Genesis 33
Jacob Meets Esau
1Jacob looked up and saw that Esau was coming along with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.
Jacob is preparing for battle. He divides his family into three groups.
2He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them.
Jacob placed his favorite wife last.
3But Jacob himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
Jacob placed himself in front, so that he would experience the brunt of the attack. Bowing seven times was a normal middle eastern custom.
4But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept.
The rabbis have their own interpretation of this kiss. The Hebrew word for “kissed” has a dot over each letter, meaning that the rabbi doubted Esau’s sincerity. However, this is rabbi bias. After twenty years, Esau had forgiven Jacob.
5When Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob replied, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
Jacob called himself a servant once again, reversing the patriarchal titles which were given prophetically by God.
6The female servants came forward with their children and bowed down. 7Then Leah came forward with her children and they bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
This bowing ritual was all middle-eastern customary protocol.
8Esau then asked, “What did you intend by sending all these herds to meet me?” Jacob replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.”
Esau wanted to know the meaning of Jacob's gifts. Jacob reversed the patriarchal titles again.
9But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.”
Esau had become a wealthy man also. He calls Jacob "brother." These two gestures possibly demonstrated that Esau had actually forgiven Jacob.
10“No, please take them,” Jacob said. “If I have found favor in your sight, accept my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, it is as if I have seen the face of God.
The Hebrew word for “face” is פָנֶ֗יךָ (peniel), meaning face. Jacob had seen the actual face of God in human form earlier in the night when he wrestled with the pre-incarnate Christ. Jacob recognized that this wrestling encounter with God was a divine appointment. Esau's attitude towards Jacob was softened by God Himself. It was an answer to Jacob’s prayer.
It is important to note that Christians are to love their enemies. Jesus prayed for those who were crucifying Him. God can soften the heart of one's enemies. It takes strong Bible study from the entire counsel of the Word of God, confession of sin, and spirit-led prayer for a Christian to reach this type of spiritual maturity.
11Please take my present that was brought to you, for God has been generous to me and I have all I need.” When Jacob urged him, he took it.
The Hebrew word for “present” is different than what was used in verse 10. The Hebrew is בְּרָכָה (baracah), meaning blessing. Jacob was offering to share with Esau the patriarchal blessing. However, it was not Jacob’s to give.
The Hebrew for “I have all I need” is יֶשׁ־לִי־כֹ֑ל (yash-li-kal), meaning that “I have everything.” Jacob had the patriarchal blessing from God. That was all that he needed.
12Then Esau said, “Let’s be on our way! I will go in front of you.”
Esau offered to lead Jacob by an armed escort. Canaan was a dangerous land to travel without an armed escort.
13But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are young, and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die.
Jacob’s family would slow down the armed escort in order to protect his flocks.
14Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
Jacob promised to travel slower and meet his brother at Seir.
15So Esau said, “Let me leave some of my men with you.” “Why do that?” Jacob replied. “My lord has already been kind enough to me.”
Esau wanted to leave an armed escort with Jacob to protect his family from possible marauders. Jacob does not need an armed escort. He finally realized that he was protected by the Abrahamic Covenant.
16So that same day Esau made his way back to Seir.
Esau went to Seir, waiting for his brother to arrive and meet him. Esau possibly planned a great reunion party for his twin brother,
17But Jacob traveled to Succoth where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was called Succoth.
Jacob did not keep his promise. There would be no reunion party. This had to cause some tension between Jacob and Esau. The rabbi commented that Jacob and Esau will make peace at Seir when the Messiah returns. It is important to note that Esau was kind to his brother Jacob, so he will fall under the blessing aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. However, accordion to some of the major and minor prophets there will be no Edomite tribe in the Millennial Kingdom. There will be a New Jerusalem, but Edom will become a continuing wasteland which will imprison demons.
Succoth means “booths.” Jacob was still outside of the promised land. The rabbi commented that he lived outside of the land for eighteen months.
18After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near the city.
Shechem was in the land of Canaan, but it was north of where Isaac lived. For some reason, Jacob did not want to live where his father lived. Jacob camped near the city, meaning that he was not a citizen of the Canaanite city. He was a nomad living on the outside of the city. He would keep his family away from the influence of the Canaanite society.
19Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money.
This field was the only land that Jacob owned in Canaan. One day, God will keep His promise, raise Jacob from the dead, and give him all of the land of Canaan that was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Later on, Joseph’s bones will be buried in this field.
20There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.”
The Hebrew for “The God of Israel is God” is אֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל (el elohai yisrael), which is a compound name that emphasizes the unity and trinity of God. On this altar, a lamb was sacrificed. This lamb pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus would become the one who would fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant and bring blessings to all nations. This altar was a witness to the inhabitants in Canaan. The message was that all of the other Canaanite gods were not gods at all. The God of Jacob (Israel) is the one true God. Every Canaanite, Egyptian, Edomite, Moabite, Ammonite, Hittite, Sumerian, Mesopotamian, Amorite, Ishmaelite, Midianite, and all other tribes who walked by this altar would be able to see this inscription along with the material and spiritual blessings which God had poured upon Jacob and his family.