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The DEEP

Fear

can be a real eye-opener.

Genesis 32:13-21 (NKJV)

So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ” So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

It’s striking how Jacob refers to Esau as “my lord” and himself as, “your servant.” It’s almost as if he’s saying, “You can have your stupid birthright back.” Isn’t this just the most pitiful display of cowardice that you’ve ever seen?

Jacob has hit bottom. Everything has collapsed – especially his faith. He has little confidence in God’s deliverance, even though he just prayed for it specifically.

What makes this so deliciously ironic is that Esau had a change of heart 20 years ago. Instead of harboring a festering grudge, he’s been missing his brother. God answered Jacob’s prayer two decades before he prayed it.

But Jacob doesn’t know that, so he hatches a desperate plan to appease Esau. The key part in this plan – the part that serves God’s purposes – is that he spends the night alone. He’s alone. He’s desperate. He’s repentant. He’s ready. He thinks he awaits an encounter with Esau.

Ha!


Notice that the drama between Jacob and Esau served to set up this moment. Isaac’s blessing didn’t have the power everyone thought it did. Jacob didn’t really steal anything of value; God’s prophesy was the only effectual thing there. All he did was tick Esau off, but then Esau didn’t stay ticked off for long. Now Jacob, unaware of Esau’s change of heart, has set himself up for his great encounter with God.

Could all that drama really have just been to get Jacob isolated for one night? Well, could all the carnage of the battle of Antietam have just been to trigger the writing of a document (The Emancipation Proclamation)?

Of course; that’s how higher purposes work. What a great comfort it is to see that God knows what he’s doing. Praise Him for that.


The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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