00:00:06 Have you ever been the victim of oppression or injustice?
00:00:11 Have you been angered by something
00:00:13 someone has said or done?
00:00:16 Who of us hasn’t?
00:00:18 In situations like that,
00:00:20 people who don’t know Jehovah
00:00:22 often react in a way that’s far from peaceful.
00:00:26 They retaliate; they fight;
00:00:29 they hit back.
00:00:31 But we know that Jehovah sees what happened,
00:00:35 and he can set matters straight.
00:00:38 We’re wise to remember the words of Jesus:
00:00:41 “Happy are the mild-tempered.”
00:00:44 “Happy are the peacemakers.”
00:00:48 The Bible describes a man who remained mild and peaceable
00:00:53 in some extremely difficult and stressful situations.
00:00:57 Repeatedly, he chose not to fight,
00:01:01 preferring a course that led to peace.
00:01:05 That man was Jacob.
00:01:09 Jacob learned from the peaceful example
00:01:12 of his father, Isaac.
00:01:15 There was a famine in the land,
00:01:17 and Isaac moved his family to Gerar,
00:01:20 which was ruled by Abimelech, king of the Philistines.
00:01:25 Let’s read about the problems that arose
00:01:28 and see how Isaac dealt with them.
00:01:31 Please turn to Genesis 26:12.
00:01:38 “And Isaac began to sow seed in that land,
00:01:41 “and in that year he reaped
100 times what he sowed,
00:01:46 “for Jehovah was blessing him.
00:01:49 “The man became wealthy,
00:01:52 “and he continued to prosper until he became very wealthy.
00:01:57 “He acquired flocks of sheep and herds of cattle
00:02:01 “and a large body of servants,
00:02:03 “and the Philistines began to envy him.
00:02:07 “So the Philistines took soil
00:02:10 “and stopped up all the wells that his father’s servants had dug
00:02:14 “in the days of Abraham.
00:02:17 “Abimelech then said to Isaac:
00:02:20 “‘Move from our neighborhood, for you have grown far stronger than we are.’
00:02:24 “So Isaac moved from there and encamped in the valley of Gerar
00:02:29 “and began dwelling there.
00:02:32 “And Isaac again dug the wells
00:02:35 “that had been dug in the days of his father Abraham
00:02:38 “but that the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham’s death,
00:02:43 “and he called them by the names that his father had given them.
00:02:48 “When the servants of Isaac were digging in the valley,
00:02:52 “they found a well of fresh water.
00:02:55 “And the shepherds of Gerar
00:02:57 “began quarreling with the shepherds of Isaac, saying:
00:03:02 “‘The water is ours!’
00:03:04 “So he named the well Esek,
00:03:07 “because they had quarreled with him.
00:03:10 “And they started digging another well,
00:03:13 “and they began quarreling over it also.
00:03:16 “So he named it Sitnah.
00:03:18 “Later he moved away from there and dug another well,
00:03:22 “but they did not quarrel over it.
00:03:25 “So he named it Rehoboth and said:
00:03:29 “‘It is because now Jehovah has given us ample room
00:03:33 “and has made us fruitful in the land.’
00:03:36 “Then he went up from there to Beersheba.
00:03:40 “That night Jehovah appeared to him and said:
00:03:44 “‘I am the God of your father Abraham.
00:03:47 “‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you,
00:03:51 “‘and I will bless you and multiply your offspring
00:03:55 on account of Abraham my servant.’”
00:03:59 The Philistines, motivated by envy,
00:04:02 stop up all the wells that Abraham had dug,
00:04:06 and the king asks Isaac to move from the neighborhood.
00:04:11 Isaac now has a decision to make.
00:04:14 Perhaps some encourage him to stay put.
00:04:17 Think about how they might have reasoned:
00:04:21 ‘You’ve done nothing wrong, Isaac.
00:04:23 ‘Jehovah told you that you and your offspring
00:04:27 ‘would possess the land.
00:04:29 ‘You have nothing to fear.
