Reconciliation - Genesis 33:1-20
INTRODUCTION:
The doctrine of reconciliation is a very important doctrine in the New Testament, without it we could not be saved, reconciliation is an aspect of God’s grace that is brought about by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for us. His death on the cross makes reconciliation possible because it satisfies the justice of God on behalf of the sinner. So the sinner becomes completely changed in his relation to God, he is now savable because the death required for sin has been paid. When we as sinners humble ourselves before God and agree with Him that Christ’s finished work on the cross, His death is the one and only solution to our sin problem and we believe this we reconcile ourselves to God by faith and we are reconciled by Christ’s imputed righteousness to us now and eternally, and we become the children of God through the riches of His grace.
This morning we are going to see the reconciliation of two brothers that is a beautiful picture of the complete change that takes place in us when we are reconciled to God. In this passage both of these men have a change of heart which brings about the reconciliation between them, when we are reconciled to God we are the only ones who change, God never changes, God is satisfied that His justice has been met, and because of this man can be reconciled to Him, Christ’s death makes man’s complete change to God possible. Let’s pray and get into our passage.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 33:1-20. Please stand as I read the Word of God and follow along as I read.
Genesis 33:1-20,
“Then Jacob lifted 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 maids. He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, ‘Who are these with you?’ So he said, ‘The children whom God has graciously given your servant.’ Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down. Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. And he said, ‘What do you mean by all this company which I have met?’ And he said, ‘To find favor in the sight of my lord.’ But Esau said, ‘I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.’ Jacob said, ‘No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.’ Thus he urged him and he took it. Then Esau said, ‘Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.’ But he said to him, ‘My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.’ Esau said, ‘Please 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.’ So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth. Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.” (Genesis 33:1–20, NASB95)[1]
JACOB IS HUMBLE (Genesis 33:1-3)
As Jacob limped into camp the morning after his wrestling match with the Lord, he looked up and he could see Esau and his army of 400 men coming. Jacob called his wives and the two handmaids and his children to him and divided the children up with their mothers and he lined them up in importance to him, because if he had the opportunity to introduce them to Esau he would want to introduce the handmaids and their children first and then Leah and her children and finally Rachel and Joseph. Once he had them lined up the way he wanted he went out in front of them, this in itself showed a change in Jacob, he was going to meet this crisis head on. As Jacob moved out in front he began to bow to Esau as he moved towards him; bowing down, then getting up and limping forward and bowing down again, humbling himself before his elder brother. Jacob was making himself vulnerable to Esau hoping that Esau would accept him, hoping that Esau would see that Jacob had changed. Bowing seven times as he approached his brother was the standard way of showing honor to someone, it was the protocol of the day, and Jacob was showing this honor to Esau as the elder brother. God had worked a change in Jacob’s heart and the pride and self-importance that had always been a part of Jacob was gone, he could now humble himself before his brother and allow God to take care of the details. He had no way of knowing how Esau would respond, the fact that he had four hundred armed men with him did not look good for Jacob, but Jacob’s heart was right with God and whatever the outcome Jacob knew that God was in control and God had faithfully kept His promises. In this we see an amazing trust in God by Jacob that we have not seen before.
ESAU IS FORGIVING (Genesis 33:4-11)
But it is not only Jacob who has changed, but Esau also and apparently his change took place on his way to meet Jacob. The fact that he left home with four hundred men with him could only mean that he had planned to destroy Jacob and all that he had, there was no other reason for him to take so many men with him. But somewhere between Seir and the Jabbok river God had worked in Esau’s heart and Esau had gotten rid of his anger and his hatred and his pride and when he sees Jacob coming towards him bowing down to the ground he runs to meet him and he embraces him and the men kiss one another and they both wept. Jacob wept for joy that he had found favor in his brother’s eyes, that Esau had forgiven him and Esau wept at seeing Jacob after twenty long years and realizing that his absence was due to the anger and hatred that he had against his brother. That the hurt was forgiven and forgotten is seen in the fact that they never mention it to each other, and they begin to converse as if they were never at odds with each other. Esau notices the women and the children and asks who they are. Jacob’s messengers to Esau had told him of Jacob’s wealth, but not of his family. Jacob instead of saying these are my wives and children, acknowledges before Esau that these children are a gracious gift from God, Jacob now understands that all he has is because of God’s gracious blessing on him from his family to his flocks and herds to the many servants that are employed by him. All he has is because God has been faithful to keep his promise to Jacob and prosper him. Jacob introduces his wives and children and as the children come forward with their mothers they bow and show honor to Esau.
Next Esau asks about the animals that he met on his way, and because of what he says I believe God had already worked in his heart before he met the gifts that Jacob had sent. Jacob told him it was to find favor with him, but Esau responds that he has plenty and does not need this gift from Jacob to find his favor. Jacob should keep what is his, but Jacob responds that if he has found favor, if Esau has truly forgiven him then he wants him to take this present. This word “present” literally translated is “offering” and Jacob wants Esau to take it as a peace offering between them. The Jacob says, “…, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.” (Genesis 33:10b, NASB95)[2] What is Jacob talking about? Fresh on his mind is his meeting with God as he wrestled with Him through the night and as he was blessed by Him at daybreak. Just as he had seen God face to face and his life was spared, so the same is true with Esau, he has seen Esau face to face and the same grace that was given to him by God in sparing him, was also given to him by Esau sparing him. Jacob was prepared to die at the hands of his brother, but his brother showed grace and favor and forgave him. Jacob urges Esau to take his gift or literally his blessing. Esau consents to take the gift. By this act Esau assures Jacob of his forgiveness, the two brothers are reconciled. In these verses we see the complete change in both of these men towards one another. The root of the word reconciliation means “to change completely” and that is exactly what happened to these two men, one who had been a heel grabber, a schemer, a shrewd, smart operator, a con man, a hustler, a manipulator, had changed into a humble, honest man who trusted God. The other had been a hurt, angry, full of hatred man who God had changed into a forgiving, gracious man. Both these men had a complete change in their life which brought about reconciliation.
