Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men…
Here it is. The big showdown.
But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.
Aww. It’s all happiness and butterflies. How sweet.
“Who are these with you?”
“They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
Now surely Esau gets a little bit of a sinking feeling here, because it’s obvious that Jacob is reaping the benefits of the family blessing, and his own family is large and growing. And Esau was so close to having all that for himself. So close. However, Jacob introduces his family, and everyone maintains their humility and shows Esau the greatest of respect, and everything stays calm.
“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.”
Oh, ha. He’s funny. Because he did just see God and everything. Get it?
“Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
“So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly…”
Instead of heading home all together, Jacob explains that his animals have a lot of young, so they need to take their time and come slow.
“Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?”
And while Jacob is glad to see his brother, and be received favorably, he also knows that he must remain separate from him. Since Esau has intermarried with other cultures, it’s all the more important for Jacob to keep his family pure, and not get mixed up with Esau’s family.
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock.
As he said, Jacob is taking it slow, and sets up a temporary camp while he tends to the flock and lets some of the younger animals mature for the rest of the trip.
…he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city…There he set up an altar…
Jacob has grown up, and realizes the importance of some things. Like an altar. And so he continues the tradition, and sets one up. Follow the altars, track the family.
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