00:04:31 ‘You have many servants,
00:04:33 ‘and they’re stronger than the Philistines.
00:04:36 ‘Why not hit back
00:04:39 against those who have done this to your wells?’
00:04:43 In this situation, what would you have done?
00:04:48 Isaac chooses a peaceful course.
00:04:51 He decides to move on.
00:04:54 This is not easy.
00:04:57 Isaac has many servants
00:05:00 and flocks of sheep and herds of cattle.
00:05:04 He has tilled the ground and planted seed,
00:05:08 and it’s produced plentifully,
00:05:11 but he leaves that behind and moves on.
00:05:17 But Isaac’s troubles are not over.
00:05:21 In his new location, his servants dig wells
00:05:24 and find fresh water.
00:05:27 But the shepherds in that area say:
00:05:29 “The water is ours!”
00:05:32 Isaac then digs another well,
00:05:35 but the local shepherds quarrel about that one too.
00:05:39 Again, instead of fighting over the matter,
00:05:43 Isaac moves and finally finds a place
00:05:48 where he can reside in peace.
00:05:52 Jacob saw that his father’s peaceful actions
00:05:56 had a good effect,
00:05:58 and he knew that Isaac had received Jehovah’s blessing.
00:06:04 What’s the lesson?
00:06:06 Parents, never underestimate the powerful effect
00:06:11 your good example can have on your children.
00:06:17 Jacob has a twin brother, Esau.
00:06:21 Of the two, Esau is born first,
00:06:24 but Jehovah foretells that—contrary to custom—
00:06:28 the older Esau will serve his younger brother.
00:06:34 Jehovah foresees what kind of personalities they’ll develop,
00:06:38 and he knows that Esau will have little appreciation
00:06:42 for spiritual matters.
00:06:45 This becomes evident
00:06:47 when Esau exchanges his right as firstborn
00:06:51 for a mere bowl of stew,
00:06:54 sealing the matter with an oath.
00:06:58 But something more is involved.
00:07:01 In selling the birthright, he also gives up the right
00:07:06 to receive a prophetic blessing from his father.
00:07:10 Years pass, Isaac has grown old,
00:07:15 and he decides it’s time to impart
00:07:18 the blessing to his firstborn.
00:07:21 He may not know that Esau had sold his right as firstborn.
00:07:26 In any case, he tells Esau that he will bless him
00:07:31 but asks him first
00:07:33 to provide him with a tasty dish
00:07:36 of fresh game from the field.
00:07:40 Rebekah, the twins’ mother, overhears this conversation
00:07:45 and persuades Jacob to impersonate his twin brother
00:07:50 while Esau is out hunting.
00:07:52 The plan is successful.
00:07:55 Isaac unwittingly blesses Jacob!
00:07:59 Esau, at learning of this, is furious.
00:08:03 Let’s take up the account
00:08:05 from Genesis 27:41.
00:08:11 “However, Esau harbored animosity against Jacob
00:08:16 “because of the blessing his father had given him,
00:08:19 “and Esau kept saying in his heart:
00:08:22 “‘The days of mourning for my father are getting closer.
00:08:27 “After that I am going to kill Jacob my brother.’
00:08:32 “When the words of her older son Esau were told to Rebekah,
00:08:36 “she at once sent for her younger son Jacob
00:08:40 “and said to him: ‘Look!
00:08:43 “‘Your brother Esau is planning to take revenge by killing you.
00:08:47 “‘Now, my son, do as I say.
00:08:50 “‘Get up and run away to my brother Laban at Haran.
00:08:54 “‘Dwell with him for a while
00:08:56 “‘until your brother’s rage calms down,
00:09:00 “‘until your brother’s anger toward you subsides
00:09:03 “‘and he forgets what you have done to him.
00:09:07 “‘Then I will send for you from there.
00:09:10 “Why should I lose both of you in one day?’
00:09:14 “After that Rebekah kept saying to Isaac:
00:09:18 “‘I am disgusted with my life because of the daughters of Heth.