THEY PART WAYS RECONCILED (Genesis 33:12-16)
Esau offered to travel with Jacob as they made their way into the land, but Jacob declined because of the children and the animals that had nursing young. Jacob did not think that they could keep the pace that Esau and his four hundred men would set. Esau’s men would be understandably anxious to get back to their homes, and wouldn’t want to be held up by the slow pace of the small children and the nursing animals in Jacob’s group. Jacob is concerned that the animals cannot withstand being driven hard anymore, they have driven them hard since they left Laban, and now they need time to recuperate.
Esau offers to leave some of his men as protection for Jacob, but Jacob said there is no need for that now that he has found favor in Esau. He has seen again God’s grace and protection in his life and does not need an armed escort to go with him. Jacob promises to come to Seir, but we never have recorded in Scripture that he went there. The next time we see Jacob and Esau together is at their father Isaac’s deathbed. Whether Jacob traveled down to Seir to visit his brother after he was settled we do not know. Esau departed with his men on friendly terms with Jacob, reconciled and at peace.
JACOB SETTLES (Genesis 33:17-20)
Jacob traveled just a short distance from where he was, he did not even cross the Jordan river, but settled for a time in an area that would later be in the inheritance of Gad on the east side of the river Jordan. We read that Jacob built a house and booths or shelters for his livestock. It seems that he was concerned about their well-being and stayed for some time in this place named Succoth which means booths or shelters allowing his flocks and herds the time they needed to recuperate before moving into the promised land.
In verse 18 we read that Jacob finally crossed the Jordan and moved on as far as the city of Shechem, this was the city that Abraham had first come to when he had left Haran and traveled to the place God had promised him. We are told that Jacob bought a piece of land from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father. Apparently Hamor built the city that was there and named it after his son Shechem. On this piece of land that Jacob purchased he pitched his tent. I want you to notice what is said in verse 18, it says, “Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.” (Genesis 33:18, NASB95)[3] It is significant that it says that he came safely to the land of Canaan when he came from Paddan-aram. Why is this significant, turn back to Genesis 28 where Jacob had his dream about the ladder and the angels of God as he was leaving the land. When the Lord was speaking to Jacob in that dream He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13–15, NASB95)[4] Then go down a few verses to verse 20 where upon waking Jacob made a vow to God, listen to what he says, “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.’” (Genesis 28:20–22, NASB95)[5] In chapter 33:18 we read that Jacob came safely to the land of Canaan from Paddan-aram. God had kept his promise to bring him back to the land, Jacob had returned to the land of his father’s house in safety. Jacob had not forgotten what God had said, he had not forgotten the vow that he had made and in verse 20 we read that Jacob built an altar, just as Abraham had when he first arrived at this place. Jacob builds an altar so that he might worship the Lord, but the significance of this altar is the name that Jacob gave it, Jacob in building and naming this altar fulfills his vow to the Lord. Jacob called the altar El-Elohe-Israel which means God is the God of Israel. No longer the Lord, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, but now in fulfillment to his vow, the God of Israel.
CONCLUSION:
In this chapter we learn two important truths, the first is the truth of reconciliation and the second is the truth of the faithfulness of God. In Esau and Jacob, we have a picture for us of what reconciliation looks like, reconciliation requires a complete change in our hearts. As we saw in our passage this morning for reconciliation to take place between two people it requires a complete change in both of their hearts. It requires the one in the wrong to humble themselves before the person they have wronged and seek forgiveness and that is hard because it makes us vulnerable, because we do not know how the other person will react, we do not know if there will be a complete change in their heart. They may choose not to be reconciled to us, they may choose not to forgive us, they may choose not to extend God’s grace to us. There is nothing we can do about that, we must trust God with that and allow Him to work in the life of the other person. Our part is to be humble and seek forgiveness and reconciliation, and we must leave the rest to God. If we are on the other end, we must allow God to take our hurt and anger and replace it with a forgiving spirit, we must have a complete change of heart toward the person who wronged us and be willing to be reconciled to them. When we understand reconciliation on a human level it makes it possible for us to understand it a little better on a spiritual level. When we are reconciled to God the only complete change that takes place is in us, the sinner and that complete change is due to the death of Christ on the cross, because Christ died for us God’s justice is satisfied and He is free to exercise His compassion and grace on us, God has not changed, but our condition before God has completely changed, we are no longer sinners with a unpardonable death sentence, instead we are sinners who have had Someone pay our death sentence and now we are free to put our faith in Jesus Christ and His death that paid our sentence and His resurrection that gives us the hope of eternal life. Paul put it this way in our Scripture reading from Romans this morning, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:10–11, NASB95)[6] When we put our faith in Christ we are washed in His blood, we are clothed in His righteousness and we stand before the Father no longer as enemies, but as His dear children with the sure hope that we will live eternally with Him.
The second great truth of this passage is the faithfulness of God, this has been a theme in the life of Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob (Israel). We have seen from their lives that when God makes a promise, He keeps it. This should give us full assurance that God will fulfill all the promises in His Word, we do not have to doubt, we do not have to worry and be anxious about the future, we just have to trust because God is faithful to keep His Word.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[5]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[6]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995