Episode 300 - "Jacob and Esau are reunited in peace" - Genesis 33

Gen. 33:1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Gen. 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Gen. 33:12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

Gen. 33:15 So Esau said, “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.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Gen. 33:18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

I don’t know about you. But up to this point, my assessment of Esau is that he is what we might call a “loose cannon.” Not only did he quickly and easily disregard his birthright by trading it for a bowl of stew, he also intentionally married three wives in disregard, and to spite his parents.

The question at hand in our story is whether or not he is going to attempt to fulfill his vow to kill his brother Jacob. It could be said that there’s not much to like about Esau as far as we know from the greater narrative. For that matter, Jacob is portrayed as an opportunist and a cheat. So, we wouldn’t necessarily vote for him as “man of the year” either. So, it’s confusing when we read passages like Malachi 1:2-3 and Paul’s quotation of it in Romans 9:13 where the LORD says, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” We ask ourselves first, “Is that true?” and secondly, “Is that fair of God?” Why would God hate Esau any more than Jacob?

God’s warning through Moses to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 2 can help us understand this. Beginning with Jacob and Rachel’s son Joseph, the Israelites would spend 400 years in Egypt before God led them out back toward the Promised Land. Due to the faithless and rebellious actions of the Israelites, God made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. That area is near the land that God gave to Esau. When they were about to enter the land, God told them to use caution as they passed through Seir (Edom) because the LORD had given that land to Esau. They were not to create any trouble with them, but to buy things from them instead and be peaceable. Esau had been dead for a long time. Yet, the LORD was telling the Israelites to honor their brothers, the descendants of Esau. That sounds like a far cry from God “hating” Esau, doesn’t it? What’s going on? The statement in Malachi is made many years after the Israelites returned to the land. Over time, the Edomites, Esau’s descendants, became enemies of Israel and looted Jerusalem after Babylon destroyed it. Therefore, the statement in Malachi is the LORD expressing his judgment upon Esau’s descendants who chose to become enemies of Israel and, therefore, of God. It’s not some arbitrary bias directed at Esau personally.

The apostle Paul’s use of quoting this passage is simply to express God’s right to do as he wishes. So, we have essential truths revealed that remind us that God is God and we’re not. God is the one who decides what is good and right, and we will do well to remember that and trust that the LORD makes good and right decisions. More relevant to the immediate story we are in, just because Esau did things that were stupid, irresponsible, and to spite his parents and God, it didn’t mean that God disowned him. God gave him a land and wanted Jacob’s descendants not to disregard them because they were also descendants of Abraham and Isaac. What might seem unfair at a cursory glance is actually grace to Esau. The fact that later generations of Esau violated that desired relationship brought righteous discipline upon them.

And what do we see in this story when Jacob and Esau finally meet after 20 years of separation? Esau runs to meet and welcome Jacob back. There is redemption and blessing for both of them. This is what the LORD intended for them and, I believe, for us. The LORD blessed Jacob, leading him into faith and wanting to bless his brother and to establish a peaceful relationship. The LORD loved Jacob and Esau and blessed each of them according to his omniscient and gracious will.

Through the cross of Christ, God has done the same with us. He doesn’t hold our past offenses against us. He leads us to faith, blesses us, and brings us into a relationship of peace with God.