Genesis 33:1-20 NKJV 33 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?”
So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.
8 Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”
And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”
9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”
10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14 Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.”
But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.
Of this section Luther writes: “As an example for our faith and to strengthen it, Moses describes how God hears the groaning of a weak and struggling faith. These groans are, indeed, ineffable but not without great fruit. Thus, Jacob belongs to the number of those of whom Christ says (Mark 9:23): ‘All things are possible to him who believes.’ For by faith he has come forth as the conqueror of God and men so that neither God nor man wishes to harm him or is able to do so. God has blessed him, but his brother Esau has experienced such a change that he not only does not want to harm him but even wants to help, love, and be good to him. His anger has been changed into brotherly kindness.”
“This is surely the hand of the Highest, by which an angry man is prevented from doing what he had purposed, for God has the hearts of all men in His hand, so that they cannot go beyond a fixed limit. It is just as is stated in Job 38:11 concerning the limits imposed by God on the sea: ‘Thus far shall you come and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed.’ To those who look at the sea when it is tossed by billows and storms, it seems to be threatening the shore as though about to burst through the borders by which it is enclosed and to overflow in all directions. But the pressure of the waters and billows is checked and kept within limits. So also the hearts of men rage in horrible fashion when inflamed by anger, but God has set up limits to fury and anger which it is not permissible to cross. The same is evident in this example of Esau, and everywhere in the stories of the heathen many other examples are extant which testify that human power and wisdom can never advance beyond the limit prescribed by God” (LW AE6).
What a great comfort it is to know and believe that God is in complete control over all things, and He allows events to unfold always for our good and that we may trust in Him all the more.
Let us pray: Thank You, God, for your love, mercy, and protection; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.