Jacob and Esau Reunite

Jacob and Esau Reunite
Genesis 32:3-23, Genesis 33

In another story (Jacob is named Israel), we learned how Jacob took his family and left Laban, to go back to the land where his relatives were. We learned that Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to Esau, to tell him that Jacob had livestock and servants and wished to find grace in the sight of Esau.. that means that Jacob wanted Esau to welcome him and not seek revenge for the fact that Jacob had earlier stolen his birthright and his blessing from Isaac, and that was the reason that Jacob had left home. (see Jacob and Esau story)

And so the messengers returned and told Jacob that Esau was coming with 400 men. and Jacob was very frightened and troubled, and he divided the people that were with him, and all the livestock into two groups and said that if Esau came to destroy one group of people, the other would be able to escape. And then Jacob prayed and asked God "O God...I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which you have shown me, for now I have become two groups.. deliver me, I pray, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him in case he should come and kill me, and the mother with the children.."

And Jacob stayed that same night and gathered together a present of livestock for Esau. Then he asked his servants to put the livestock out at the front and tell Esau that they were a present from Jacob.. and that Jacob was behind them, because Jacob thought that the present would make Esau accept Jacob.

And that night Jacob sent his wives and children across the brook Jabbok and was left alone (see the story Jacob Wrestles and is named Israel)..

The next morning Jacob saw Esau coming, and he divided Leah and her children, and Rachel and her children, and the two womenservants and their children. and in front he put the womenservants and their children, and then Leah and her children, and finally Rachel and her child, Joseph. And Jacob went before them and bowed himself to the ground as he came near his brother Esau.

And Esau ran to meet him! and hugged him! and kissed him! and they cried!

And Esau looked and saw the women and the children and said "Who are these with you?" and Jacob replied "Those are the children which God has graciously given your servant (Jacob).. then the handmaids, and Leah and Rachel and all the children, and they bowed themselves before Esau..

then Esau told Jacob to keep the present of livestock because he had enough of his own. Esau wanted Jacob to follow him back to their own country, but Jacob made an excuse that his children were too young, and that there were young animals with the herds, and that Esau should go on before. So Esau returned to his country, but Jacob went to another place called Succoth and there he built a house and places for his cattle, and then he went to Shechem in the land of Canaan, and pitched his tent before the city. and he bought a piece of land for 100 pieces of money and built an altar and called it Elehohe-Israel. (God the God of Israel)

___________________

Memory Verse: Genesis 32:10-11 ""O God......I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which you have shown me, for now I have become two groups.. deliver me, I pray, from the hand of Esau for I fear him......"

Questions:
1 Why did Jacob sent his servants with livestock ahead to Esau?
2 Why did Jacob divide the people into two groups?
3 What was the order that Jacob put his wives, womenservants and children in?
4 What did Esau do when he first saw Jacob?
5 What did Jacob tell Esau when Esau wanted Jacob to follow him back to their country?

Answers:
1 Jacob wanted Esau to welcome him and not be angry with him for taking his birthright and his blessing
2 So that if Esau killed one group, the other could escape
3 first the womenservants and their children, then Leah and her children, then Rachel and Joseph.
4 Esau ran to meet Jacob, and hugged and kissed him.
5 Jacob made the excuse that there were young children and young animals and he would follow behind, but then he went to another country.

Vicki C. Gross/October'04