Genesis 33 Day 1

Joy’s Notes:

Genesis 33

33:1

Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives.

    •    400 men coming my way is either a “welcome party or a war party!”

    •    Fathers have the power to divide the family:(

33:2

 He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.

    •    The children are observing & watching as their dad puts them in a lineup of who’d be killed first.

33:3 

Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.

    •    Don’t miss this! Jacob is using the greatest tool of peace on his brother… the number 7

    •    because in the Middle East— they knew 7 wasn’t a number, but a theology!

    •    Jacob is saying through the SEVEN— “I come in PEACE.  In holiness. In Goodness. In reverence. In ALL things God!”

33:4 

“Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.’

    1.    Ran

    2.    Threw arms around his neck

    3.    Kissed

    4.    Wept

The prodigal son (‘running father’)

     👇👇

Luke 15:20 “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he RAN to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

    •    Jacob didn’t deserve or earn Esau’s forgiveness— but Esau FREELY gave it to Jacob anyways.

        👇

    •    the prodigal son (The RUNNING Father)

33:5 

Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”

“These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied.

Biblical Def of GRACIOUSLY:   “Showing divine grace!”

EZRA- “the gracious” hand of God!

    •    Jacob has a DEEP heart of gratitude for all God has UNDESERVINGLY done in his life!

GRATITUDE:

    •    The first time we see Satan enter into the scene (Gen 3) he tries to distract Eve from a heart of gratitude for all the trees she GETS-TO eat from— & manipulates her into a heart of ingratitude for the one tree she cannot partake in.

    •    If satan can shift an attitude into one of ingratitude— he’s succeeded

BUT our God — He transforms our grumbling into praising just by being in His presence :

“In his presence there is fullness of joy.” Psalm 16:11

Prayer (WHICH JACOB DID OFTEN) is the key, doorway & path to authentic gratitude

Psalm 100:4

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.”

“(WHY?) For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” (WOW🙌)

👉 where you find a praying  JACOB… you find a thankful …JACOB…

(Fill in blank)

    •    Christians should be the most grateful human beings on the planet.

Five scientific benefits of gratitude by Christian cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline leaf

A THANKFUL HEART IS:

    1.    A free anti-depressant.

    2.    A natural pain reducer.   

    3.    Gratitude improves sleep quality.             

    4.    A sleep regulator .   

    5.    A relationship improver:

33:6 

THEN the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him.

    •    mirroring their father (wow)

    •    No where did Jacob “tell” his kids to bow down to Esau— they did this because they’re watching their daddy!

    •    Kids are watching us!! (Share more)

    •    “Do as I say, not as I do— doesn’t work!!

    •    children are “watching” you read your bible (Not thump them over the head)

    •    children are watching you not gossip

    •    Children are watching you love the unloveable

    •    Children are watching the fruits in your life be eaten by those you do life with!!

    •    Children are watching what happens in your home when the doors are closed and the church people aren’t there

    •    Children are watching you APOLOGIZE when you don’t get it right!

33:7 

Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him.

    •    the kids are all WATCHING Joseph & Rachel bow down LAST.

    •    The kids are all WATCHING favortism happen.

    •    We’ll see later in this book- how the VERY MOMENT may be the hinge in which Joseph was thrown into the pit to die by his brothers!

    •    Favoritism breeds rejection in heart of a child.

      👇

    •    4 ways favoritism (REJECTION by a parent) damages children:

         👇

    1.    They believe they’re inherently flawed • they feel anger, defeate, depression, low self-esteem and unmotivated.

    2.    They believe they’re Incompetent

    3.    They’re prone to become people pleasers or isolaters.

    4.    They tend to struggle relationally

    5.    They’ll perceive God to be a God of favorites, too.

33:8 

“And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.

Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.” (“To find favor; to find grace in your sight..”)

    •    “My Lord” Hebrew meaning = MASTER

    •    if Jacob truly saw Esau as his “master”— what he does at end of this chapter wouldn’t of happened!

        👇

    •    FLATTERY  — through gifts & speech

        👇

    •    Jeremiah 8 “ their tongue is a deadly arrow, it speaks deceitfully. With their mouth, they all speak cordially to their neighbors, but in their hearts— they set traps for them.”

    •    Flattery is used as a tool of CONTROL.

