Antioch Ministries

Jacob is in a tight spot. For the last twenty years his past has threatened him like an August thunder storm rumbling on the horizon. He’s been making it pretty good working for Laban in Paddan-Aram, even though the guy is a cheat. Funny how every time Laban tried to cheat him, Laban ended up on the short end of the stick. What was all that about? And now, this voice speaks to him and says, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:3) This was good because the old cheater, Laban and his sons were beginning to turn against Jacob and were eyeing his money. But it was bad because the “relatives” Jacob was to return to meant he had to see Esau

Esau was not the sharpest horse trader on the block, but he was swift of foot and carried a mean spear -- a physical, dangerous man. Jacob had been terrified of his brother since he had cheated him out of the elder son’s blessing. But when he left home twenty years earlier, his father, Isaac, had blessed him again:

“And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you; that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.” (Genesis 28:3, 4)

Jacob felt he was running away, but Isaac blessed him with a future ownership of the very lands he was running to. Even when he was living down to his name – “Jacob” means “deceiver” – people and apparently God were pouring out blessing over him. His mother had taught him to deceive and manipulate, but even that didn’t seem to affect his father’s intent to bless him. But apparently going from having the blessing to walking in the blessing is an arduous journey for most people and was especially so for Jacob.

“Esau . . . is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him” (Genesis 32:6) was still ringing in Jacob’s ear when he decided to split his group into two companies. He was “greatly afraid and distressed” (32:7) and figured that if Esau came and attacked one company that the other would escape. Four hundred men for that day and time is a large body of soldiers and would be a huge threat to Jacob. I can hear Jacob now: “Why is he bringing so many men? It’s to solve the ‘Jacob Problem.’ We’re all dead, but perhaps I can minimize the damage.” And so he divides his family and herds and servants into two groups, and unwittingly fulfills his father’s blessing -- “ . . . that you may become a company of peoples”. So, even when Jacob is running on fear he ends up running into the blessing of God. The intention and will of God to bless him is seemingly overwhelming, but more on that later.

Jacob also arranged for each company to carry a large amount of gifts for Esau and coached them in what to say to appease Esau. So, the gifts were a bribe, another form of manipulation and manifestation of the “deceiver” element in Jacob’s soul. At this point Jacob is like a man who thinks he’s drowning in three feet of water.