January 16: Genesis 32:12 – 34: Jacob Reconciles with Esau

            Even though Jacob has asked the Lord for help meeting his brother, Esau, he makes elaborate plans to appease him. He still has a lot of self-dependence in him. We get a glimpse of just how rich Jacob has become in his 20-year absence. The gifts that he sent ahead of him would make most men rich if that was all they had.

            However, I think of the two brothers, Esau matured socially more than Jacob during the 20 years. Look at how Esau greeted Jacob and how he responded to the gifts. Esau ran to greet his brother, hugged, and kissed him (Gen 33:4). The animosity toward Jacob was clearly gone. Then he looked at the wealth that Jacob was giving him and he said he had enough and for Jacob to keep it (Gen 33:9). Sometimes we see this kind of posturing in the Bible as a way of negotiating, such as when Abraham bought the field to bury Sarah. But this just isn’t the same. It appears that Esau realized he really did have enough. He had been blessed during Jacob’s absence indicating that though he had not received the patriarchal blessing or the birthright, material abundance was not his goal in life. He wasn’t lusting after more.

            I would have called Esau spiritually mature, but we really don’t know what his relationship was with the Lord. However, this was a good indication that God had worked in his heart as well as Jacob’s.

            How did Jacob do after this? He has wrestled with God and men and prevailed (Gen 32:28). It didn’t seem to help his confidence much. He doesn’t raise up to defend his daughter’s honor but let his sons deal with it. Then when they do, he expresses his fear over the possibility that other people in the land would want revenge on him. He still isn’t looking to God first.

            How often do we see the Lord work in our lives and not grow spiritually? The troubles of the world will overcome us only when we take our eyes off Jesus. We may not be aware of the idols we have in our houses. We may have things that we find more important than serving the Lord. Read ahead a few verses and we see that God meets with Jacob, then Jacob tells his household to get rid of their gods (Gen 35:1-4). We will not mature in our walk with the Lord as long as we keep the lusts of the world before our eyes (1 John 2:15-17).