God’s Timeline – Part 39
Jacob Meets
with Esau
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
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SERMON TIMELINE (2021 A.D. = 5781 Jewish Calendar Year)
-
Creation Week (Approximately 4000 - 3900 B.C.)
o Adam, Eve, and the Fall
-
Cain and Abel
o Evil Fills the World
-
Noah Did All God Commanded
Him
o The Flood 2379 – 2279 B.C.)
o God’s Covenant with Noah
o Noah’s Sons and Ham’s Sin
o Nations of Noah’s Sons
- Tower of Babel
-
God calls Abram (2091 B.C.)
o Abram and Lot part ways
o Rescue of Lot
-
The Lord’s Covenant with Abram for Isaac
o Hagar and Ishmael Born (2080 B.C.) Abram 86 years old
o Sarai and Isaac
o The Three Visitors
o Abraham Pleads for Sodom
-
Birth of Isaac (2066 B.C. Abraham 99 years old Sarah 90-Hagar and
Ishmael sent away)
o The Lord tests Abraham (2048 – 2046 B.C. Isaac 18-20 years old)
o Sarah Dies 127 years old (2029 B.C. Abraham is 136)
- Isaac marries Rebekah (2028 B.C. Isaac was 37 when he married Rebekah)
-
Jacob and Esau are born (2006 B.C. Isaac was 60 Abraham 159)
o Abraham dies at 175 (1991 B.C. Isaac was 82)
o Isaac receives the Birthright and his father’s
blessing
o Esau marries two Hittites at 40 (1967 B.C.)
o Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael
o Jacob travels to his grandfather’s family to
find a wife (1930 B.C.)
o Jacob’s Dream at Bethel
o Jacob marries Leah then Rachel
§ Levi is born (1920 B.C.)
§ Joseph is born (1916 B.C.)
o Jacob fled Laban and is pursued (1910 B.C.)
o Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
o Jacob Wrestles with God & Becomes Israel
o Jacob Meets With Esau after 20 Years
INTRODUCTION
The short of what has
taken place is Jacob left to find a wife and run from Esau. He met with God at
Beth-El, where God passed the covenant of Abraham on to Jacob, promised He
would protect him and give him many offspring and bring him back to Beth-El.
Over the next 20 years,
Jacob had many children with Leah, Rachel and their two servants. Wanting to
leave Laban and his land Jacob left in the night. No one knew Rachel stole idols
from her father.
Jacob wrestles with God
and God changes his name from deceiver to Israel.
Now Jacob meets with his brother Esau after 20 years away.
SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 33
“Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four
hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female
servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and
her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on
ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his
arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and
saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously
given your servant.”
6 Then the female servants and their children approached and
bowed down. 7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came
Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds
I met?”
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.
9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep
what you have for yourself.”
10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your
eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of
God, now that you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept the present that
was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And
because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany
you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children
are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their
young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So
let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace
of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to
my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in
the eyes of my lord.”
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17
Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made
shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth. [meaning shelters]
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, [Northwest Mesopotamia] he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver, [LIT “hundred kesitahs” – unknown unit of measuring Hebrew money] he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel. [meaning Mighty is the God of Israel]
I.
ESAU RUNS TO GREET JACOB
a.
Jacob divides his children among their mothers Leah,
Rachel and the two servants
i.
Placing
the servants and their children first, then, then Rachel
ii.
Very
telling, because at this point Jacob still doesn’t know Esau’s intent, Jacob
places his dearest in the back
b.
Jacob then bowed down to the ground seven times as he
approached Esau
i.
Seven,
the number of completeness, perfection, wholeness
ii.
Meaning
here, he bowed not just physically complete, but with true meaning
iii.
This
was not a show, or for trickery, but a whole-hearted and complete submission
iv.
He
knew his brother wanted him dead, his brother had 400 men with him, Jacob
wanted peace and forgiveness
c.
But Esau ran to him, hugged, and kissed him and they
wept
i.
After
20 years Esau’s hate and anger had subsided, and he was happy to see his twin
brother once more
II.
THE FLOCKS AND THE HERDS
a.
Esau asked the meaning of the flocks and herds he met
on the way to meet Jacob
i.
Jacob
explains they were offerings of peace
b.
Esau refuses to take anything from Jacob
i.
After
20 years it was obvious Esau had become a great and powerful Chieftain
ii.
He
refuses to take anything from Jacob, telling him he has everything he needs
iii.
It
is obvious that Esau showing up with 400 men is a sign of his power and wealth
iv.
Jacob
continues to insist, and Esau finally accepts the gifts of the flocks and herds
v.
This
puts Jacob at ease that all is forgiven between him and his brother
c.
Let us be on our way then
i.
Esau
suggests they all ride together back to Seir
ii.
However,
Jacob uses the excuse (deceives Esau) the children and flocks and herds
couldn’t travel that fast
iii.
Jacob
tells Esau he will meet up with him later in Seir
iv.
Jacob
never goes to Seir…quickly forgetting he is no longer Jacob (the deceiver) but
Israel
III.
JACOB WALKS AWAY FROM THE WILL OF GOD
a.
Jacob goes to Sukkoth and builds a house
i.
Esau
suggests they travel together back to Seir, but Jacob asks to come later
ii.
Jacob
makes up the excuse the cattle and children cannot travel fast
iii.
However,
instead of following Esau, Jacob goes to Sukkoth and builds a house
iv.
Jacob
and Leah’s daughter Dinah is about 7 currently
b.
Jacob moves again
i.
Several
years after living in Sukkoth, Jacob moves and settles in Shechem
ii.
Jacob
has forgotten that God said He was the God of Beth-El, and that is where Jacob
should be
iii.
The
fact he purchased land shows Jacob planned on living here, he was not just passing
through. This was not God’s Will for Jacob!
iv.
This
being the place Abraham built an altar to God, Jacob does the same
c.
Jacob builds an Alter
i.
Because
Jacob has a new name, Israel, given him by God in Genesis 32:28, he calls the
place El-elohe-Israel, meaning Mighty is the God of Israel
ii.
Jacob
is recalling his vow he made to God in Beth-El
iii.
Jacob
is miles away from Beth-El
iv. Dinah is now approximately 15
CONCLUSION –
God promised Jacob protection,
offspring, and the land on which he lay.
Genesis 28:15 “I
am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you
back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have
promised you.”
God made His Will evident
to Jacob. It was here, in Beth-El, where Jacob was to return.
Genesis 28:16-17 “When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is
in this place, and I was not aware of
it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God;
this is the gate of heaven.”
God did not say He would
bring Jacob back to Seir, Sukkoth, Paddan Aram or Shechem.
He said Beth-El.
Jacob, after deceiving
his brother Esau once more, chose his own path, first to Sukkoth, then seven
years later to Shechem.
Seven representing
completeness, wholeness, Jacob is completely out of God’s Will at this point.
Yet, he does not see this,
and builds an Altar to God where “he” wanted to as opposed to the land God said
he was to return to.
When we live outside of
God’s Will we put us in a bad place.
Next week we will read about Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah
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