The messengers returned to Ya‘akov saying,
“We went to your brother ‘Esav, and he is coming to meet you;
with him are four hundred men.”
Jacob became greatly afraid and distressed.
-Genesis 32:7-8
It’s important to keep in mind that Jacob was now quite an old man at this time in his life.
Depending on which chronology you use, he could have been anywhere from between 90 to 100 years old.
He was far from the feisty and scheming person that had deceived his father and brother and consequently fled for his life.
At this point, having gone through the ups and downs of marriage, child rearing, and many long years of labor out in the fields, no doubt he had matured greatly.
However, he still had some growing to do.
He still hadn’t reached that point of full maturation characterized by one who has faithfully placed his life 100% in God’s hands.
In order to become the man God had created him to be and secure the future, the next step was to face the demons of his past.
It had been 20 long years since he had swindled his brother.
Everything that had happened to him since he obtained his birthright and parental blessing by doubtful means was tainted by the heavy burden of guilt and the enmity of his brother.
The time had come for Jacob to face his own past by reconciling with his brother, the one who had sworn to kill him.
There are two important takeaways here, one personal and one historical.
On a personal level, just as Jacob has to face the demons of the past to secure his future, so must we.
What parts of your past have you been running away from that you know you need to deal with?
Is there someone with whom you need to reconcile?
Seek God in prayer about this.
Ask Him to reveal the parts of your past you need to deal with in order to grow in your walk with Him.
As difficult as it may be, know that you cannot move forward into the future if you are still chained by guilt from what occurred in the past.
On a historical level, the reason for the conflict in the Middle East is because two brothers have yet to reconcile with each other.
It may never happen until the Messiah returns.
But know that through the power and love of Yeshua’s Spirit, reconciliation is happening in many parts of the world today.
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