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Genesis 33a:

Reading #135 

The meeting

Jacob had received the blessing for which his soul had longed.

His sin as a supplanter and deceiver had been cleansed as well as forgiven. The crisis in his life was past. Doubt, perplexity, and remorse had embittered his previous existence, but now all was changed; and sweet was the peace of reconciliation with God. Jacob no longer feared to meet his brother.  He knew that God, who had forgiven his sin of deception and cleansed his failing of self-help, could also move the heart of Esau to accept his humiliation and repentance. 

He now had the Old Testament picture of translation faith.  Revelation 14:12.

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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 to Leah, and to Rachel, and to the two handmaids. 2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost [closer to him], and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost [at the rear]. 3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 

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The two companies at last approached each other, the desert chief leading his men of war, and Jacob with his wives and children, attended by shepherds and handmaids, and followed by long lines of flocks and herds. Leaning upon his staff, the patriarch went forward to meet the band of soldiers. He was pale and disabled from his recent conflict, and he walked slowly and painfully, limping at every step; but his face was lighted up with joy and peace. 

Let’s sum up what has been happening – what this experience means to us.

When the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth during the seven last plagues and modern “Jacobs” are threatened with death by their angry “brothers”, the people of God will be in great peril from the rejecters who are seeking to destroy them. And as the patriarch wrestled all night for deliverance from the hand of Esau, so the righteous will cry to God day and night for deliverance from the enemies that surround them.  Why?

Satan had accused Jacob before the angels of God, claiming the right to destroy him because of his sin.  He had moved upon Esau to march against him; and during the patriarch's long night of wrestling, he had endeavoured to force upon him a sense of his guilt, in order to discourage him, and break his hold upon God. When in his distress Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and made supplication with tears, the heavenly Messenger, in order to try his faith, also reminded him of his sin, and endeavoured to escape from him.  What an experience!

But Jacob would not be turned away. He had learned that God is merciful, and he cast himself upon His mercy. He pointed back to his repentance for his sin, and pleaded for deliverance, not just for himself, but also for his extended family who could not help themselves. As he reviewed his life, he was driven almost to despair; but he held fast the Angel, and with earnest, agonizing cries urged his petition until he prevailed.

Such will be the experience of God's people in their final struggle with the powers of governments of the world. God will test their faith, their perseverance, their confidence in His power to deliver them.  Satan will endeavour to terrify them with the thought that their cases are hopeless; that their sins have been too great to receive pardon. They will have a deep sense of their shortcomings, and as they review their lives their hopes will sink.

But remembering the greatness of God's mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God, as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of their souls will be, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me," because of the need of their brethren.

Then what happened in our story?

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Genesis 33:

4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

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How did this amicable meeting come about?  Esau had not changed – Jacob had – that was the difference.  God was able to effect a reconciliation because there was no response of retaliation in Jacob/Israel, and Esau recognised no threat.  There was “nothing in him.”  Compare John 14:30.

At this point in our historical story the spiritual and prophetic dimension of Jacob’s Trouble is over, for at the second advent those represented by Esau choose to die as we are told.

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Revelation 6:

12   And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal [of the book], and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair [it will go out temporarily], and the moon became as blood [it will look red]; 13 and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind [they will appear to shoot all over the sky]. 

14 And the heaven [the blue atmosphere] departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places [in the great earthquake]. 

 [This is a series of events which cannot be counterfeited by Satan.  It is at this point that the sign of the Son of man appears.  Matthew 24:30.]

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man [all the rejecters of grace], hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

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With these words they show that they prefer to die rather than meet the Son of God.  As God says, “All they that hate Me love death.” Proverbs 8:36.  

Now back to the historical record which tells us:

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Genesis 33: 

5 And he [Esau] lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are those with you?” And he [Jacob] said, “The children which God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. 7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. 

8 And he said, “What mean you by all this drove [the present of the animals] which I met?” And he said, “These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.”

9 And Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep that you have to yourself.” 10 And Jacob said, “Nay, I pray you, if now I have found grace in your sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen your face, as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Take, I pray you, my blessing that is brought to you; because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” And he urged him, and he took it. 

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So the old problem was settled once and for all by the change in the Christian, as it will be at the second coming.

See you all next week,

Ron

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