A Love of Surrender

Study: # 669 -CHURCHE IN THE HOUSES From: January 25 – 31, 2011 Theme: "A Love of Surrender" Genesis 33:1-9

Jacob spent 20 years far from Esau. Jacob fled from his brother from whom he took away his first born rights and the blessing given by their father Isaac years ago. Jacob took away all God’s blessing from Esau. In those days, that given blessing was not merely words, it was their faith, it was what they believed, what God had already declared. Jacob spent 20 years struggling to have a wife and children legally among his relatives. On the other hand, Esau took the easy way out; he took women from the Canaanites. Therefore, Esau had a great army while Jacob only had a small group of his family. Then, Jacob seemed to be the fragile one. He walked with his cattle, with his children and wives. As he was walking he looked up and saw his brother coming towards him. His brother was accompanied by 400 men. But, in Jacobs mind he only had a clear memory of having stolen Esau’s blessing. Maybe, Esau just wanted to impress Jacob, but the way he reacted toward Jacob seemed more as he wanted to help his brother and his family. In that moment Esau was not angry, he only felt a surrendering love for his brother. In verse 15 Esau said to him: "I will leave you some of the people that are with me.” And Jacob answered: "What for?" Jacob completely refused to let Esau help him. There was a guilty conscience in him so strong that made it so hard for him to receive so much love from his brother. Besides, there was the fear and suspicion that Esau’s men would kill his family in revenge, even if he wasn’t killed because their father Isaac was still alive. We can see that until this moment Jacob was acting as a simple man. Esau came to him with such love and strength of surrender toward his brother who had betrayed him. We must know that this attitude demonstrated Esau’s forgiveness. He forgave his brother and had no thoughts of revenge, even when he had lost what he most desired or what was so great for Abraham’s grandson: the blessing of the first born. Those who Jacob loved, his family, now received maximum protection on Esau’s behalf. However, Jacob did not trust his brother Esau completely; he still feared him as an enemy. But he honored him as the older brother that he was. He bowed down seven times before Esau. There is a saying that says: "The projectile passes over those who bend down." Let us see Esau’s love. Although he spent 20 years away from Esau he did not forget his brother but rather he went on loving him despite the treason he had suffered. Now he was reconciling with his brother with all his heart. While Jacob had many truces Esau surrendered his love, confidence, he did not claim anything; he was confident, kind and effusive. Esau ran to him and embraced him and threw his arms around his neck and kissed him and they cried. This is the way our hearts should always be. Esau acted with a reconciled heart. By strength there had to be an in that moment an admirable change in Esau’s spirit. God has in his hands the hearts of all men and can change them when and

how he wants by means of a secret and silent power, but irresistible. We can see that after being enemies they became friends by the power that is in God, not by human nature. They both cried. I don’t know who can cry of hypocrisy in a moment like this, if anyone does I cannot understand it, but I believe they both cried, they were brothers, they carried the same blood of their father whom they loved greatly. Jacob had a great discomfort in his life for a long time, the circumstances with his brother. Now he had peace. Glory to God! We must conquer. When we defeat the bad circumstances, we win. In Genesis 32:28 Jacob was told: "You have struggled with God and with men and you have succeeded." Jacob never gave up; it did not worry him to know that the hour of the battle had arrived. He fought, there was no weariness to stop, and he had to continue. Our problem is when we get tired of fighting, "at daybreak" and we surrender, we will not be able to see the triumph. Jacob fought with God for his blessing and he also fought with men for the blessing. In Jacob’s spiritual struggle he left the weapons of war and they were put aside that is why between him and his brother the warmest mutual signs of affection appeared. Jacob insisted in gifting Esau many times although Esau resisted at first. Those gifts were a sign of reconciliation. Although Esau did not see it as somewhat necessary, for Jacob It was; it was indeed necessary to pay his brother with something. That is why he succeeded. It is necessary for us to love one another, to struggle with love even if we live the bad circumstances; it is to love, to forgive and to be free. Amen.