JACOB SERIES: THE REUNION AND RECONCILIATION 

As Job stated in Job 3:25, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” This is Jacob’s experience in Genesis 33. For twenty years, Jacob had been living far from his estranged brother, Esau. Now, with his return home, he had to face Esau, and he was scared, especially when he was told that Esau was coming to meet him accompanied by four hundred men.

As Jacob sees Esau approaching, he divides the women with their children: first the handmaidens and their children, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last. Jacob goes before them and consecutively bows himself seven times as he gets nearer to Esau. However, Esau ran to Jacob, embraced him, kissed him, and they both wept.

Esau asked Jacob about the women and children, and Jacob replied, “The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.” Following his words and example, the women and children came forward and bowed before Esau in the order Jacob had placed them.

Then Esau questioned Jacob concerning the gifts, and Jacob replied, “These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.” Esau responded that he had enough, implying that he did not need Jacob’s gift. However, Jacob insisted that Esau receive the gifts that God had enabled him to acquire, for in doing so he felt he had received grace from Esau, that Esau was pleased with him, and that he had seen the face of God in their encounter.

Esau informed Jacob that he would accompany him on his journey home, but Jacob claimed he had to travel slowly because he did not want to overtax his children and flocks. He urged him to go and take his men with him,m and he would meet him again in Mount Seir.

After Esau’s departure, Jacob, along with his family and possessions, went to Succoth, where he built himself a house with pens for his flocks and herds. Then Jacob moved on into the land of Canaan, to the city of Shalem in Shechem, where he purchased a field for a hundred pieces of silver and settled again with his family. It is here that he erected an altar and called it Elelohe Israel.

Here is additional information and nuggets:

The way Jacob arranged the women and children revealed his feelings for them. The ones he cared about the most were the ones placed last. They were the ones he wanted to protect at all costs, and the ones he wanted to expose to the least harm.

When bowing to a respected individual, one would bow from the waist, then take a few steps, and bow again. This would occur seven times until the person was in front of the respected individual.

Masoretic Bibles noted the sincere change that had taken place in Esau with his embrace and kiss of his brother. Apparently, he had forgiven him and no longer desired to harm him.

In Eastern culture, when a person returns home after a lengthy absence, they would place their hands on the other person’s neck, kiss each other’s cheeks, and lean their heads together.

In Eastern cultures, when a gift is given and received, it means you are friends.

It appears that Jacob remained fearful and distrustful of Esau’s friendly actions toward him, because, though he told Esau he would follow him to Mount Seir, he went northwest rather than south to Mount Seir. Additionally, there is no evidence of Jacob ever going to Mount Seir.

Some commentators believed that Jacob stayed in Succoth for approximately ten years before moving on to Shechem.

In building an altar in Shechem and calling it El-Elohe-Israel, which means God, the God of Israel, Jacob was acknowledging his new name, posture, and relationship with God

Familial struggles, strife, and division do not have to last a lifetime.

God can make your enemy at peace with you.

Remain truthful to your word.