Genesis 33:1 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female slaves. 2 He put the female slaves and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times until he approached his brother.
So Jacob redivided his family when he saw Esau. I wonder if he was thinking if Esau attacks, the slaves and their children will be attacked first so his wives and other children could escape. Rachel, his beloved, and her son being last, giving them the greatest chance to get away if they were to be attacked.
Genesis 33:4 But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?”
He answered, “The children God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the female slaves and their children approached him and bowed down. 7 Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
8 So Esau said, “What do you mean by this whole procession I met?”
“To find favor with you, my lord,” he answered.
9 “I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what you have.”
10 But Jacob said, “No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me. 11 Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need.” So Jacob urged him until he accepted.
Esau did not want to take the gifts from his brother. He told Jacob to keep them. Jacob insisted and Esau finally agreed. In giving his gift, Jacob acknowledged that God was the one who blessed him with his possessions, and he gave to Esau abundantly from what was given to him by God.
1 Chronicles 29:14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand.
Here, David also acknowledges that all we have is from God. The people were able to give abundantly to the Lord because the Lord first gave abundantly to them. Why should we hoard what was given to us by the Lord? Should we keep it to ourselves? No! God gives to us so we can give to others.
Matthew 25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Here Jesus is saying that when you give out of your abundance that He has given to you, whether it be to cloth, feed, or help in any way, then you did that deed for Him. So, God gives to us what we have. We are to use what we have to do good works for Him by caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those who are no in Christ who need our help.
Genesis 33:12 Then Esau said, “Let’s move on, and I’ll go ahead of you.”
13 Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and I have nursing sheep and cattle. If they are driven hard for one day, the whole herd will die. 14 Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a pace suited to the livestock and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.”
But he replied, “Why do that? Please indulge me, my lord.”
Esau wanted Jacob and his family to come with him back to his home. Jacob asked to rest and he would come later. I do not think he ever went to where Esau lived. He went a different direction.
16 That day Esau started on his way back to Seir, 17 but Jacob went on to Succoth. He built a house for himself and stalls for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.
18 After Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at Shechem in the land of Canaan and camped in front of the city. 19 He purchased a section of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for 100 qesitahs. 20 And he set up an altar there and called it “God, the God of Israel.”
Jacob found a place to settle within the land promised to him and his father, Abraham, by God.
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