1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight (Genesis 32:1-5).
As you may recall, Jacob fled to Laban to both escape from Esau and find a wife. He is now returning to Esau’s territory. Jacob was hoping that by telling Esau that Jacob was wealthy, Jacob would be able to either exchange some of that wealth to placate his brother or have his brother realize how powerful Jacob was and simply stay clear. This was a tactical move on Jacob’s part; he was basically trying to hedge his bet. Also interesting in this passage is the fact that angels met Jacob. Jacob would have likely taken this as sign to approach Esau. Jacob was beginning to realize, albeit it slowly, that living by faith was the only way to live.
As you may recall, Jacob fled to Laban to both escape from Esau and find a wife. He is now returning to Esau’s territory. Jacob was hoping that by telling Esau that Jacob was wealthy, Jacob would be able to either exchange some of that wealth to placate his brother or have his brother realize how powerful Jacob was and simply stay clear. This was a tactical move on Jacob’s part; he was basically trying to hedge his bet. Also interesting in this passage is the fact that angels met Jacob. Jacob would have likely taken this as sign to approach Esau. Jacob was beginning to realize, albeit it slowly, that living by faith was the only way to live.
RSS Feed