00:09:23 “‘If Jacob ever takes a wife from the daughters of Heth,
00:09:26 “‘like these daughters of the land,
00:09:28 “what good is my life?’
00:09:31 “So Isaac called Jacob
00:09:33 “and blessed him and commanded him, saying:
00:09:37 “‘You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
00:09:41 “‘Go away to Paddanaram
00:09:43 “‘to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father,
00:09:46 “‘and from there take for yourself a wife
00:09:49 “‘from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
00:09:53 “‘God Almighty will bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you,
00:09:58 “‘and you will certainly become a congregation of peoples.
00:10:01 “‘And he will give to you the blessing of Abraham,
00:10:05 “‘to you and to your offspring with you,
00:10:07 “‘so that you may take possession of the land where you have been living as a foreigner,
00:10:12 “which God has given to Abraham.’
00:10:15 “So Isaac sent Jacob away,
00:10:18 “and he departed for Paddanaram,
00:10:21 “to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramaean,
00:10:24 the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.”
00:10:30 Jacob’s parents tell him to travel to his uncle, Laban,
00:10:34 to find a wife.
00:10:36 Of course, the core issue
00:10:39 is the problem with Esau.
00:10:42 Recall that earlier, Isaac had a problem with the Philistines
00:10:47 —a problem that evidently could not be settled peacefully.
00:10:51 So, what did Isaac do?
00:10:55 He moved on.
00:10:57 Now Jacob faces a similar situation.
00:11:01 His brother is seething with anger,
00:11:05 so Jacob leaves.
00:11:08 It means leaving his home and his family;
00:11:11 it means making a long journey to a distant land.
00:11:17 Jacob could have chosen to stand his ground.
00:11:21 He owns the birthright.
00:11:23 He could argue the matter with his father and mother:
00:11:26 ‘I’m no child. I’m 77 years old!’
00:11:31 Jacob does none of those things.
00:11:34 The Bible simply says:
00:11:36 “Jacob obeyed his father and his mother
00:11:40 and departed.”
00:11:42 What’s the lesson?
00:11:44 When we face a situation
00:11:47 that can’t be settled peacefully,
00:11:50 we probably won’t need to flee for our lives to a distant land.
00:11:55 Sometimes, however, it is the course of wisdom
00:11:59 to walk away from a situation.
00:12:03 Proverbs 17:14 says:
00:12:07 “Beginning a fight is like opening a floodgate;
00:12:12 before the quarrel breaks out, take your leave.”
00:12:18 While Jacob is on his way to his uncle,
00:12:21 Jehovah appears to Jacob in a dream
00:12:25 and assures him of his support and protection.
00:12:30 That does not mean
00:12:32 that Jacob’s troubles are over.
00:12:35 At the journey’s end, he moves in with his uncle’s household.
00:12:40 In time, a situation arises again
00:12:44 that shows that Jacob
00:12:46 is a man who loves peace.
00:12:49 Let’s read about it from Genesis 29:16.
00:12:57 “Now Laban had two daughters.
00:12:59 “The name of the older was Leah,
00:13:02 “and the name of the younger, Rachel.
00:13:05 “But the eyes of Leah had no luster,
00:13:08 “whereas Rachel had become
00:13:10 “a very attractive and beautiful woman.
00:13:14 “Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, so he said:
00:13:18 “‘I am willing to serve you seven years
00:13:21 “for your younger daughter Rachel.’
00:13:24 “To this Laban said:
00:13:26 “‘It is better for me to give her to you than to give her to another man.
00:13:31 “Keep dwelling with me.’
00:13:33 “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel,
00:13:37 “but in his eyes they were like just a few days
00:13:41 “because of his love for her.
00:13:44 “Then Jacob said to Laban:
00:13:47 “‘Give over my wife because my days are up,
00:13:50 “and let me have relations with her.’
00:13:53 “With that Laban gathered all the men of the place
00:13:57 “and made a feast.
00:13:59 “But during the evening, he resorted to taking his daughter Leah
00:14:04 “and bringing her to him that he might have relations with her.
00:14:08 “Laban also gave his female servant Zilpah
00:14:12 “to his daughter Leah as a servant.
