Wrestling with God for a blessing, Jacob expected to receive from Him strength for the meeting with his brother, supernatural strength that he thought could be very useful to him. Instead of strength he receives a new name, becoming a different, new person...
Wrestling with God for a blessing, Jacob expected to receive from Him strength for the meeting with his brother, supernatural strength that he thought could be very useful to him. Instead of strength he receives a new name, becoming a different, new person. It would seem that for the meeting with Esau this has no special significance. It turns out, however, that inward changes can sometimes lead to outward changes, and very significant ones at that. In any case, the meeting with Esau takes place quite peacefully, without the bloodshed Jacob so feared. Esau too had changed during the time Jacob was away; it is hard to say with certainty. One thing is clear: much time had passed, and if Jacob had managed over the years of absence to become a different person, the same thing could have happened to Esau as well.
God worked with Jacob in a special way, but He does not leave anyone, ever, at least as long as a person himself has not said to Him an unambiguous and decisive "no." It is hard to think that God had completely forgotten Esau. After all, while caring for Isaac, for example, He did not abandon Ishmael either. In any case, the brothers meet peacefully. Jacob is now different; he lays claim to nothing.
Now he undoubtedly looks differently at all the things he did in his youth in his native house. He also understands that Esau is stronger, just as he understands that Esau has more right to the authority he holds in his native tribe. Jacob is ready to acknowledge his brother's rights. But this is not only because he now sees the situation more realistically and is not building risky, far-reaching plans. Jacob has simply learned to trust God. This is not only the ability to wait; it is precisely confidence that God will be able to show him the right path, that He will do what Jacob himself could never have achieved by his own strength and his own plans. Jacob truly became a man of God. This took more than one decade and cost him great labor and risk, but God made Jacob what He wanted to see. Jacob's plan was ready to be fulfilled, though not in the way Jacob himself had thought.
33 We read in the former chapter how Jacob had power with God, and prevailed; here we find what power he had with men too.Here is,
33:3 He bowed - Though he feared Esau as an enemy, yet he did obeisance to him as an elder brother.
33:4 And Esau ran to meet him - Not in passion but in love.Embraced him, fell on his neck and kissed him - God hath the hearts of all men in his hands, and can turn them when and how he pleases. He can of a sudden convert enemies into friends, as he did two Sauls, one by restraining grace, Gen 26:21, Gen 26:25, the other by renewing grace, Act 9:21.And they wept - Jacob wept for joy to be thus kindly received; Esau perhaps wept for grief and shame to think of the ill design he had conceived against his brother.
33:5 Eleven or twelve little ones followed Jacob, the eldest of them not fourteen years old: Who are these? saith Esau. Jacob had sent him an account of the increase of his estate, but made no mention of his children, perhaps because he would not expose them to his rage, if he should meet him as an enemy. Esau therefore had reason to ask who are those with thee? To which Jacob returns a serious answer; they are the children which God hath graciously given thy servant. Jacob speaks of his children,
33:10 I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God - That is, I have seen thee reconciled to me, and at peace with me, as I desire to see God reconciled.
33:12 Esau offers himself to be his guide and companion, in token of sincere reconciliation. We never find that Jacob and Esau were so loving with one another as they were now. God made Esau not only not an enemy, but a friend. Esau is become fond of Jacob's company, courts him to mount Seir: let us never despair of any, nor distrust God, in whose hands all hearts are. Yet Jacob saw cause modestly to refute this offer, wherein he shews a tender concern for his own family and flocks, like a good shepherd and a good father. He must consider the children, and the flocks with young, and not lead the one or drive the other too fast.Jacob intimates to him, that it was his design to come to him to mount Seir; and we may presume he did so, after he had settled his concerns elsewhere, though that visit be not recorded.
33:15 Esau offers some of his men to be his guard and convoy; but Jacob humbly refuseth his offer, only desiring he would not take it amiss that he did not accept it. What needs it? He is under the Divine protection. Those are sufficiently guarded that have God for their guard, and are under a convoy of his hosts, as Jacob was. Jacob adds, only let me find grace in the sight of my lord - Having thy favour I have all I need, all I desire from thee.
33:16 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth - Having in a friendly manner parted with Esau, who was gone to his own country, he comes to a place, where he rested, set up booths for his cattle, and other conveniences for himself and family. The place was afterwards known by the name of Succoth, a city in the tribe of Gad, on the other side Jordan; it signifies booths: that when his posterity afterwards dwelt in houses of stone, they might remember that the Syrian ready to perish was their father, who was glad of booths, Deu 26:5.
33:18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem - Or rather he came safe, or in peace, to the city of Shechem. After a perilous journey, in which he had met with many difficulties, he came safe at last, into Canaan.
33:20 He erected an altar -