Devotion 33
DEVOTION 33: “Becoming Dependent upon God” coming out of Gen. 33
Limping Jacob meets Esau.
He is no longer Jacob. He is no longer the schemer, the man who deceived his father for a blessing. He has now been humbled by God. He has been wrestled down, touched, and raised in a new man. A man leaning on God in humility.
The journey is now no longer his but God’s. He has only one hope, and that’s in God, and it’s all that he needs.
In fear, still learning to take his new position as Israel, he meets his brother.
Let’s read:
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. [2] And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. [3] And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. [4] And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.”
As God was wrestling down Jacob, he was simultaneously working on the heart of Esau. Esau did not come to Jacob as a foe but as a friend, as a brother.
The Lord will turn our enemies to friends if we allow Him to wrestle us down and mark us with His Spirit.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 33:5-9 “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. [6] Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. [7] And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. [8] And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. [9] And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.”
Esau was not in need of physical things. Esau like Jacob was a seed of Abraham but will not line himself up with the Word of God yet the blessings of Abraham reached Esau.
Some may be blessed not because they are walking with God but because a kinsmen or family member from some generation past walked with God. Some men and women living in sin today continue to enjoy the blessings of God unto their parents and great grand parents. Note that those blessings don’t last because the Edomites (descendants of Esau) suffered all the years of their lives, out of the Will of God.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 33:10-14 “And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. [11] Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. [12] And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. [13] And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. [14] Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.”
Limping Jacob is in a position where he can only walk softly.
When we are broken down by God, and touched with the circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit, we become completely God-dependent. All self reliance is thrown out of the window. The Holy Spirit circumcises, and keeps us dead to all self-effort and self-will. We stay directly in the Will of God.
We conclude our reading:
Genesis 33:15-20 “And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord. [16] So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. [17] And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. [18] And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city. [19] And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. [20] And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.”
He continued exactly what his grandfather (Abraham) began. Jacob has now become an altar builder. The altar is a type of the Cross. In today’s parlance , you can say Jacob began to preach the Cross.
Let the Word of God come and transform you into the Word. Believe and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Let Him change your name through circumcision, in Christ!
Limping Jacob meets Esau.
He is no longer Jacob. He is no longer the schemer, the man who deceived his father for a blessing. He has now been humbled by God. He has been wrestled down, touched, and raised in a new man. A man leaning on God in humility.
The journey is now no longer his but God’s. He has only one hope, and that’s in God, and it’s all that he needs.
In fear, still learning to take his new position as Israel, he meets his brother.
Let’s read:
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. [2] And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. [3] And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. [4] And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.”
As God was wrestling down Jacob, he was simultaneously working on the heart of Esau. Esau did not come to Jacob as a foe but as a friend, as a brother.
The Lord will turn our enemies to friends if we allow Him to wrestle us down and mark us with His Spirit.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 33:5-9 “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. [6] Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. [7] And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. [8] And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. [9] And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.”
Esau was not in need of physical things. Esau like Jacob was a seed of Abraham but will not line himself up with the Word of God yet the blessings of Abraham reached Esau.
Some may be blessed not because they are walking with God but because a kinsmen or family member from some generation past walked with God. Some men and women living in sin today continue to enjoy the blessings of God unto their parents and great grand parents. Note that those blessings don’t last because the Edomites (descendants of Esau) suffered all the years of their lives, out of the Will of God.
We continue our reading:
Genesis 33:10-14 “And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. [11] Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it. [12] And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. [13] And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. [14] Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.”
Limping Jacob is in a position where he can only walk softly.
When we are broken down by God, and touched with the circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit, we become completely God-dependent. All self reliance is thrown out of the window. The Holy Spirit circumcises, and keeps us dead to all self-effort and self-will. We stay directly in the Will of God.
We conclude our reading:
Genesis 33:15-20 “And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord. [16] So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. [17] And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. [18] And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before the city. [19] And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. [20] And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.”
He continued exactly what his grandfather (Abraham) began. Jacob has now become an altar builder. The altar is a type of the Cross. In today’s parlance , you can say Jacob began to preach the Cross.
Let the Word of God come and transform you into the Word. Believe and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Let Him change your name through circumcision, in Christ!
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