’s grace affect the way you extend grace to others?
Even after Jacob’s encounter with God, remnants of his old sinful patterns remained. Where do you see this tension in your own life?