00:14:15 “In the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah!
00:14:20 “So he said to Laban:
00:14:22 “‘What have you done to me?
00:14:24 “‘Was it not for Rachel that I served you?
00:14:27 “Why have you tricked me?’
00:14:30 “To this Laban said:
00:14:32 “‘It is not our custom here to give the younger woman before the firstborn.
00:14:37 “‘Celebrate the week of this woman.
00:14:40 “‘After that you will also be given this other woman
00:14:42 “in exchange for serving me seven more years.’
00:14:47 “Jacob did so and celebrated the week of this woman,
00:14:51 “after which he gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife.
00:14:55 “Besides, Laban gave his female servant Bilhah
00:14:59 to his daughter Rachel as her servant.”
00:15:03 Jacob has reason to be upset.
00:15:07 He had arranged with Laban
00:15:09 to work seven years for Rachel.
00:15:12 At the end of the seven years,
00:15:15 a wedding feast is arranged.
00:15:18 But the heavily-veiled woman brought in to him
00:15:21 is not Rachel;
00:15:23 it’s Leah!
00:15:25 Imagine how shocked Jacob must have been!
00:15:30 Instead of admitting to his deceit,
00:15:33 Laban gives an excuse.
00:15:36 What thoughts come to Jacob’s mind?
00:15:39 Does he consider that Jehovah might be working out his promise
00:15:44 to make Jacob’s offspring plentiful
00:15:47 “like the dust particles of the earth”?
00:15:50 We don’t know.
00:15:52 As it turns out, Leah bears him six sons,
00:15:57 including Levi and Judah
00:16:00 —family heads of the two most honored tribes of Israel.
00:16:06 Of course, Jacob couldn’t have foreknown this.
00:16:10 Still, Jacob the peacemaker
00:16:13 accepts Leah
00:16:15 and goes along with Laban’s outrageous request
00:16:20 that he work an additional seven years for Rachel.
00:16:25 What’s the lesson?
00:16:27 It’s disappointing when others
00:16:30 don’t hold to their agreements.
00:16:33 Like Jacob, can we find it in our hearts
00:16:38 to forgive and find a way to preserve peace with them?
00:16:44 Jacob serves Laban
00:16:46 for 14 years for his two wives,
00:16:50 and he works for Laban another 6 years
00:16:53 for a flock of his own.
00:16:56 Finally, at Jehovah’s direction,
00:16:59 he gathers his family along with his animals
00:17:03 and, without informing Laban, he leaves for home.
00:17:08 When Laban learns of this, he is furious!
00:17:12 He chases and catches up with Jacob.
00:17:16 This is a dangerous situation,
00:17:19 one that can easily turn violent.
00:17:23 Imagine how it might have been:
00:17:26 Jacob had come to a mountainous region.
00:17:30 Possibly it’s morning, and the air is cool.
00:17:34 There are the sounds and smells of animals
00:17:37 —sheep, donkeys, camels; there are many.
00:17:42 The servants attend to them,
00:17:45 getting them ready for the day’s journey.
00:17:48 But then come cries of alarm.
00:17:52 Laban has come, and he’s not alone.
00:17:55 He arrives with strong men.
00:17:58 They gallop in on camels; they dismount.
00:18:02 This is not a friendly visit.
00:18:06 Laban’s men are ready to obey orders from Laban.
00:18:11 Jacob’s servants quickly gather to the scene.
00:18:14 All eyes are fixed on Laban and Jacob,
00:18:18 who argue.
00:18:20 The previous night, Jehovah had warned Laban in a dream
00:18:25 to be careful about what he’d say to Jacob.
00:18:29 Still, Laban is angry and aggressive.
00:18:35 Laban makes two charges.
00:18:38 First, he says: “Why have you resorted to outwitting me
00:18:43 “and carrying my daughters off like captives
00:18:46 “taken by the sword?
00:18:48 “Why did you run away secretly
00:18:50 and outwit me and not tell me?”
