The Seed Of Esau—Would you have forgiven Jacob?

In previous studies on the Spirit of Esau, we’ve looked at The Spirit of Esau, Why did God hate Esau?, The Spirit of Esau and Legacy, and The Spirit Of Esau And Recklessness. We continue now with the Seed of Esau.

Text: Genesis 33:1-18

This is one of the most dramatic chapters in the Bible. It is also one of the most challenging to me.

Jacob had gotten Esau’s birthright and blessings by Esau’s recklessness and the connivance of Rebekah with Jacob. Jacob was so scared of meeting Esau after about 20 years. They should be in their sixties by now because Esau was more than forty years old when his blessing was stolen. Jacob laboured for fourteen years for his two wives. He also later laboured for his flocks.

From the passage above, Jacob had used all strategies in his arsenal to ensure that Esau was pacified and that he would not lose all his wealth and household at once. He sent a lot of gifts ahead to pacify Esau. Most importantly, he prayed to God for divine intervention. The sight of Esau coming with four hundred men was very intimidating and unsettling.

Note the following:

1. Jacob bowed down seven times as he approached his brother.

There are some things that cannot be taken from you. An elder brother is an elder brother no matter his foolishness and mistakes.

2. Life must have also taught Jacob a tough lesson.

Despite the birthright he took and the deception to steal Esau’s blessing, he still had to suffer a great deal. Human efforts and deceptive practices to help God actualize His promises in our lives only create more complications and problems for us. Jacob should have allowed God to fulfill His promise His own way. After all, Jacob was in the womb when God chose him over Esau.

That was the same approach Abraham and Sarah used, and Ishmael was born with all the problems then, and even now.

3. It was Esau that ran to meet Jacob

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. Genesis 33:4

He ran to meet Jacob, embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. I can imagine the built-up emotions of about 20 years bursting the emotional dam in tears. I imagine how close to a thousand people would stand, watching the greatest reconciliation and forgiveness they had ever seen. This is the seed of Esau. All I had written previously in this series of studies were the thorns. There was this great seed in Esau despite the thorns around him. God respected this very act because, later, Jehovah instructed Israel that He would not give them a foot of Edomite territory in their exodus from Egypt.

Can you forgive Jacob if you were Esau?

God is a great healer, but time is also a great healer.

“I already have plenty, my brother, keep what you have to yourself.“ Genesis 33:9

Even though Jacob stole Esau’s birthright and blessing, there was no significant difference between them. The choice of God was spiritual, not necessarily material. It should also be noticed that as important as the blessings of your father and general overseer are, there are key principles about life that determine the outcome of life.

Esau pleaded for only one blessing left from the father. I don’t know if what Jacob said in Genesis 27:36-40 was a blessing, a curse, or a prophetic utterance. Esau made the best of the little bit (the deposit of God) left in his life. He nurtured the seed in his thorn seed.

Imagine him coming with four hundred men; this does not include their wives and children. Esau must have had close to 1,000 persons in his household. How was he feeding them?

He told Jacob that he was rich and had plenty.

If a man, “hated” by God and who sold his birthright, can say, “I have plenty” there is no tangible reason why you should be blaming anyone, enemies, ancestral curses, altars, and old women for the reasons why you have not done well.

In the next post, we’ll look at Esau Stopped Being a Hunter.

God Bless You.