Woven

I pray yesterday’s content was meaningful to you. I’m also praying the story line of our Patriarch family is more understandable to you now. All the names, the setbacks, the blessings, are a lot to keep up with. I believe we will benefit from attempting to comprehend it all more clearly.

After the scene in Genesis 32, Jacob proceeded on his journey to meet back up with Esau. Scripture makes it sound like the meeting happened immediately. Genesis 33:1 says, Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming….

That is a quick shift! I know you remember things were not well at all in relationship between Jacob and Esau when they were last together. Esau was furious, and he had reason to be. Jacob had schemed and stolen from him. Their reunion, though, was a sweet one.

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Genesis 33:4

This particular spot in Scripture leaves me with so many questions. I wish we could somehow see what the years leading up to this meeting looked like for Esau. How was he able to forgive Jacob when Jacob hadn’t even asked for or earned his forgiveness?

Y’all, I don’t want to add to scripture, but I don’t think we can move beyond this point without noticing the importance of unity and forgiveness. We live in such a divisive time. People live at war with each other and cite Biblical reason why division is warranted. Yet, here in scripture, we see Esau with justifiable reason to be unforgiving. We haven’t seen Jacob open his mouth and ask for forgiveness. Yet, Esau ran to him and embraced him. I’m just saying that I wish I could peek in at the journey that led Esau to this point. That kind of forgiveness doesn’t come naturally, so I wish I could see Esau’s wrestling match. Realistically, he'd done some internal work to be able to receive Jacob with love.

Journal – Is there someone you are withholding forgiveness from? I am sure it’s warranted. I know that people hurt, abuse, and misuse. Over and over in scripture, though, we are called to forgive. We will not be able to live out the abundance of the life planned for us if we can’t let go of the bitterness we hold for other people. Would you consider writing about your unforgiveness today? Would you consider giving it to God?

I recently read Lysa Terkeurst’s new book on forgiveness. She described an activity her therapist asked her to do. On small index cards, she wrote out events and actions that were hurtful to her that no one ever apologized for. One item was listed on each card, and she laid them across the floor. Then, she made small, red cards to lay over each offense. As she put the red card on top of the other, she would say, “For every place where there has been hurt and the other seems not to care, the blood of Christ is enough to cover.”

What a powerful activity! Even if you aren’t able to cover your floor with index cards, take some time to ask Jesus how He would like for you to respond today.

In Genesis 35, Jacob and Rachel had one more son, Benjamin. Rachel died in childbirth. The drama of it all is almost too much to bear. Before we end today, I just want to show you one more thing in Scripture that is impactful to me. Look at the way the Bible describes what Jacob did after the birth of his last child and the death of his wife,

And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. (Gen. 35:20-21)

Now, I don’t know if we are supposed to read it as I’ve bolded it. I find it interesting that Jacob buried Rachel, but Israel journeyed on. In my own life, I know there have been times when it was necessary to bury something and journey on. The newness of life that God was offering during different seasons required me to bury some things significant from my past; a relationship, a location, or a job/career. In order for new things to be born, old things have to die. And, I just wonder if this piece of scripture was written with that idea in place. Jacob had been renamed Israel, but it would be his choice whether or not he journeyed under the new name.

We have the same choice. God is always doing new things. That's the story of redemption. Will you (will I) believe Him and journey beyond the names that keep us from living in abundance, in the freedom that Christ offers?

Father God, life is so, so hard! There’s hurt in relationship, death, and trauma at every turn. Yet, you continue to call us to live abundantly. We want to, but sometimes we don’t know how. Please use the lessons we’ve learned from the Patriarchs to guide us to life in You. We know and trust that You desire for us to live in personal relationship with You just like they did. Continue to draw us into that intimacy.