00:18:55 The answer to that charge is obvious.
00:18:58 Jacob replies:
00:19:00 “It was because I was afraid,
00:19:02 “for I said to myself,
00:19:04 ‘You might take your daughters away from me by force.’”
00:19:09 Laban also charges that Jacob has stolen
00:19:13 his household gods.
00:19:15 Rachel has indeed stolen the gods,
00:19:19 but Jacob knows nothing about this.
00:19:22 A search is made, but the idols are not found.
00:19:27 Jacob then makes his defense.
00:19:29 Let’s take up our reading
00:19:31 at Genesis 31:36.
00:19:37 “At that Jacob became angry
00:19:40 “and began to criticize Laban.
00:19:43 “Jacob then said to Laban:
00:19:46 “‘What is my offense, and for what sin are you hotly pursuing me?
00:19:51 “‘Now that you have searched through all my goods,
00:19:54 “‘what have you found that belongs to your house?
00:19:57 “‘Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers,
00:20:00 “‘and let them decide between the two of us.
00:20:04 “‘During these 20 years that I have been with you,
00:20:07 “‘your sheep and your goats never miscarried,
00:20:10 “‘and I never ate the rams of your flock.
00:20:14 “‘I did not bring you any animal torn by wild beasts.
00:20:18 “‘I would stand the loss of it myself.
00:20:21 “‘Whether the animal was stolen by day or was stolen by night,
00:20:26 “‘you would demand compensation from me.
00:20:29 “‘By day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night,
00:20:34 “‘and sleep would flee from my eyes.
00:20:37 “‘This makes 20 years for me in your house.
00:20:41 “‘I have served you 14 years for your two daughters
00:20:45 “‘and 6 years for your flock,
00:20:47 “‘and you kept changing my wages ten times.
00:20:51 “‘If the God of my father, the God of Abraham
00:20:55 “‘and the One whom Isaac fears,
00:20:57 “‘had not been on my side,
00:21:00 “‘you would now have sent me away empty-handed.
00:21:03 “‘God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands,
00:21:07 “and that is why he reproved you last night.’
00:21:11 “Then Laban answered Jacob:
00:21:13 “‘The daughters are my daughters and the children my children
00:21:18 “‘and the flock my flock,
00:21:20 “‘and everything you are looking at
00:21:22 “‘is mine and my daughters’.
00:21:26 “‘What can I do today against these or against their children
00:21:30 “‘whom they have borne?
00:21:33 “‘Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I,
00:21:37 “and it will serve as a witness between us.’
00:21:40 “So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
00:21:45 “Then Jacob said to his brothers: ‘Pick up stones!’
00:21:50 “And they took stones and made a pile.
00:21:53 “After that they ate there on the pile of stones.
00:21:58 “And Laban began calling it Jegarsahadutha,
00:22:01 “but Jacob called it Galeed.
00:22:04 “Laban then said:
00:22:06 “‘This pile of stones is a witness
00:22:09 “between me and you today.’
00:22:12 “That is why he named it Galeed, and the Watchtower,
00:22:16 “for he said:
00:22:18 “‘Let Jehovah keep watch between you and me
00:22:21 “‘when we are out of each other’s sight.
00:22:24 “‘If you mistreat my daughters
00:22:27 “‘and if you start taking wives in addition to my daughters,
00:22:31 “‘though there is no man with us,
00:22:33 “remember that God will be a witness between you and me.’
00:22:38 “Laban went on to say to Jacob:
00:22:41 “‘Here is this pile of stones,
00:22:44 “‘and here is the pillar that I have erected between you and me.
00:22:48 “‘This pile of stones is a witness,
00:22:51 “‘and the pillar is something that bears witness,
00:22:54 “‘that I will not pass beyond this pile of stones to bring harm to you
00:22:59 “‘and you will not pass beyond this pile of stones
00:23:02 “‘and this pillar to bring harm to me.
00:23:05 “‘Let the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor,
00:23:09 “the God of their father, judge between us.’
00:23:13 “And Jacob swore by the One
00:23:15 “whom his father Isaac fears.
