Genesis
Foundation Book of the Bible
Jacob and Esau - Round 2
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is to review the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau. Of special note in this lesson is the continued faithfulness of God to His initial promise to Abraham carried on through to Jacob.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Understand how God demonstrates His faithfulness to His initial promise of sending a Messiah and the continued faithfulness to the covenant with Abraham.
- Feel: Develop an appreciation for how God uses existing situations to continue His covenant with His chosen people.
- Do: Use the information gained from Genesis to strengthen our faith.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as "right or wrong" responses.
The intent of this question is to show that God provides us with the necessary resources to meet the opportunities He places before us. It also demonstrates God's faithfulness to His promise.
Jacob has left Laban and is returning to his home as God directed. He does so with misgivings as to what to expect from Esau. He fears that Esau will still be seeking to harm him. God sends two angels to Jacob to demonstrate that he is not alone and that God is with him, as promised.
There are several practical reasons. It was an expression of humility showing he did not need or desire Esau's possession and therefore was not a threat to his brother. Jacob still felt concern for his safety even though God reminded him of His promise of protection. Jacob was taking a practical approach to the reunion. Jacob was demonstrating that his success was from God and used for God's purposes. Jacob was also expressing, in his own way, his gratitude for God's graciousness.
Note: God uses us best when we work from our weaknesses. Paul recognized this and shared several times how God worked through his weaknesses. For example, II Corinthians 11:30, "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." and II Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (ESV)
What is the context of Jacob's wrestling with God?
Jacob sent his servants and flocks ahead to meet Esau. He now is by himself to deal with his fears, doubts and prayers. The idea of being by himself communicates that he is perhaps "wrestling" with himself to come to a resolution to meet Esau. He is also questioning if he is doing the right thing. God appears to him in the form of a man and begins to struggle with Jacob. The struggle lasts through the night symbolizing a long and arduous experience. Jacob recognizes that he's struggling with God. The struggle then becomes an effort at clinging to God until he has assurances that God is with him (vs. 27). God then changes Jacob's name to "Israel" to symbolize his success.
How was Jacob able to see God, "face to face" (vs. 30)?
The expression face to face means he recognized God. It was not a literal seeing God's face. Jacob clung to God until he was sure God would help him. Jacob's comments to God shows that he recognized that it was God he was dealing with, in the form of a man and not the actual form of God. It is similar to what happened with Abraham in Genesis 18.
How do we see God "face to face"?
We face God when we open our hearts to Him and are made aware of and convicted of our shortcomings as God's Spirit works in our lives. We see God in the faithfulness of others. We see God as we recognize that we are growing in spiritual maturity as we turn our lives over to Him and see the Lord working through us.
Jacob finally meets Esau face to face. He separates his family and goes on ahead of them. He goes through an elaborate ritual of bowing before Esau showing total servitude. As a result, Esau runs to greet his brother to accept and forgive him. Esau has made the journey from hyper-jealousy and murderous intent to complete forgiveness.
It is obvious that God has softened the heart of Esau. This was God's way of demonstrating His faithfulness to the promise that He would protect Jacob. Even Esau recognized God's work by expressing how God had blessed him and that he did not need the gifts from Jacob.
We all have fears in our lives. We do and should seek God's protection and blessings with those fears. God promised to be there for us. We don't know how or when but we must develop the faith that He will provide. God not only answers our prayers, He answers them for our good and beyond our expectations.
Years later Paul expresses a level of confidence that we too can feel. He states in Romans 8:31, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (ESV)
We know that we should pray with the expectation that God will provide. This is a life-long lesson made more possible as our prayer lives grow and we see God working in our lives.
God works best when we turn ourselves over to Him in humility and weakness. We must get ourselves out of the way. This too takes a lifetime of learning.