God’s Way

 Genesis 27: 41-45

“41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebekah, so she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran, 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45 until your brother’s anger against you turns away, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

If you were raised in a family with other siblings, I am sure at on time or another you thought your mother or father showed favoritism to one of the other siblings.

Esau must have felt the same way.  Rebekah seemed always to be doting on Jacob.  Now their plotting and scheming had resulted in a real injustice to Esau.

Rebekah and Jacob stole the blessing that was rightfully Esau’s.  Rebekah and Jacob’s deception resulted in Esau hating Jacob and swearing to kill him when Isaac died.

In this story of Jacob and Esau, we are reminded of the story of Cain.  The outcome of the story of Cain and Abel was the death of Abel at the hands of Cain.   

In the story of Jacob and Esau, God intervened and brought peace between them.

God’s way is the way of peace and unity.

May the love of Christ be with you, 

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)