A Heart Pre-Disposed to Forgive...No Matter What
God is a healing God. In fact, He can and will heal the most broken of hearts, the most divided of families, and the most undeserving of wretches. Scripture says, It is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom, but what would you want with a kingdom anyway when your heart is embittered, your family won’t speak to each other, and your brother caused the entire circumstance?
Such was the circumstance of a man hardly considered. His brother, being given the second name of Israel, is often the subject of sermons but the man who suffered so much at his hands remains only a side note.
Perhaps it is time to pay him some attention and learn how he allowed God to touch his heart. We always assume he was some brute who would have slaughtered his little brother had Jacob not wrestled with the angel and secured his blessing; however, we forget that Esau had lived for God his entire life.
We’ve used the coveted birthright in so many messages, likening it to valuing our relationship with God, that we forget that Esau was the faithful, the obedient, the godly son left behind! His birthright at that time in history did not symbolize living for God; many preachers have used the scenario of him despising his birthright as an example of us despising our walk with God and it is indeed a well-developed, beautiful thought. We must, however, not forget that he was a godly man even if his priorities concerning his family heritage were not what we would have chosen.
The Long and Short of It
Just a recap for those still groggy from sleep, Jacob and Esau were twins who never quite got along. Jacob was his mother’s favorite while Esau, the eldest, was his father’s.
The birthright during those times was an inheritance as well as a prayerful blessing bestowed by the father. The owner of the birthright would be the next patriarch, assuming ownership of most of his father’s lands and wealth and being responsible for dispensing it to the other siblings as needed. In the absence of a king or local magistrates, these patriarchs often played the role of judge and provider for their families and extended families for many years! Only in death did this position of power, honor, and wealth pass on.
Such was the circumstance of a man hardly considered. His brother, being given the second name of Israel, is often the subject of sermons but the man who suffered so much at his hands remains only a side note.
Perhaps it is time to pay him some attention and learn how he allowed God to touch his heart. We always assume he was some brute who would have slaughtered his little brother had Jacob not wrestled with the angel and secured his blessing; however, we forget that Esau had lived for God his entire life.
We’ve used the coveted birthright in so many messages, likening it to valuing our relationship with God, that we forget that Esau was the faithful, the obedient, the godly son left behind! His birthright at that time in history did not symbolize living for God; many preachers have used the scenario of him despising his birthright as an example of us despising our walk with God and it is indeed a well-developed, beautiful thought. We must, however, not forget that he was a godly man even if his priorities concerning his family heritage were not what we would have chosen.
The Long and Short of It
Just a recap for those still groggy from sleep, Jacob and Esau were twins who never quite got along. Jacob was his mother’s favorite while Esau, the eldest, was his father’s.
The birthright during those times was an inheritance as well as a prayerful blessing bestowed by the father. The owner of the birthright would be the next patriarch, assuming ownership of most of his father’s lands and wealth and being responsible for dispensing it to the other siblings as needed. In the absence of a king or local magistrates, these patriarchs often played the role of judge and provider for their families and extended families for many years! Only in death did this position of power, honor, and wealth pass on.
So, you see, it was more than money at stake. It was a question of leadership and stewardship. And, from the beginning, Jacob wished to supplant Esau and assume the role of governor over the family, seeking a reversal in God’s divine order. (Somehow this reminds me of the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s which has catapulted women into a dual role of homemaker and provider which is difficult for anyone to juggle! Needless to say, circumventing God’s plan has its consequences!)
So, Jacob and Esau’s story began with a struggle within the womb where Jacob—even as an infant—desired this prized position, reaching out and holding onto Esau’s heel as he was born. After that, Jacob seems to have been so focused on the goal of obtaining the birthright that any conversation with him could prove disastrous.
So it was when Esau returned from hunting one day. Hungry, having caught nothing, he asked for a bowl of pottage; Jacob offered it gladly….in exchange for the birthright. At the time, Esau is said to have despised his birthright. Whether this was because he cared only to be outdoors and was uninterested in the task of governing a large family or he thought it was old-fashioned, we will really never know his reasons. It could be that he was simply too young of a man to understand the full impact of his actions. For whatever reason, he sold his birthright…never intending that the purchase should be taken seriously!
Later on, as their father was soon to pass away, Esau went to prepare some venison for his father in preparation for receiving the blessing and birthright.
He had not taken the pottage exchange seriously; however, Jacob had and he covered his arms with goat hair to deceive his blind father into thinking he was Esau.
Returning from the field, Esau was to find his father had already bestowed the birthright and given the blessing to Jacob.
The Bible recounts that Jacob had fled, leaving Esau and his father to weep bitterly over the deception.
So, what do we have so far? We have a brother, Jacob, who daily waited for Esau to slip up so he could steal from him. Jacob came between Esau and his beloved father, exposing Esau’s early distaste for the heritage of his family. We have Jacob the liar, the deceiver, the crafty, the calloused, and the “supplanter,” as his name means!
What can a man do with a brother like that?
