This chapter begins as Jacob saw Esau coming with his four hundred men. Jacob was obviously afraid even though he had the power of God, so he divided his children with their mothers – the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next and Rachel and her son Joseph last (v1,2). The order is interesting and showed who he considered more important and who his favourites were. It seemed that he was putting them in the firing line but that wasn’t the case. He went before them and bowed seven times until he reached his brother (v3). Perhaps once upon a time he would have been a coward but now he’s sent gifts, bowed down to Esau, he may be a changed man?
In verses 4-7 we read that Esau ran to meet Jacob. This scared him as he thought Esau was coming to kill him as he had previously threatened to do, but no, he embraced him and kissed him, and they wept. They both seemed to be changed men. Esau saw the women and children and asked who they were. Jacob answered, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” He gave glory to God for his family whereas before he usually thought of nothing but himself. Jacob’s family also came near bowed down out of respect to Esau. They didn’t refer to the past, it seemed to be forgotten.
Esau asked about the gifts which Jacob had sent. He was nonplussed by it and said that he didn’t need them as he had been blessed too (v8-11). “I have enough, my brother, keep what you have for yourself.” But Jacob urged him, and he took it. Esau was more interested in temporal things than spiritual. One commentator has said that when Jacob gave such generous gifts, it was his way of saying to Esau that he was sorry, and when Esau accepted the gifts, it was his way of accepting Jacob and saying he was forgiven.
It appeared that Esau wanted Jacob to go with him back to Edom, but Jacob had no wish to go with Esau (v12-17). He made a lame excuse that his children were weak and tired, and the flocks had little ones and couldn’t be driven hard otherwise they would die. It was true that Jacob had travelled far but their destinations were different. However, the Jacob of old reappeared and couldn’t be truthful with Esau. He said they would come on behind slowly but in fact after letting Esau go on ahead, he turned back and went in the other direction. Jacob went to Succoth and built a house and made booths for the livestock there. God had not told them to settle down there, but he did they were travellers living in tents not houses.
Jacob, however, did eventually move on to Shechem in Canaan and pitched his tent there (v18-20). At least he was in Canaan but not in the place God told him to go to which was Bethel (31:13). He bought a parcel of land and erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel. The bible says that ‘obedience is better than sacrifice’ and Jacob was not being obedient.
