Genesis 32:1-23 Jacob Fears Esau

Now that Jacob had escaped from Laban and his trickery, Jacob faces another problem. He fears his brother Esau whom he might encounter on his journey to the land of Canaan.

Messengers told Jacob that Esau was coming to meet him. Fearing the worst, Jacob separated the company of people and planned for an attack.

Then Jacob did a most important thing. He prayed:

“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who did say to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,’ I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant, for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, the mother with the children. For You did say, ‘I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude” (32:9-12).

Then Jacob selects hundreds of animals and commands his servants to give them to Esau when they met him. In the meantime, Jacob stays behind as the two companies of people cross the river and proceed toward Esau.

As Jacob faces this situation, he did what we should all do. He prays. Notice that he refers to the Abrahamic Covenant. He trusts that the God who made promises to Abraham will continue fulfill them just as he promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Second, if Jacob had not tricked his brother Esau many years earlier, this situation would not have arisen. Jacob would have had no reason to fear meeting his brother.

This account illustrates the importance of maintaining good relationships. The Golden Rule states that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. The writer of the book of Hebrews says, “Follow peace with all men” (12:14). “Live in peace with one another” (1 Thess 5:13).

These commands are no less important today. If we find ourselves constantly bickering and fighting, we will most likely bring problems in our lives that could have otherwise been avoided. When we pursue peace in our relationships the fruit of the Spirit is manifest in us, “Love, joy, and peace” (Gal 5:22) and we glorify the Lord as we interact with other people.