00:23:19 “After that Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain
00:23:23 “and invited his brothers to eat bread.
00:23:27 “So they ate and spent the night in the mountain.
00:23:31 “However, Laban got up early in the morning
00:23:34 “and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them.
00:23:39 Then Laban departed and returned home.”
00:23:45 Jacob had served Laban faithfully for 20 years,
00:23:50 even though Laban had defrauded and exploited him.
00:23:54 Laban doesn’t acknowledge that
00:23:56 but, rather, dishonestly claims
00:23:59 that he is the rightful owner
00:24:01 of all that Jacob has with him.
00:24:04 Laban then suggests that they make a covenant of peace
00:24:09 ensuring that neither family will bring harm to the other.
00:24:14 Laban’s motive is not that he loves peace.
00:24:18 It might have been to ensure that Jacob will not return
00:24:22 with the household gods after Laban’s death
00:24:25 to deprive his sons of their inheritance.
00:24:29 In any case, Jacob agrees;
00:24:33 everyone relaxes;
00:24:35 there’s to be no violence.
00:24:38 And a monument is set up to memorialize the agreement.
00:24:43 Despite the many years of oppression,
00:24:47 Jacob agrees to a covenant of peace.
00:24:51 He does not harbor resentment or seek revenge.
00:24:56 That crisis is over for Jacob.
00:25:00 But now another one looms.
00:25:04 Jacob sends messengers to his brother.
00:25:07 They say that Jacob is returning
00:25:11 and that he seeks Esau’s favor.
00:25:14 The messengers return with the news that Esau is on his way to meet him
00:25:19 and with him are 400 men.
00:25:23 Oh, my!
00:25:25 Is Esau still angry?
00:25:28 Understandably, Jacob is worried.
00:25:31 He does not want to fight with his brother.
00:25:34 Let us see how he handles the situation.
00:25:37 Please turn to Genesis 32:13.
00:25:45 “And he spent the night there.
00:25:48 “Then he took some of his possessions
00:25:50 “as a gift for Esau his brother:
00:25:54 “200 female goats, 20 male goats,
00:25:59 “200 female sheep, 20 rams,
00:26:02 “30 camels nursing their young,
00:26:06 “40 cows, 10 bulls,
00:26:09 “20 female donkeys
00:26:11 “and 10 full-grown male donkeys.
00:26:15 “He handed them over to his servants,
00:26:18 “one drove after another,
00:26:20 “and he said to his servants:
00:26:23 “‘Cross over ahead of me,
00:26:25 “and you are to set a space between one drove and the next.’
00:26:30 “He also commanded the first one:
00:26:33 “‘In case Esau my brother should meet you and ask,
00:26:37 “‘“To whom do you belong, and where are you going,
00:26:40 “‘and to whom do these ahead of you belong?”
00:26:43 “‘then you should say, “To your servant Jacob.
00:26:47 “‘“It is a gift sent to my lord, to Esau,
00:26:51 “and look! he himself is also behind us.”’
00:26:55 “And he commanded also the second, the third,
00:26:58 “and all those following the droves:
00:27:01 “‘According to this word,
00:27:03 “‘you are to speak to Esau when you meet him.
00:27:07 “‘And you should also say,
00:27:09 ““Here is your servant Jacob behind us.”’
00:27:13 “For he said to himself:
00:27:15 “‘If I appease him by sending a gift ahead of me,
00:27:20 “‘then afterward when I see him,
00:27:23 he may give me a kindly reception.’”
00:27:28 Jacob wants peaceful relations with his brother.
00:27:32 He sends a generous gift —hundreds of animals—
00:27:36 to help make that possible.
00:27:39 Was Jacob weak-minded,
00:27:41 too cowardly to stand up to his brother?
00:27:44 Not at all!
00:27:46 Why, as the time neared for the meeting with Esau,
00:27:49 Jacob wrestles with an angel until dawn
00:27:52 to receive further assurance of Jehovah’s blessing.
00:27:57 Let’s now see what happens when the two brothers meet.
