I.
Jacob and Esau Meet (Genesis 33:1-11)
A.
Genesis
33:1 – And Jacob lifted up
his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men.
And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two
handmaids.
§
Four
Hundred – a number that seems to commonly be found of conflict, opposition
of some sort (real or imagined), or bondage.
o
Genesis 15:13 - And
he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a
land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them
four hundred years;
-
From the
fulfillment of the promise to Abraham in the birth of Isaac to the Exodus was a
period of 400 years
o
Genesis
23:16 - And Abraham hearkened
unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in
the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current
[money] with the merchant.
-
Abraham
purchasing burial ground
o
1 Samuel
25:13- And David said unto
his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his
sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about
four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
-
When David was
going to destroy Nabal, Abigail intervened and gave provision to David and his
men. (David later married Abigail when Nabal died)
o
1 Samuel
30:17 - And David smote them
from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not
a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
-
David chasing
down and destroying the Amalekites that took the wives and children of he and
his men
o
1 Kings
18:19 - Now therefore send,
[and] gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four
hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at
Jezebel's table.
-
The great
confrontation between the false prophets and Elijah the prophet of God
o
2
Chronicles 18:5 - Therefore
the king of Israel
-
These were false
prophets of Baal
B.
Genesis
33:2 - And he put the
handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and
Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
§
Nothing like
telling your family who the favorites are
C.
Genesis
33:3 - And he passed over
before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to
his brother.
§
Jacob goes ahead
of his family and offers himself in complete submission before his brother
bowing seven times, humbling himself.
This was a clear sign to Esau that Jacob was seeking reconciliation with
his brother.
§
This does not
appear to be a defensive position, but a separation of his household by mother
and children for presentation purposes.
There may be some distinction in the placement of each member as his
“favorite” wife Rachel is last and the handmaids first, but it may not have
been apparent to them at the time.
D.
Genesis
33:4 - And Esau ran to meet
him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
§
In light of the
events described in Jasher this seems reasonable, otherwise why would he gather
400 men to witness this reunion?
§
If Esau was
genuine in his affections then perhaps his descendants would have been more
compatible with Israel Edom Israel Israel
§
Jacob on the
other hand likely had a different motivation for his weeping. Perhaps he recognized God’s intervention and
wept for joy that he was safe. Maybe
after experiencing deception first hand over the past 20 years he wept in repentance
for the things he had done to Esau.
E.
Genesis
33:5 - And he lifted up his
eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who [are] those with thee?
And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.
§
This is the first
time Esau is aware of Jacob’s children for Jacob did not inform him by
messenger
o
Jacob likely
omitted this from Esau intentionally in order to protect them in the event Esau
met him as an enemy
§
Rather than
answer “these are my children” Jacob answers in a most humble manner by
glorifying God for the gifts of children.
o
Psalm
128:3 –Thy wife [shall be] as
a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants
round about thy table.
o
Psalm
107:41 –Yet setteth he the
poor on high from affliction, and maketh [him] families like a flock.
o
Psalm 127:3-5 - Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and]
the fruit of the womb [is his] reward.
As arrows [are] in the hand of a mighty man; so [are] children of the
youth. Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver
full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies
in the gate.
F.
Genesis
33:6 - Then the handmaidens
came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
G.
Genesis
33:7 - And Leah also with her
children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and
Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
§
It is good for
the children to show proper respect to those their parents honor. None of the children knew uncle Esau, but
they had certainly heard their father Jacob tell stories of him. They were probably excited to finally meet
him.
H.
Genesis
33:8 - And he said, What
[meanest] thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, [These are] to find
grace in the sight of my lord.
§
Jacob originally
gives the gifts to Esau in order to win favor
§
Dependent on his
gifts to gain grace in Esau’s sight rather than God
I.
Genesis
33:9 - And Esau said, I have
enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.
§
Esau doesn’t want
the gifts with strings attached
§
Note the
different responses from these men:
o
Jacob… children which God hath graciously given thy
servant
o
Esau… I have enough, my brother; keep that thou
hast unto thyself
o
Jacob
acknowledges that all he has is a gift from God, Esau gives no credit to God
for the blessings he has. Esau has not
changed.
J.
Genesis
33:10 - 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.
K.
Genesis
33:11 - 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].
§
Now Jacob wants
to give the gifts just to give, out of a giving heart
§
Esau Accepted,
accepting a gift has always been a sign of good will, gifts would not normally
be accepted from an enemy
§
Jacob pressed the
issue, insisting that Esau accept his gift, possibly to see if Esau’s anger was
actually appeased
II.
Jacob and Esau Part
Ways
A.
Genesis
33:12 - And he said, Let us
take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
§
Esau offers to
provide an escort for Jacob and his family to Seir
B.
Genesis
33:13 - And he said unto him,
My lord knoweth that the children [are] tender, and the flocks and herds with
young [are] with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock
will die.
§
Jacob provides
Esau with excuses why he can not travel with him
§
Jacob does not
appear to fully trust Esau’s motivations
C.
Genesis
33:14 - Let my lord, I pray
thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the
cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come
unto my lord unto Seir.
§
Jacob tells Esau
to go ahead to his hometown of Seir (in Edom
§
From later
actions it appears that Jacob has no intention of going to Seir and once again
employs deception to manipulate Esau rather than truth.
D.
Genesis
33:15 - And Esau said, Let me
now leave with thee [some] of the folk that [are] with me. And he said, What
needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
§
Esau offers to
leave some of his servants behind to assist Jacob’s household during their
journey, but Jacob refuses.
§
Psalm 1:1
- Blessed [is] the man that
walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
§
2
Corinthians 6:14 - Be
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness?
E.
Genesis
33:16 - So Esau returned that
day on his way unto Seir.
§
Twice Esau
relented, first he accepted Jacob’s gifts and then he accepted Jacob’s refusal
of his gift
§
This probably did
not go over well with Esau
F.
Genesis
33:17 - And Jacob journeyed
to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore
the name of the place is called Succoth.
§
Succoth –סכות Cukkowth,
"booths"
§
Where is Succoth?
About thirty miles north of the Dead
Sea . Seir is about 30 miles south of the Dead Sea , about 110 miles south of Succoth
§
It appears that
Jacob had no intention of going to Seir with Esau. This may give indication that Jacob didn’t
quite trust Esau.
§
Exodus 12:37 - And
the children of Israel
o
First place the
Israelites went when they left Egypt
G.
Genesis
33:18 - And Jacob came to
Shalem, a city of Shechem land of Canaan
§
Shalem (Salem
§
Shechem – שכם Shĕkem, noun, "back" or
"shoulder"
§
Most likely this
verse should read “And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem
H.
Genesis
33:19 - And he bought a
parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of
Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.
§
Hamor - חמור Chamowr,
noun, “he-ass”
§
Like Abraham Jacob bought land that God had given him establishing his
claim to the land in both natural and supernatural
I.
Genesis
33:20 - And he erected there an altar, and called it
Elelohe-Israel.
§
Elelohe-Israel - אל
אלהי ישראל 'El 'elohey Yisra'el, "the mighty God of
Israel"
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