Esau

At His Feet

When Jacob finally begins the journey home with his household (which included all his servants, animals, and belongings) he is concerned that his previous actions toward his brother Esau will come home to roost.

He assumes that his father Isaac has likely passed at this point, and with Jacob nowhere to be found, Esau would have inherited everything. Enough to destroy his scheming homecoming brother.

Jacob devises a plan to try and save as many members of his household as possible should Esau and his 400 men have vengeance on their minds. But then he prays to God to save him. To keep him. To protect him.

It is unclear from the text whether Esau’s intentions changed between when he left and when he arrived, or whether Jacob’s newfound faith let him see how badly he treated Esau and so expected a strong retribution.

Either way, when Esau finally arrived, he greeted his brother with a smile and a warm embrace. Jacob’s fear were allayed. God had protected him just as He promised He would… just as Jacob had prayed.

When we have things before us that make us nervous, don’t just make a plan and do it under your own power. Invite God into every step. Let Him form your plans and let Him guide your work. His desire is to take care of his children.

Lay every plan at His feet and ask Him how He would like you to proceed. You won’t be disappointed with the outcome.

Genesis 32-35 | 012/365

Your Lack of Planning Isn’t My Problem

Esau goes out hunting and come home famished. He asks his brother for some stew and Jacob – as brothers do – needed something in return.

Jacob asked for Esau’s birthright and Esau, evidently a drama queen, says he’s going to literally die if he doesn’t eat. So he trades his birthright for some stew.

Esau lost out because he was too lazy or bad at planning. We often give Jacob grief for this move, but it is Esau’s fault. Esau should have said, “fat chance” and pulled some jerky out of his bag.

Work hard and be diligent to prepare. If you choose not to, whatever happens as a result is no one’s responsibility but your own.

Genesis 25:27-28:5 | 009/365

Hard Things are Harder, but They’re Better

This is a little piece of wisdom from my wife. She always laughs at it, but I’ve always thought it was profound in it’s obvious simplicity. I think this is what we see in God’s method of bringing his covenant with Abraham to fulfillment. Sarah had trouble conceiving, but Hagar had no such issues. Even elderly Abraham had 6 children with the woman he married after Sarah’s death.

In the same way, Isaac marries Rebekah, who also has fertility issues, they pray to God and she does eventually have twins. Jacob and Esau. But Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son had no issues producing heirs. 12 boys, not to mention however many girls may also have been born to him.

And then Jacob, the one who would become the namesake for the entire nation of Israel, was called “deceiver” at his birth (and engaged in plenty of shenanigans throughout his life). God seems to enjoy subverting expectations, taking the hard road, and achieving the improbable.

When God says, “Trust me”, He really means it. I’ve witnessed it personally in my life. Several times. There is nothing He cannot do, yield yourself to Him and watch His plan work itself out.

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