How did Esau greet Jacob?
(Genesis 31-35; Jeremiah 30:5-7) Blog May 29 – Jun. 04, 2022
Prepared by Richard A. Marin: Present Truth PO Box 700, Fallbrook CA 92088-0700 USA
REVIEW: God created a perfect world with perfect creatures but when sin entered through one man, all that changed. Things got so bad that 2000 years later God destroyed the earth by a flood. Wickedness soon rose again, and God called Abraham to be his representative to who he made wonderful promises. God kept these covenant promises alive through Isaac and Jacob who experienced tests and trials like their parents Abraham and Sarah had.
The Journey Home
1. When God told Jacob to take his family and return to Canaan from Padan-aram, what happened? Jacob left while Laban was away shearing sheep but three days later Laban pursued him, catching up on the tenth day (Gen. 31:17-25).
2. How did God protect Jacob from the anger of his father-in-law? God spoke to Laban in a dream, telling him not to try to bribe or harm Jacob (Gen. 31:24, 29).
4. How did Laban and Jacob settle their differences? Laban & Jacob made a covenant with witnesses & vows not to pass the pillar of stones raised there to do harm to the other (Gen. 31:44-55).
5. How did Jacob prepare for his dreaded encounter with Esau? Jacob sent messengers to Esau in Seir, telling him that he was returning with flocks & family & requesting that he be gracious unto him (Gen. 32:3-5).
6. With what message did Jacob’s messengers return? Jacob’s messengers returned telling him that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men, which made Jacob very afraid (Gen. 32:6-7).
7. After splitting up his household what did Jacob do? Jacob reminded God that it was he that told him to return to Canaan & that he had promised to do him good & to multiply his seed. After asking God to deliver him, he sent droves of animals ahead for Esau with servants saying: “Behold, they servant Jacob is behind us.” (Gen. 32:9-21).
8. After moving his wives and children across the Jabbok River what did Jacob experience? Jacob wrestled all night with a “man” who put his thigh out of joint. So, knowing it was God, Jacob asked him for a blessing (Gen. 32:24-26).
9. What blessing did God give Jacob when they wrestled together? God gave Jacob a new name: Israel, which means prince of God & he blessed him. In a similar way God’s people are given a new name in the final time of Jacob’s trouble as the seven last plagues are poured out (Gen. 32:27-29; Isa. 62:1-4; Rev. 3:12).
The brothers Meet
10. When Jacob saw Esau coming toward him, what did he do? Jacob arranged the order of his family & went before them, bowing seven times as he neared his brother (Gen. 33:1-3).
11. How did Esau greet Jacob as they neared each other? Esau ran to meet Jacob, embraced him, fell on his neck, & kissed him & they wept (Gen. 33:4).
12. After meeting all of Jacob’s family what did Esau ask? Esau asked about all the droves of animals that Jacob had sent ahead & Jacob said that they were so he would find grace in Esau’s sight (Gen. 33:8).
13. With what grace had Jacob been treated since leaving Laban? Jacob was graciously forgiven & blessed by God & then Esau also received his deceiver with the grace of forgiveness (Gen. 32:26-30; 33:4).
Back in Canaan
14. What is the meaning of Succoth where Jacob first settled back in Canaan? Succoth means “booths” which Jacob built there & should remind us of the Feast of Booths that God’s people are to celebrate after going through the time of Jacob’s trouble (Gen. 33:17; Deut. 15:13; Jer. 30:6-9).
15. Instead of peace, what did Jacob find when he pitched his tent in Shalem? When Jacob pitched his tent in Shalem facing Shechem, his daughter Dinah went visiting the Canaanite girls in the city & was abducted & raped by Shechem, the prince of that land (Gen. 33:18-34:2).
16. How did Dinah’s brothers react to what happened to their sister. Simeon & Levi hatched a plan giving the Shechemites the privilege of intermarrying with them if their men would all become circumcised. Then on the third day after all their men were circumcised the two brothers entered the city & slew all the men of Shechem (Gen. 34:7-26).
17. When Jacob learned what his sons had done, what did he do. After the slaughter of the Shechemites, Jacob moved to Bethel at the command of God & built an altar there where he had dreamed of the ladder to heaven (Gen 35:1-7).
18. What request did Jacob make of his household before moving to Bethel? Jacob requested all in his household to put away all their strange gods, bathe, & change their clothes, & when they gave him the gods, he buried them (Gen. 35:2-4).
19. After God in Bethel reminded Jacob again of his covenant blessings what happened? As Jacob was moving his household towards Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to Benjamin & then died & was buried (Gen. 35:16-20).
20. What lessons should we learn from the events that happened when Jacob returned to Canaan? We should learn that God protects us when we follow his instructions, that taking an outward covenant sign is no guarantee of being included in the covenant blessings & that we worship God best when we bury our idols first (Gen. 34:24; 35:1, 9-12).