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BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 21, Day 5: Genesis 33

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Jacob’s path is red. Esau’s path is blue.

Summary of Genesis 33:

Jacob sees Esau coming towards him with 400 men so he divides up the women and children, putting the maidservants first, then Leah and her kids and finally Rachel and Joseph in the rear (obvious preference here).  He went ahead and bowed 7 times to greet his brother.

Esau ran to meet Jacob and welcomed him with open arms.  They wept and kissed.  Jacob introduced his family and then insisted that Esau keep his gift of animals, saying to see his face is like seeing God’s.

Esau offered to accompany Jacob the rest of the way home, which Jacob refused, citing the fact his herds had a lot of babies and needed to go slow.  Esau offered to leave some of his men with Jacob, but Jacob refused that as well.

So Esau went back to Seir while Jacob went to Succoth to shelter.  Then he ventured on to Shechem where he bought the land upon which to pitch his tent.  He set up an altar.

BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 21, Day 5: Genesis 33

13)  Esau is genuinely glad to see Jacob.  He runs to him, embraces him, kisses him, and he weeps.  He asks to meet Jacob’s family and he attempts to refuse Jacob’s gift of animals. A selfish man would have gladly accepted.  He offers to accompany Jacob back “home” and to offer an escort of men as well. Esau has completely forgiven Jacob. Jacob, on the other hand, misleads his brother to where he is going, not trusting him or his men.

14a) Home to see his mother and father, Rachel and Isaac. Or to Bethel, where God directs him (Genesis 31:13)

b) He went to Succoth.

15) Depends on your definition of broken. I have relationships that could be improved, that’s for sure. None are broken. Reaching out to them is the answer.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 21, Day 5: Genesis 33

I love how Jacob had it all wrong and Esau is glad to see him and means him no harm. It shows how we are often afraid of things we shouldn’t be.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 21, Day 5: Genesis 33

We see Jacob’s preference in Rachel and Joseph here.

Note Jacob is in the lead here, a change in his character. Note too that if Jacob hadn’t deceived Esau, God’s words would have come true anyways. There is never a reason to justify sin, especially to help God along.

We see one of the most touching scenes in the Bible where Jacob and Esau embrace and weep. Esau shows that he had forgiven Jacob by questioning the gifts and refusing them at first.

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Esau is content here, a wealthy man as well. God kept Isaac’s promise to bless him, too. Esau accepted Jacob’s apology when he accepted the animals, showing them to be friends and not enemies.

Jacob misled Esau on where he was going, still not trusting him or his men. This was the old Jacob acting, not the new Israel who trusted in God. Instead of going south to Seir, he heads north to Succouth.

Jacob is to return to the Promised Land, but he does not go far enough, and we are not told why. He is to go to Bethel (Genesis 31:13). He delays, and we know that there are consequences to delays. Perhaps he is still afraid of Esau. He definitely doesn’t trust him.

Fun Fact: This is the second piece of Promised Land purchased by the patriarchs (the first being when Abraham bought the place to bury Sarah in Genesis 23).

BSF Study Questions Genesis Lesson 21, Day 5: Genesis 25:27-34

Summary of passage:  Genesis 25:27-34:  Esau became a hunter while Jacob stayed home.  Isaac loved Esau while Rebekah loved Jacob more.  Esau sold his birthright for a meal, implying he despised his birthright.

Questions:

11a)  That Jacob had obeyed his parents by traveling to and taking a wife from Paddan Aram instead of a Canaanite woman.

b)  After God spoke to Jacob in a dream, he vowed for the Lord to be his God and he set up the pillar upon which he slept as God’s house, promising to bring God a tenth of what God has given him.

c)  Jacob worked for 7 years in order to win the hand of Rachel.

d)  God is with Jacob and has allowed no harm to come to him.  God has blessed Jacob with Laban’s livestock.  While Jacob cared for Laban’s flock, the flock never miscarried nor were attacked by wild beasts.  Jacob worked for 14 years for 2 daughters and 6 years for the flocks.  God rebuked Laban for his deception and ill-will towards Jacob.

e)  Jacob prays to God to protect him as he finally returns home to the promised land from his brother Esau whom he is still afraid.  But God has told him it is time to return home so Jacob has obeyed.

12a)  Faith

b)  Jacob is one of the patriarchs of His chosen people–the people who will obey God and shine His light into the world.  God chose Jacob to receive His inheritance and to love him and to be His treasured possession.  To serve God (Isaiah 41:8-9).  To redeem him and summon him by name.  To protect and lead.  (Isaiah 43:1-2).  Continuing in Isaiah 43, we are precious and honored in God’s sight, loved, and He is with us (4-5).  To be God’s witnesses here on earth (10, 12).  To save (11).

13)  He sold his birthright for a meal.  He married Hittite women.  He married more women in an attempt to be like Jacob and win the birthright back but it was all an act in my opinion.

Conclusions:  In ancient times as soon as the  words God of Abraham, Isaac, and/or Jacob was mentioned, everyone knew which God you were talking about.  And that is how they identified God since there were so many pagan gods in ancient times.  Most knew who Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were and no more need be said.

Today, that is not the case.  Even in Christian circles I believe the names are recognized but the details are not known as they were in ancient times.  Important details were memorized since not many could read.  We don’t memorize Scripture like the ancients since we take it for granted that we can look it up in the Bible.

For me it has been fun throughout the study of Genesis to cement in my mind who’s who. I was talking to my husband about Isaac and Rebekah and my husband had forgotten a few details about it all.  So now when the Bible refers to the “God of Isaac” I know exactly what Isaac did and why God is referred to as the God of Isaac and its significance.

I was reading to my kids about how people today don’t take the time to notice nature and observe it like they did long ago.  With the wealth of information out there about God and what we know I think sometimes it was easier to get closer to God in ancient times because they did more praying, more contemplating, more thinking, more studying of God than we do. We are so distracted by technology that we may miss God in a simple book.  Something to ponder at least…