Brotherhood: The Ideal and The Real
Often, our idea of the brotherhood of faith would have us believe that everyone gets along all the time. In fact, when we meet those with ulterior motives, we somehow think there is something wrong with the truth that is preached in the congregation because these people do not meet with our preconceived notion of brotherhood.
The fact is: In our day-to-day lives, we have all stumbled upon some brothers and sisters whose every move appears to be to destroy those they envy. While they worship in song service, they are plotting a coup! Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not blaming this state of affairs on God, the church, or on religion. God is real and his love is real. In fact, there are many Christians who really live right!
But we have to understand that when a man is not prayerfully considering God in all he does, he can allow himself to become a stumbling block for another. Just because we are hurt by supplanters in the church does not mean that the truth is not still truth or that God is not still God!
It does mean, however, that we must take a lesson from Esau in how to approach this kind of brother or sister.
Time Can Indeed Change Things
Today, I’d like us to consider the reunion of Esau and Jacob. While their early years are interesting and set the stage, it is the incident recorded in four short verses of scripture that applies to us today.
In the case of Jacob, we find that over time he repented of his activities! He became so in-tune with God on the backside of a sheep field, in fact, that he was renamed ‘Israel,’ which means “a prince [that] hast power with God and with men” (Genesis 32:28).
By the time Jacob returned to his father’s land, he had become a completely new man…but be advised, Esau did not know this.
***Esau did not see him fall into a troubled sleep only to dream of angels and anoint the place, now known as Bethel.
***Esau did not witness the love that drove Jacob to work fourteen long years to marry Rachel.
***Esau did not see Jacob take the humble side and accept the spotted, speckled, and maimed cattle as his paycheck from Laban in Genesis 30:32.
***Esau didn’t even hear that he had wrestled with the angel of the Lord until he received a blessing! For so long, his name had been Jacob—supplanter—a reminder of his wicked past; he fought until his name was changed!
The point is, sometimes when people have wronged us, we’re not privileged to see their repentance. We are not given an assurance or guarantee that they have changed.
When Esau heard that Jacob was returning to his father’s land after almost twenty years of absence, his memories of Jacob held not one happy moment. All he could recall of Jacob was the selling of the birthright over a pot of soup, the deception of his father by the use of goat skins, and the weeping that destroyed his father’s last days. I’m certain that Esau felt mixed emotions as he learned of Jacob’s return; how would you feel?
What could have run through Esau’s mind as he rode to meet his brother with whom he hadn’t spoken in two decades?
*** So, is he coming back for the land, the cattle, the birthright he stole? What else is he planning to steal?
***What’s the deception this time? Should I prepare my family and belongings to be swindled?
***Who does he think he is after his antics over my father’s deathbed?
While we do not know what Esau was thinking, it is certain that many of us would have thought similar thoughts to these!
Considering the mixed emotions he must have faced, let us look at Esau’s journey to meet his brother.
Reunion Time
Scripture tells us that Esau rode to meet Jacob with four hundred men. Strangely, he did not bring his family to this reunion…but would you?
We do not know if he usually rode with such a number or if he intended to wipe his brother out. Scripture does not say. In such unlawful times, great journeys could have required protection for a man acting as patriarch, in fact.
Jacob, of course, assumed that Esau meant to destroy him and his family. In preparation, he divided his family, placing part of his children and one wife in one place and the rest in another. He was trying to secure his lineage.
Furthermore, he prayed all night long until an angelic messenger struggled with him at break of day. He begged that he be blessed. If you read the account, the angel simply renamed Jacob. He did not say that he would be preserved from Esau. Jacob took the blessing to mean this, however, calling the place Penuel, saying “for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).
Jacob was prepared to beg forgiveness and had prepared gifts for his brother, which he sent at timed intervals via his servants. Despite God’s promise after Jacob struggled with the spirit, Jacob still divided his family and sent gifts.
While such a move was meant to soften Esau’s heart and show that Jacob had really changed, how do you trust a deceiver? If anything, the gifts would have revealed the wealth of Jacob; Esau could have easily—and perhaps rightfully—wiped him out and taken all!
But something had happened as Jacob scurried about, praying, hiding family, and packaging his gifts. Esau was riding on and on, thinking. Something had happened in Esau’s heart.
We don’t know if it happened while he was riding, after receiving the first or twenty-first gift, or if it happened long before as he chose to live for God in the land of his fathers. Although we often focus on Jacob, let us consider Esau as a pattern for us to follow.
Genesis 33:1-4 “And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
***Esau did not see him fall into a troubled sleep only to dream of angels and anoint the place, now known as Bethel.
***Esau did not witness the love that drove Jacob to work fourteen long years to marry Rachel.
***Esau did not see Jacob take the humble side and accept the spotted, speckled, and maimed cattle as his paycheck from Laban in Genesis 30:32.
***Esau didn’t even hear that he had wrestled with the angel of the Lord until he received a blessing! For so long, his name had been Jacob—supplanter—a reminder of his wicked past; he fought until his name was changed!
The point is, sometimes when people have wronged us, we’re not privileged to see their repentance. We are not given an assurance or guarantee that they have changed.
