Jacob and Esau reunite

Genesis 32-35:27 (The Message)

Jacob heads back to his homeland which he fled when his brother Esau was going to kill him. This passage shows a very diplomatic side of Jacob.

First he refers constantly to Esau as his master and to himself as “servant”.  Then he begins sending out gifts of livestock to his brother. Esau comes with 400 men and Jacob gets scared. All night he wrestles with God and his new name becomes Israel meaning “God Wrestler”.

When Esau finally meets up with Jacob he welcomes him with open arms. He meets his family and all is well.

Tonight, I am having my own issues with my brother and his family. I refuse to go into details, but I need to do some soul searching about that situation. Please pray for me as I struggle with anger towards them all. It is a rage that even I wasn’t aware it was so strong until today.

I actually need to learn from Esau how to love people I am furious at, and have NO respect for.

Next the passage goes into how Jacob’s daughter Dinah was raped and how her brothers concoted a plan for revenge on him and the village for her rape. It is a great read.

Finally we read that Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin. I didn’t know that she died in childbirth with him. How very sad. Her tomb still remains in Bethlehem to this day.

Questions:

• Once again we see how murder is almost condoned. Why is it OK back then and not anymore?
• What is the deal with all the alters and anointing stones? Was that a ritual from other religions of the time?