1 ¶ And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
This is the happy occasion of the meeting and perhaps reconciliation of two estranged brothers. A wedge was placed between them because of the deceitfulness of Jacob, and the carnality of Esau. Sin destroys relationships. But God still works in the background. Jacob will be instrumental in the fulfillment of the Lord’s protoevangelum in Gen. 3:15, and therefore will go on to prosperity despite his fears. Esau will never gain God’s favor because of sin, which was his own particular choice (Heb. 12:15-17). But nevertheless God works in a way that “he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Pro. 16:7). Jacob’s fears, rather than debilitate him, propelled him to seek God’s blessings in prayer (Gen. 32:24-32). And certainly God gave him favor with Esau in what could have been a very bad and bloody meeting.
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