When Esau heard that Jacob was returning to his father’s land after almost twenty years of absence, his memories of Jacob held not one happy moment. All he could recall of Jacob was the selling of the birthright over a pot of soup, the deception of his father by the use of goat skins, and the weeping that destroyed his father’s last days. I’m certain that Esau felt mixed emotions as he learned of Jacob’s return; how would you feel?
What could have run through Esau’s mind as he rode to meet his brother with whom he hadn’t spoken in two decades?
*** So, is he coming back for the land, the cattle, the birthright he stole? What else is he planning to steal?
***What’s the deception this time? Should I prepare my family and belongings to be swindled?
***Who does he think he is after his antics over my father’s deathbed?
While we do not know what Esau was thinking, it is certain that many of us would have thought similar thoughts to these!
Considering the mixed emotions he must have faced, let us look at Esau’s journey to meet his brother.
Reunion Time
Scripture tells us that Esau rode to meet Jacob with four hundred men. Strangely, he did not bring his family to this reunion…but would you?
We do not know if he usually rode with such a number or if he intended to wipe his brother out. Scripture does not say. In such unlawful times, great journeys could have required protection for a man acting as patriarch, in fact.
Jacob, of course, assumed that Esau meant to destroy him and his family. In preparation, he divided his family, placing part of his children and one wife in one place and the rest in another. He was trying to secure his lineage.
Furthermore, he prayed all night long until an angelic messenger struggled with him at break of day. He begged that he be blessed. If you read the account, the angel simply renamed Jacob. He did not say that he would be preserved from Esau. Jacob took the blessing to mean this, however, calling the place Penuel, saying “for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).
Jacob was prepared to beg forgiveness and had prepared gifts for his brother, which he sent at timed intervals via his servants. Despite God’s promise after Jacob struggled with the spirit, Jacob still divided his family and sent gifts.
While such a move was meant to soften Esau’s heart and show that Jacob had really changed, how do you trust a deceiver? If anything, the gifts would have revealed the wealth of Jacob; Esau could have easily—and perhaps rightfully—wiped him out and taken all!
But something had happened as Jacob scurried about, praying, hiding family, and packaging his gifts. Esau was riding on and on, thinking. Something had happened in Esau’s heart.
We don’t know if it happened while he was riding, after receiving the first or twenty-first gift, or if it happened long before as he chose to live for God in the land of his fathers. Although we often focus on Jacob, let us consider Esau as a pattern for us to follow.
Genesis 33:1-4 “And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.”
Quite simply: Esau’s heart was pre-disposed to forgive.
He didn’t make Jacob beg on his knees; he embraced him as a brother.
He reproached his brother for sending the gifts and offered them back, revealing his desires were not about things.
All he wanted was to forgive and restore his brother.
We all meet with hurt at the hands of brothers, sisters, even those outside of the faith; sometimes, people—being human and being driven by human desires—can make some very wrong choices.
However, our earnest desire—even when we have the upper hand as Esau did—should be the restoration of our brother.
Did Esau and Jacob enjoy a close relationship after this reunion? We’d all like to think they did but we’ll never know.
All we do know is that Esau was genuinely ready to forgive—whether the gifts were sent or not, whether Jacob made restitution for his sins or not. We can tell by the tears of a mighty man, weeping on his little brother’s shoulder!
Now, some might say that it was God who gave Esau a change of heart, but isn’t it God who must likewise work some forgiveness in us when we’ve been pushed beyond our ability to forgive?
The difference is having a heart pre-disposed to the influence of God in our lives. Once we are surrendered to Him, we can look at those who have hurt us the most and call blessing into their lives…
“I Forgive; Be Restored…”
Want to be like Christ? Forgive and Restore….
Quite simply: Esau’s heart was pre-disposed to forgive.
He didn’t make Jacob beg on his knees; he embraced him as a brother.
He reproached his brother for sending the gifts and offered them back, revealing his desires were not about things.
All he wanted was to forgive and restore his brother.
We all meet with hurt at the hands of brothers, sisters, even those outside of the faith; sometimes, people—being human and being driven by human desires—can make some very wrong choices.
However, our earnest desire—even when we have the upper hand as Esau did—should be the restoration of our brother.
Did Esau and Jacob enjoy a close relationship after this reunion? We’d all like to think they did but we’ll never know.
All we do know is that Esau was genuinely ready to forgive—whether the gifts were sent or not, whether Jacob made restitution for his sins or not. We can tell by the tears of a mighty man, weeping on his little brother’s shoulder!
Now, some might say that it was God who gave Esau a change of heart, but isn’t it God who must likewise work some forgiveness in us when we’ve been pushed beyond our ability to forgive?
The difference is having a heart pre-disposed to the influence of God in our lives. Once we are surrendered to Him, we can look at those who have hurt us the most and call blessing into their lives…
“I Forgive; Be Restored…”
Want to be like Christ? Forgive and Restore….
Could it be that they still couldn’t trust the Israelites because of the early nature of their father, Jacob? Such distrust reigned throughout scripture between the two although Esau and Jacob mended their fences on a personal level.
Just be aware, your treatment of your brothers and sisters will affect future generations!
