#94 From Threats to Reconciliation Genesis 33

Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "who are these with you?" So he said, "the children whom God has graciously given your servant." Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. Then Esau said, "what do you mean by all this company which I met?" And he said, "these are to find favor in the sight of my lord." But Esau said, "I have enough brother; keep what you have for yourself." And Jacob said, "no, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." So he urged, and he took it. Then Esau said, "let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you." But Jacob said to him, "my lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir." And Esau said, "now 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." So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money. then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel. Genesis 33 NKJV

I guess there are at least a few possibilities as to why Esau comes to meet his brother with 400 men. He may be a warlord in that area, uncertain of Jacob's intentions or bearing some ill will of his own. Whatever the reason, Esau's intent is unclear to Jacob, and Jacob is afraid, so he divides his family by way of favoritism. It is a sad thing to read. As he approaches his brother, he does so with the body language of peace and the humility of servitude. He bows to the earth seven times, but his brother runs to him and embraces him. This is not at all in line with what Jacob has played out in his head which can be seen by the way he has prepared for this meeting. His brother questions the gifts and at first refuses them, but Jacob insist and Esau accepts. It is an emotional reconciliation and both men weep. Jacob has changed much, but the heart of Esau has also changed. 

Esau offers Jacob some of his men as an escort, but Jacob turns this down, most likely to avoid future conflicts that could arise. He also expresses concern for the well being of his children and the herds. I think the statement of pushing them hard comes from legitimate worry because he has already done so. This in reflection of Laban's pursuit in Genesis 31, where it took Laban 7 days to catch up to Jacob's 3 day head start. 

There is much in this story that I can relate to in my own life. My own sin and arrogance has separated me from friends in the past. The choice of God over man's notions and the insistence that there is only one way, even in humility of the fact that I did not find that way alone, has incited an anger in some that I before did not think them to possess. I have separated myself from my own brother, not because I hate him, nor feel myself superior. He has chosen a life that I cannot condone and a life that I do not want my two little girls to ever find acceptable in a mate. I want them to be respected by the man they choose to spend their life with, and to have no fear of his anger. But in all this I do not have the right nor desire to cast a final judgment. It is my prayer that the story does not end here, but that the end will find itself in the reconciliation of brothers and friends. It is my hope that the same God, who saved me, will save them, for I should not enjoy watching another man drown. 

                Water

Sit alone, I never know just what to say
Better still, I write my will; they won't remember me
I see
And lying at the water's edge, the tide is coming quickly
On her back, her eyes are closed, I hope she's just pretending
Because she's lying in the water and I wish that I could save her
She's lying in the water, I wish that I could stop her
Mom said better days will come; I just wonder where they went
But I gotta say watching you drown was never my intent
But I'd miss you, girl, and I love you
So I stayed, and I waited and I hated it
Now here you are; you've had your fill, the water calm and still
I asked you why you changed your mind
And you point to some dead guy on a hill
Who is he
Because she was lying in the water, and I couldn't save her
She's no longer in the water, so now she thinks that I'm the one whose drowning


- Calvin "Cheese Grits" Yerke

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5: 18-21 NKJV