Brothers

Intro:

In we find Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau.

And how scared Jacob had to be! He had tricked his brother Esau and deceived him. He had received birthrights that rightfully belonged to Esau. When this happened, he fled! He went far away (with a little help from his mother to his uncle’s house. He fled because he was afraid Esau would kill him. He just knew at that time that if Esau found him, he was done for!

Now many years had passed and Jacob was returning home at the Lord’s urging.

Anxiety had to have accompanied Jacob the whole way.

And put yourself in Esau’s shoes. How would you have reacted? We would all love to say that we would have let bygones be bygones. But you know what? We don’t really do that a whole lot. We hold grudges. We don’t talk to each other. There are people within the church (even one as close knit as ours) who don’t talk or communicate because of something that happened years ago and they can’t even remember what it was! Think about it. Even if we were in Jacob’s shoes, we would have feared the worst because we know what we would do if we were Esau.

And put yourself in Esau’s shoes.

How would you have reacted? We would all love to say that we would have let bygones be bygones. But you know what? We don’t really do that a whole lot.

We hold grudges.

We don’t talk to each other.

Often there are people within the church who don’t talk or communicate because of something that happened years ago and they can’t even remember what it was!

Think about it. Even if we were in Jacob’s shoes, we would have feared the worst because we know what we would do if we were Esau.

Many of us live in fear in our daily lives because of our past sins.

Many of us have been frozen by our past sins against someone or even more so, a past sin someone has committed against us.

Think about it! How many of us do not move on in our Christian walk because we can’t forgive ourselves for something we’ve done.

Or how many of us can’t let go of some wrong that someone has done to us?

Preparing

Genesis 32:3–8 ESV

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

Gen 32:

In our text, Jacob is preparing for the worse.

In our text, Jacob is preparing for the worse.

He divided the people in two groups so that if Esau attacked one group the other group could escape.

How often do we imagine the worse? We give God no credit for the fact that He can heal those wounds and can fix the problem.

We move on to where Jacob sees 400 men and puts his plan into immediate action.

He knew it! He and his family were going to be destroyed.

How dare God lead him into such a terrible situation!

Ever feel that way?

God is asking you to do something that you don’t want to do. How dare Him? Who does He think He is, God?

Gen 33:1-

Genesis 33:1–3 ESV

And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Jacob humbled himself

Forgiveness

Genesis 33:4–11 ESV

But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

Gen 33:4-

But then look what happens! Jacob finds that Esau had forgiven him and the brothers have shared fellowship together.

But then look what happens! Jacob finds that Esau had forgiven him and the brothers have shared fellowship together.

Esau did what most of us would not do. Instead, Esau did what God does.

God does.

Much like the prodigal son:

Luke 15:20–24 ESV

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:

Esau did what God does He put the past behind him because he had missed his brother. He was ready to welcome him home.

The only time in Scripture you can find God getting in a hurry is in the story of the prodigal son. In that story the prodigal son, (which represents us) squandered all of his inheritance and when he came back home, he came back just as Jacob did. He came back with the hopes that he could be a servant, but what happened was he was met with “open arms” by the father, (which represents God). And that is what Esau did. He put the past behind him because he had missed his brother. He was ready to welcome him home.

Isn’t it awesome that this is exactly how God is?

He doesn’t hold the past against us.

He runs to meet us and then welcomes us home.

What is keeping you from being the servant that you should be?

What is it you are afraid that God won’t forgive. Trust me, He will. He loves you and just like Esau was with Jacob, God longs to welcome you back.

And the we are to remember that we are to be like Him and be forgiving of others.

Matthew 6:14–15 ESV

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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You see, to forgive someone in a way that honors our Savior is to not only forgive but to forget.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Stop and consider salvation.

You see, to forgive someone in a way that honors our Savior is to not only forgive but to forget. Stop and consider salvation. When we accept Jesus and what the Lord has one for us, He gives us a clean slate. That’s what we are supposed to do when it comes to forgiving others. We are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us and be done with it.

When we accept Jesus and what the Lord has one for us, He gives us a clean slate.

That’s what we are supposed to do when it comes to forgiving others. We are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us and be done with it.

In our text today, do you one time see Esau bringing up the past? No!

It amazes me how some can claim to be such excellent servants of Christ but have relationships that go unmended and hurt feelings that have not been resolved.

In order to be the servants of Christ we ought to be,we have to be right in our relationships. And that means forgiving and forgetting!

Things started fresh and new for Jacob and Esau that day.

Jacob had been carrying around some unresolved issues for years.

He knew he had done wrong.

He had experienced the consequences of those wrongs. And he had learned from them.

He was now a stronger person. God had given him a new name and a new life.

But there was something left undone.

He had not sought forgiveness from Esau.

And now this had been done and oh, the freedom that Jacob experienced.

Settling In

Genesis 33:12–20 ESV

Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Jacob and Esau part on good terms

Jacob continues on to settle in back in his homeland.

Conclusion:

Someone here today desperately needs to seek forgiveness from another. Maybe it’s a family member. Maybe it’s a business associate. Maybe it’s a friend. And maybe they are right here in this very room. Maybe it’s even your Pastor. Something has happened and it made you angry. I mean blistering angry. Since then, God has dealt with you and you have learned from the experience. Yet you still feel empty. Something remains undone.

Someone here today desperately needs to seek forgiveness from another. Maybe it’s a family member. Maybe it’s a business associate. Maybe it’s a friend. And maybe they are right here in this very room. Maybe it’s even your Pastor. Something has happened and it made you angry. I mean blistering angry. Since then, God has dealt with you and you have learned from the experience. Yet you still feel empty. Something remains undone.

Forgiveness. Today, during the invitation...take time to do that very thing. Don’t let another minute go by until you’ve taken care of the issues you have with another. We are on the brink of some great things in this church and to be honest, you may be the one holding it up. Your refusal to swallow some pride and move on may be dragging the whole church down because of disobedience. Obey today. Seek the awesome freedom that forgivness in Christ can provide.

And some of you today will be in the position of Esau. Someone has done you wrong and today, God has convicted them and they are coming to you to seek forgiveness. Please be an Esau! Don’t be bullheaded. God forgave you of your sins and indiscretion without a second thought... please do the same for them!

We are a church poised to do some amazing things in our community. In April, we will have a revival and I am looking forward to filling that place up as we bring others in. But revival cannot take place when an unforgiving spirit is present.

Let’s quench that unforgiving spirit today! Let’s move on in Jesus! Let’s swallow pride. Let’s extend a forgiving hand.

We are a church that points to Jesus.

Now, lets be like Him!