JACOB: A HAPPY REUNION - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

a story about Jacob and Esau

by Linda Sue Pochodzay Edwards

Zach and Zeke were excitedly looking forward to the family
reunion. They loaded the last suitcase into the back of the
car, slammed the trunk closed, climbed into the backseat,
and carefully buckled their seatbelts.

At the reunion, there would be aunts, uncles, and cousins
they hadn't seen in several years, and also some relatives
they had never even met. As they were discussing the
reunion and who they might see there, they remembered an
unpleasant incident.

"I surely hope Mitch doesn't come," Zach said.

"Yeah!" Zeke agreed heartily. "He's the one that got
everybody calling us the Z-Zs."

"Yeah, I remember," Zach replied. "And as if that wasn't
bad enough, he called us the snoozies, and before the
weekend was over, he named us Zip and Zit. I really, really
hope he doesn't come!"

Much to the boys' dismay, when they finally got to the
reunion and got out of the car, the first person to meet
them was none other than their cousin Mitch.

"Ugh, he's here!" Zeke whispered to Zach with a frown on
his face.

Upon seeing their angry faces, Mitch became repentant. "Hi,
guys," he said quietly. "I hope you will forgive me for
calling you names the last time we were together. I didn't
understand how hurtful it could be, but now I do."

Mitch went on to explain how badly he felt when some of his
classmates started calling him names like Mitch the Itch
and Mitch the Snitch.

Zach and Zeke laughed for a moment, then saw the pain on
Mitch's face. "We're sorry for laughing," they apologized.
"Let's all forgive one another and play ball!"

* * *

As Jacob and his family were traveling on their way to
Canaan, he met some angels from Yahweh . Now, if you
remember the first time Jacob saw angels, you know that he
was very afraid. He even thought he had died and gone to
heaven. However, this time when he recognized the angels,
he wasn't afraid at all. He simply gave a name to the place
where he met them and then continued on his journey.

Nearing Canaan, Jacob called a few of his servants to his
side. "Jeb, Aram. Go ahead of me into Canaan and tell my
brother Esau that I am coming. Tell him I have been working
with Uncle Laban the past twenty years and I have many
herds, flocks, and servants. Tell him I wish to come in
peace," Jacob instructed. "Then come back and tell me if he
is glad I am coming or if he is mad."

The servants ran on ahead as they were told, and it wasn't
long until they came back to Jacob with a report. "Esau is
coming to meet you!" they exclaimed. "He has 400 men with
him."

Hearing those words made Jacob greatly afraid. The servants
didn't say whether Esau was coming in peace or if Esau
still hated him and brought those 400 men to make war and
kill him. Jacob decided it was in his best interest to
prepare for the worst.

He instructed his servants to divide all the flocks, herds,
and camels into two groups. One group would go ahead of
Jacob and his family, and the other group would follow
behind. He reasoned that if Esau was angry and was coming
to make war, the first group might all be killed but he and
his family and the second group would have enough warning
that they could turn around and escape.

* * *

After dividing all his animals into two groups, Jacob found
himself a place to pray.

"O Yahweh of my grandfather Abraham and of my father Isaac,
you told me to return to Canaan. You promised that all
would be well. Please protect me from Esau. I am fearful
that he will kill all of my family. You said you would do
good to me and bless my family. Please keep your promise."

After Jacob prayed and begged Yahweh to protect his family and
himself, he decided to camp overnight in that spot. He was
growing quite restless and had a hard time sleeping. While
he was tossing and turning, he decided it might be a good
idea to send a gift to Esau. He was thinking that perhaps a
nice big present would make Esau happy and help him to
forget the awful things Jacob had done to him in the past.

Since he couldn't sleep anyway, he got up and gathered 220
goats, 220 sheep, 60 camels, 50 cattle, and 30 donkeys. He
put a servant in charge of each group of animals and sent
them ahead of him, putting a large space between each
group. He instructed each servant that when he met Esau, he
was to present the animals as a gift, and tell him there
were more coming and that his brother Jacob was following
behind. The servants obediently followed Jacob's orders.

After he had divided the animals, he still couldn't sleep.
He got up again and woke up his wives and his children. He
sent them across the Jabbok Brook, and he stayed behind.

