Genesis 33:1

Genesis 33:1 says, 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.  Jacob saw Esau coming with four hundred men, so he separated his children with their mothers.  Verse two adds, And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.  Jacob was still playing favorites.  He still favored Leah and her children over the handmaidens and their children, but he favored Rachel and her son most.  Jacob put them where he felt they would be the safest or most protected.  When we encounter possible danger in the world today, we as followers of Christ, must stand united and we can never play favorites.  Since God does not divide His children, those who accept Christ as Savior and Lord, into categories and love some more than others, neither should we.  Verse three continues, And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.  At least Jacob did not try to hide behind his wives and children.  He went out humbly to meet Esau, bowing seven times along the way.  Though by the blessing of Isaac Jacob was in power over Esau, he did not meet him that way.  Even though we as followers of Christ are in a morally superior position to the lost of the world, we cannot ever attempt to lord it over them.  We are still simply sinners saved by grace.  Verse four declares, And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.  This was not the greeting that Jacob had envisioned.  Esau met him as a long separated brother and not as an enemy.  Sometimes, we fear and prepare for the worst when it never happens.  Jacob still had not fully trusted God to keep him safe.  We must never allow fear to keep us from acting in faith.  Verse five declares, And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.  Esau saw the women and children and asked Jacob who they were.  Jacob said that they were the children that God had generously blessed him with.  He did not say who the women were, because I still don't believe that he could have said that God blessed him with more than one wife.  God may bless us when we do something outside His will, but we can never claim that it was His will that we did things our way.  Verse six states, Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.  Then verse seven adds, And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.  Jacob's family came to Esau as Jacob had divided them and bowed to him.  They may not have known everything that had happened between Esau and Jacob, but they did know that Jacob felt threatened by Esau.  We may not always know everything that has happened in the lives of those that we are closest to, but we must stand with them by faith if we feel that they are in danger.  Verse eight says, And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.  Esau asked Jacob the meaning of the flocks that Jacob had sent to him.  Jacob said they were a gift to Esau so that Esau would show grace to him.  We should never attempt to bribe others if we have done wrong by them, but should simply ask for their forgiveness.  We certainly should never attempt to bribe God, but must simply always rely on His grace.  Verse nine proclaims, And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.  Esau didn't want the gifts that Jacob had sent to him.  Whether it was the time that had passed or his own success, Esau was no longer angry with Jacob.  We should never let fear determine how we approach others, since very often these fears are unfounded, and as followers of Christ we certainly cannot allow something that happened years ago to determine our relationship with someone else today.  This is especially true if we were the ones in the wrong.  Verse ten states, And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.  Then verse eleven adds, Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.  Instead of attempting to cheat Esau, Jacob insisted that Esau take the gifts.  Jacob said that God had richly blessed him and that he had enough.  We need to acknowledge that God has richly blessed us with salvation through our faith in Christ, and this should be enough.  Any earthly blessings that God gives us we should be willing to share with others, but above all else we must be willing to share the gospel.  We cannot force anyone to accept the gospel, but we need to humbly present it to them.