Tuesdays with Jacob

Read Genesis 33:1-4 – Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. (NKJV)

You can learn a lot by someone’s body language. In this story, Jacob is moving hesitantly—keeping his family behind of him, bowing to the ground multiple times as he moves forward. It’s not the look of one who really wants the upcoming encounter with his brother, Esau. But Esau looks different. He runs toward Jacob, demonstrating how much he wants this moment. His heart is light and free of the hatred of the past. It may be the only moment in their story where I’d rather be Esau than Jacob. This is a moment he has longed for—you can tell by his body language. Comparing the two leaves us with an interesting question: Who do you run toward and who are you afraid to encounter—and WHY? This may be a key reason why Solomon told us not to let the “sun go down on your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26) and Jesus told us to leave a worship moment and go to those with whom we have issues (Matthew5:23-24). Why live with the inner turmoil Jacob feels? Why be under such stress? Be Esau. Resolve the issues in your heart—even if your old opponent is miles away. Let the healing you need happen so you can run toward everyone in your life.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.