Just when Jacob decided he had done all he could do and was
hoping to finally get some much needed rest, a man came out
of nowhere and started wrestling with him. They wrestled
all night long!

Just as the sun was peeking out over the distant hills, the
man grabbed Jacob's thigh, dislocating it and causing him a
great amount of pain. The man asked Jacob to let him go,
but Jacob didn't.

Jacob turned to the man and said, "I'm not giving up that
easily! I won't let you go until you bless me!" He kept
wrestling, even though he was badly hurt.

The man asked, "What is your name?"

Of course, Jacob replied: "My name is Jacob."

The man said, "Oh no. You will no longer be called Jacob,
which means deceiver. Your new name will be Israel, which
means prince. From now on, you will have power with Yahweh and
power with men."

Jacob asked, "Who are you?"

The man replied, "You don't need to ask who I am," and he
pronounced a blessing over Jacob.

Jacob didn't need to ask who the man was. He already knew
that the man he had been wrestling with was not a man at
all; rather, he was an angel of God, or maybe even God
himself. Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning, I have seen
Yahweh face to face and lived to tell about it.

The sun was high up in the sky when the angel left Jacob.
Even though Jacob hadn't had any sleep, was in a great deal
of pain, and even walked with limp, it didn't seem to
matter. He had a lot more courage because he knew that God
was truly with him.

* * *

Jacob looked into the distance and could see Esau coming
toward him with his 400 men. He divided his children into
four groups with their mothers, and then he ran in front of
them to meet Esau, bowing seven times as he made his
approach.

Esau was also running to meet Jacob, and gave him a big
bear hug, and kissed him, and they both wept tears of joy
at seeing one another after so many long years.

Esau looked over Jacob's shoulder, saw the women and
children, and asked, "Who do you have with you?"

"These are my wives and the children which Yahweh has
graciously given me," Jacob replied.

First Bilhah and Zilpah and their children bowed to Esau.
Then Leah and her children stepped up to the front and
bowed. Lastly, Rachel and her son Joseph bowed before Esau.

"What was the meaning of all the droves of cattle, sheep,
goats, and other animals that I met on the way?" Esau asked
Jacob.

"I sent all of them ahead as a present for you, hoping that
you would accept the gift and not be angry with me," Jacob
replied repentantly.

Esau was much more good natured about the meeting than
Jacob had expected. "I have plenty of animals of my own,"
he explained. "You keep them for yourself. I don't really
need them."

Jacob wouldn't hear of it. "No, no," he replied. "Yahweh
has richly blessed me, and I want you to be blessed. Seeing
your face and knowing that you are not angry with me, is
all that matters to me. Please accept the gift I have
offered you."

Esau finally agreed to accept the gift and offered to go
the rest of the way home with Jacob. Jacob turned down his
kind offer, knowing that Esau needed to hurry along and
would move fast. He was worried that the children and the
young animals wouldn't be able to keep up the pace.

Upon hearing that explanation, Esau then offered to have
some of his servants go with Jacob and help take care of
the animals. Esau went ahead of Jacob to his home in Seir,
and Jacob agreed to meet him there as he passed through on
his way to his old home.

Both brothers were excited about the happy reunion. Jacob
was especially grateful that Esau had so graciously
forgiven him of all the past wrongs he had done.

* * *

THINK!

Where was Jacob going?
Why was Jacob afraid of his brother Esau?
Why did Jacob send a gift to Esau?
What did Jacob do after he divided the animals into groups?
Who wrestled with Jacob?
What was Jacob's new name?
Was Esau angry or happy to see Jacob?

REMEMBER:
Yahweh can help us restore broken relationships.

A VERSE TO LEARN
"And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God
and with men, and hast prevailed" (Genesis 32:28).

LET'S PRAY

****************************************************
Dear Yahweh, thank You for Your wonderful gift
of forgiveness. Help us to be gracious and
forgiving to other people just as You are to
us. In Yah'shua's Name, amen.
****************************************************

CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Genesis 32:1 - 33:20

DID YOU KNOW?
You can view this Bible story in full color with pictures and
resources to go along with the story at
http://www.childrenschapel.org/biblestories/jacob7.html

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