    •    Prov 29:5-6

“A person who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for him to step into. 

    •    Romans 16:18 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+16%3A18&version=ESV)

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery (“glowing words”) they deceive the hearts of the naive.

    •    Psalm 5:9 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+5%3A9&version=ESV)

For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.

    •    Prov 26:28

“A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin.”

    •    Psalm 5:9 “…there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction;their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.”

    •    Psalm 12:2-3 Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts. May the LORD cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues.

    •    Psalm 62:4 They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts.

    •    Psalm 55:21 His speech is smoother than butter, but there is war in his heart. His words are more soothing than oil, but they are like swords ready to attack.

The enemy uses FLATTERY — it’s his native language

Flattery is a compliment minus love & sincerity.

    •    Compliments are self-less & genuine; & used as a means to encourage you to be all God created you for!

    •    Flattery is selfish & manipulative; & used as a means to control you & deplete you from becoming what God created you for.

33:9 

“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.”

    •    Esau responds back to Jacob as “my brother.”

    •    accepting gifts are difficult from people- because they believe they have to somehow “pay” that person back (maybe Esau sensed that?)

    •    If we don’t learn how to receive gifts with a simple thank you (no strings attached) it’ll be difficult to understand the UNDESERVING GRACE of God!

33:10 

But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!

    •    Seeing Esau’s face (His smile, excitement, joy, grace, love, forgiveness)— was like “Seeing the face of God.”

    •    Jacob had just seen the “face of God!” (Gen 32:20)

    •    We get a glimpse into what Gods face looks like😭

33:11 

Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.

    •    Jacob repeats his heart of GRATITUDE!

33:12-14

“Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.”

But Jacob replied, “You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die.

Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.”

    •     Even with Jacob “new name” / identity — his old habits of lying & deceiving are still present (ADD)

    •    we have to LEARN to STEWART our new name!

    •    we have to crucify old ways, old thoughts, old coping mechanisms, old self protective mechanisms, old counterfeit comforts— OLD …. In order to fully step in the NEW!

    ⁃    sometimes we’ll take 1 step back & yet still 3 steps forward!

    ⁃    it’s a DAILY surrender to our flesh— & His mercies are NEW each morning!!

    •    maybe that’s why God gives us a holy limp of new identity— as a reminder to NOT repeat old ways, beliefs, etc.

33:15-17

“All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.”

Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve received me warmly, my lord!”

So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day.

Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”).

    •    named properly= “Succ-ith”

    •    “he built a home” instead of staying as a foreigner in tents-just passing through!

    •    Jacob takes his family where he wasn’t supposed to be

“Succoth was a backward step, spiritually as well as geographically.”

    •    Succoth was in the opposite direction of Seir where Jacob had told Esau he was coming.

(Reminds me of David & Saul— even when Saul finally apologized & begged David to come back home with him— David stayed hiding in the mountains!)

33:18 

Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem , in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town.

    •    We arent given any reason for Jacob’s departure from Succoth to Shechem. 👇👇

    •    That would probably make interesting reading, but Moses does not seek to satisfy our curiosity:)

    •    Jacob DID go back to promise land… But didn’t go where God told him to go (to Bethel)

    •    GEN 31:13- God told Jacob to go to Bethel NOT Shechem!

    •    but this is also a place of great devestation for his family (we’ll read about this next week)

    •    Because Jacob didn’t go where God told him to go— he put his daughter in a dangerous and traumatic situation

33:19 

Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver.

    •    Jacob “purchases” a piece of the PROMISE LAND!!!

33:20 

And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel (mighty is the God of Israel!)

    •    (Due to later developments) this  suggests there was a religious formality, but no spiritual reality.

🔥🔥Its extremely difficult to worship God in the place where we’re not supposed to be.

    •    “I desire MERCY/OBEDIENCE— & not SACRIFICE

        👇

(Hosea 6:6

(Matt 9:13 & 11:7- Jesus reseats it TWICE!)

    •     1 Samuel 15:22 (https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20Sam%2015.22), “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices— as  much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.”

🔥God is a God who SEES & SEARCHES OUT the heart & intention of His people— n

ot the external behaviors!

👇

Jer 17:10

“But I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind!”

👇

Jer 20:12

“The Lord Almighty examines the deepest thoughts & secrets of the heart!”