The account of Jacob meeting Esau in chapter 33 shows that Jacob’s prayer was answered. He had wrestled with God and had held on to God in faith until God blessed him. Now we see what that blessing looks like. As I have pointed out already, the advance of Esau against his brother represented Jacob’s ‘just desserts’. Certainly, Esau’s original intention in coming out to meet Jacob with 400 men was to attack his brother. He was going to make Jacob pay for what he did. So, Esau’s advance represented just judgement upon Jacob for all his previous sins. Jacob was about to reap what he had sowed. However, Jacob had procured God’s blessing, so now, instead of coming to him in judgement, Esau comes to him in kindness and favour with open arms. God changed Esau’s heart along the way; he caused Esau to accept Jacob’s gifts and put away his malice. This is a powerful picture of how things are with us. We too were under God’s judgement for our many wrongs. But when we took hold of Christ by faith things changed. We were forgiven. Now rather than coming to us with judgement, God comes to us with open arms. He comes to us with kindness and favour. So, right here at the beginning of the Bible, God is building a portrait of grace (undeserved favour). It is a concept unique to the Bible because there is only one source of grace and salvation: Jesus Christ.
Give thanks to God for his forgiveness and ask him to draw you closer to himself.
Read Genesis 33
