seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 32:1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”
17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”
19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.
Here's the link to the commentary I read to go with these verses.He also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him: When the messengers returned, Jacob heard news that gave him great concern — Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men. Because Jacob could not bring himself to think the best of Esau (for understandable reasons), he was convinced the 400 men were an army intending to destroy him and his family.
Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: When Laban confronted Jacob with a hostile militia, Jacob boldly stood up to him and spoke his mind (Genesis 31:36-42); yet Jacob was afraid to meet Esau. This was because Jacob knew he was in the right with Laban, but he knew he was in the wrong with Esau.
Then Jacob said: After first reacting in fear and unbelief, Jacob did the right thing. He went to the LORD and prayed a good prayer, humble, full of faith, full of thanksgiving and God’s Word.
Took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: Jacob sent such an impressive gift, because he wanted to make it completely clear to Esau that he did not need or want anything from him. It also was probably an attempt to buy his brother’s good favor.
Greetings....Well, Jacob is heading home.
Remember, though, Jacob left home in a hurry. He tricked his brother Esau and his father Isaac. He stole Esau's blessing as well as his birthright. Esau found out about it and plotted to murder him. His mom, Rebekah, told Jacob about the plot and Jacob took off in fear of losing his life. That was twenty years ago.
I see that Jacob didn't trust that Esau would "just get over it". Even after all these years, if Jacob were told that Esau was around the next corner... Jacob would have stopped in his tracks and get ready to defend his life.
There was no social media, or evening news back in those days. Messengers were sent instead of mail, telephone, or telegraph. Jacob couldn't check the daily news or call an old friend in the area. Jacob had no idea what to expect after twenty years. If Esau was still murderously angry, Jacob would have to respond.
Can you imagine the fear that ran up and down Jacob's spine when he heard Esau was on his way with 400 men?!?
Did Jacob even have one sword or dagger?
Check this out....
Genesis 32:11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.
When I was a child, growing up in the church, there was no need to think about the women and children who would be sacrificed in war. We were at peace. Korea was over... Vietnam had not started... Kennedy had not been assassinated... Hamas was not hiding in tunnels under the homes where women and children would be a shield.Jacob was afraid of Esau and I think verse 11 may be putting the women and children in front as a shield. First the gifts... and if that didn't work... then the shield. On the other hand, why would Jacob discuss a shield in a pleading prayer to God? Nope... it was just clever... as if to say "God remember the women and babies". Come to think of it... yep... that was a shield. "If you're angry with me Lord, do it for the kids"???
With the approach well planned, Jacob did something I haven't seen him do before.
Jacob prayed.
