Truce and reconciliation (Genesis 33) – Rev. Andrew Schmidt

Now, inside, uh, your service outline, there's an, there's a sermon outline, and at the bottom, I've provided you with a little map.

I'm sure, I'm sorry it's so small, uh, but you'll see how it shows you Jacob is coming home from the northeasterly direction.

That's where Paddan Aram is in Syria.

Esau is coming up from the south, from a place called Seir, which is just to the southeast of the Dead Sea.

Uh, and they're going to meet a little way south from where Jacob wrestles with God at Penuel.

Uh, it's now the next morning after Jacob's night of wrestling with God.

He limps over the Jabbok River, and there he sees on the horizon is Esau coming with his 400 men.

Well, Jacob might have prayed, he might have prepared, but he's still petrified.

He arranges his family in groups.

The maidservants with their sons go in the front, uh, and precious Rachel and her only son, Joseph, at the back.

It's rather sad to see this pecking order, but at least Jacob himself went at the very front to face the music.

20 years on from the deception that he perpetrated that left Esau weeping and murderous, what will Esau say and do to his brother? We'll have a look at verse four.