00:28:02 Please turn to Genesis 33:1.
00:28:08 “Now Jacob raised his eyes
00:28:11 “and saw Esau coming,
00:28:14 “and 400 men were with him.
00:28:17 “So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel,
00:28:21 “and the two female servants.
00:28:24 “He put the female servants and their children in front,
00:28:29 “Leah and her children after them,
00:28:32 “and Rachel and Joseph behind them.
00:28:35 “Then he himself went ahead of them
00:28:38 “and bowed down to the earth seven times
00:28:41 “as he came near to his brother.
00:28:44 “But Esau ran to meet him,
00:28:47 “and he embraced him and kissed him,
00:28:51 “and they burst into tears.
00:28:54 “When he raised his eyes and saw the women and the children,
00:28:58 “he said: ‘Who are these with you?’
00:29:01 “To which he said:
00:29:03 “‘The children with whom God has favored your servant.’
00:29:08 “At that the female servants came forward with their children
00:29:12 “and bowed down,
00:29:14 “and Leah too came forward with her children,
00:29:18 “and they bowed down.
00:29:20 “Then Joseph came forward with Rachel,
00:29:23 “and they bowed down.
00:29:25 “Esau said:
00:29:27 “‘What is the purpose of all this camp of travelers that I have met?’
00:29:31 “He replied: ‘In order to find favor
00:29:35 “in the eyes of my lord.’
00:29:37 “Then Esau said:
00:29:39 “‘I have a great many possessions, my brother.
00:29:43 “Keep what is yours.’
00:29:45 “However, Jacob said:
00:29:47 “‘No, please.
00:29:50 “‘If I have found favor in your eyes,
00:29:53 “‘you must take my gift from my hand,
00:29:56 “‘because I brought it so that I could see your face.
00:30:01 “‘And I have seen your face
00:30:04 “‘as though seeing God’s face,
00:30:07 “‘in that you received me with pleasure.
00:30:10 “‘Take, please,
00:30:12 “‘the gift conveying my blessing that was brought to you,
00:30:16 “‘for God has favored me
00:30:19 “and I have everything I need.’
00:30:23 And he continued to urge him, so that he took it.”
00:30:30 What a happy outcome!
00:30:32 Instead of an angry confrontation,
00:30:36 there is a joyful reunion.
00:30:38 The two men shed tears; they embrace.
00:30:42 Again, Jacob is the peacemaker.
00:30:47 How did he prove that?
00:30:49 He prayed, and he acted in harmony with his prayers.
00:30:53 He sent gifts.
00:30:55 He showed honor and respect to his brother, calling him lord
00:31:00 and bowing seven times.
00:31:03 What’s the lesson?
00:31:05 Doesn’t this account well illustrate
00:31:08 the extent to which we should be willing to go
00:31:11 to preserve peace with our Christian brothers and sisters?
00:31:16 We learn so much
00:31:19 about seeking peace from Jacob.
00:31:22 When threatened by his brother while living at home,
00:31:25 he moved away.
00:31:27 When deceived by Laban regarding Rachel and Leah,
00:31:31 he yielded.
00:31:33 When chased down and accused by Laban,
00:31:37 Jacob agreed to a covenant of peace.
00:31:40 And when confronting Esau, he offered a gift.
00:31:45 Keep in mind,
00:31:46 in none of these situations
00:31:48 was Jacob the one who needed to apologize.
00:31:52 Yet, throughout his life,
00:31:54 Jacob loved peace.
00:31:58 He relied on Jehovah,
00:32:01 and Jehovah blessed him.
00:32:03 Jehovah never forgot Jacob
00:32:06 and how he pursued peace
00:32:09 in his dealings with others.
00:32:11 When we do the same
00:32:14 —when we pursue peace in the face of injustice,
00:32:18 in the face of persecution,
00:32:21 in small issues as well as in big issues—
00:32:25 Jehovah will not forget us either.
00:32:28 Jehovah will richly bless us
00:32:31 if we love peace
00:32:33 just as Jacob loved peace.
