ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 12 - Genesis 33-35 (When Fear Turns to Rejoicing)
“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. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” (Genesis 33:1-4)
Back in chapter 32 before Jacob’s wrestling match with God, Jacob sends out messengers to his brother Esau to inform him of his coming. The messengers return with terrifying news that Esau is coming with four hundred men with him. Jacob naturally fears for his life and for the lives of his household. Jacob was afraid that Esau would exact revenge for the two times that he deceived him; first by stealing Esau’s birthright and then stealing his blessing from Isaac. He pleads with God in prayer reminding Him of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and to himself that He would make his descendants as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered (Genesis 32:12).
God’s meeting with Jacob as the Man who wrestled him all night and the subsequent blessing Jacob received from God was the immediate answer to Jacob’s prayer. Yet, Jacob would not know of his actual deliverance from Esau until their meeting. This was apparent from the way Jacob attempted to appease Esau with the gifts that he sent on ahead by his servant as well as by keeping his two most beloved people, Rachel and Joseph at the very rear of his caravan.
We will never know if Esau had actually intended to harm Jacob or not since the Bible is silent about it but I tend to lean on the likelihood that he did and that God spoke to his heart and changed his mind as a result of Jacob’s prayer. This episode in the life of Jacob can teach us a very valuable lesson in prayer; that is, God loves His children and is always attentive to our needs, especially our cries for deliverance from whatever it is we fear.
Do you fear a worst case scenario concerning a medical test? Or do you fear that you may lose your job or that your child could end up in big trouble? Could it be that your fear is that your marriage will collapse and end in divorce or that you will not have enough money to sustain you in your retirement or even that no one would care for you in your old age? Whatever your fears may be, bring it before God in prayer just as Jacob did and then just as Jacob also prepared for the worst, make your plans as well and believe that God will use it for your deliverance.
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