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“Please accept the present that was brought to you (Esau)  for God has been gracious to me (Jacob)  and I have all I need.” Genesis 33:11 (NIV)

Dysfunction reigned high within the family of Issac and Rebekah – it’s a page turner from start to finish.  Two lovebirds captivated with each other from the moment their eyes met. When Isaac’s wife, Rebekah,  was faced with infertility (barren), he prayed to the Lord on her behalf (Genesis 25:21). Now that’s my kind of man, right?  Rather than seeking to manipulate the circumstances by conceiving children through the cultural standard of slave girls, Rebekah waited and Issac prayed.

God exceeded their prayers with not just one baby but twins: Jacob and Esau.  A double blessing yet one the parents allowed to divide them.  Issac favored Esau; Rebekah favored Jacob.  Favoritism and deception drove a deadly wedge.  Esau exchanged his birthright (inheritance) to Jacob to soothe his hunger.  Jacob later deceived Issac and stole the blessing intended for Esau.  Now the plot thickens. Both brothers wanted something the other one had, and the end result was bitterness on Esau’s part to the point he planned to kill Jacob.

Does it get any worse?  A family divided within their home became a family separated by distance – the family portrait would never look the same. Jacob fled to his uncle’s homeland in order to save himself from Esau’s revenge.  Rebekah would die never more to see her beloved son. Jacob would endure deceptions of his own from his uncle, and Esau would take two idolatrous wives from the Canaanites.

Fast forward twenty years and these two brothers would meet face to face.  I can hear the music intensifying as the reunion ensues.  Anticipation, fear, dread, and strategic placement all played out in Jacob’s mind.  Would his brother receive him or take his life?  Would his family be harmed?

Genesis 33 unfolds this heartwarming scene as Esau accompanied by four hundred men runs to embrace Jacob.  The one who hated was now changed, making the first move with arms wide open. Oh, wouldn’t you have loved to witness that moment – the redeeming of souls weeping – two brothers who forfeited so much finally reunited.

Absolutely love Genesis 33:9 when Esau tells Jacob to keep the gifts he brought to him. Why?  Because he already had plenty.  Jacob’s response, “God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.”  The brothers who desperately wanted something the other one had now completely satisfied with God’s provisions for them.

Sweet friends, we would be wise to be satisfied with the goodness God births in our lives even if it doesn’t match someone else’s.  Bitterness ravages a soul and propels a regretful end.  Esau’s descendants the Edomites remembered the quarrel between the brothers and with fierce hatred they warred against Israel. Envy, jealousy and strife never serve us well.

“I have all I need” is a pivotal mind shift reminding us that our Shepherd is our Provider.  When we keep our eyes focused on Him, we find we lack nothing (Psalm 23:1).  True contentment is only found in the presence of our God.

“Father, You are the giver of all things and You alone know exactly what we need and when we need it.  How blessed we are to place our trust firmly in Your care and provision.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life