Genesis
33- Jacob and His Twin Brother
I
would love to have a picture of Jacob meeting his brother Esau! I suppose that
while he was a mile away from him, he started bowing. He is coming with his hat in his hand because
Esau has four hundred men with him. Jacob does not know whether Esau is coming
as friend or enemy. Apparently Jacob
believes for a moment that his strategy of approaching his brother has
worked. But it was not necessary. Up to this time, each was trying to get
something from the other. This was
especially true of Jacob. Now he is
insisting that his brother receive a gift from him. Esau says, “you do not have
to give it to me, I have plenty.”
Certainly, there is a change taken place in Jacob. In that land if one
refused a gift which was urged upon him, it was considered an insult. Therefore, Esau takes the gift. All of
Jacob’s scheming to present a gift to Esau was for nothing. God had prepared the heart of Esau to receive
Jacob. Now he has peace. Since Esau is
now prosperous, and since he attached no value to his birthright anyway, there
is no reason why he should not be reconciled to his twin brother. Before too long Jacob is going to look back
over his life, and when he does, he is going to see the hand of God in his
life, and he is going to give God the glory.
However, the evil that he has sown is yet to bring forth a full
harvest. Trouble is still on its way for
this man. It is waiting for him. Actually, we should not expect too much of
Jacob at this time. He has been
crippled, and he is just beginning to learn to walk with his spiritual
legs. Jacob builds and altar. He calls it El-elohe-Israel which means,
“God, the God of Israel.” This indicates
real growth in who is just learning to walk.
He is on his way to Bethel, but first goes to Succoth.
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J.
Vernon McGee commentary, James Coffman Commentary, NKJ version.
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