Genesis 33
Genesis 33. Rise Up and Go to Your Brother
33 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.
10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.
When Jacob Met His Brother Face to Face
Jacob looked up and saw him there.
400 men in the open air.
Fear ones louder than his breath.
Now bow step by step.
Seven times to the ground he fell.
A changed man where he once had fled.
No longer grasping what he could take.
Just mercy in the place of age.
The night he marked him with a limb,
but grace was waiting in the distance.
And he ran to meet me, arms wide, tears on his face.
The past did not defeat me. Mercy took its place.
Like seeing the face of God and the one I feared the most.
What I thought would end in judgment became a holy hope.
I have enough. The brother said blessing not in rivalry now.
What was stolen? What was broken? Peace was speaking louder somehow.
Take the gift Jacob replied. for God has dealt me graciously.
From rivalry to humility, from fear to generosity.
When God changes the heart within, he changes how we meet again.
He ran to meet me, arms wide, tears on his face.
The past did not defeat me. Mercy took its place.
Like seeing the face of God in the one I fear the most.
What I thought would end in judgment. Became a holy hope.
We walked apart but not in war. Peace does not demand control.
God can heal without restoring every road we used to know.
He fills altars after stones. Calls his people back to him.
Grace can mend what years have to let new chapters begin.
He ran to meet me. Arms wide, tears on his face.
The past did not defeat me. Mercy took its place.
Like seeing the face of God in forgiveness undeserved.
The God who changed me in the night was faithful to his word.
So I will walk in peace with the lamb you gave to me.
Marked by grace and finally free.
Rick McCollum
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