Jacob packed up his tents after the eventful night and continued on his way, in effort to reach his childhood home, the promised land of Canaan. It was a hard journey, long and tiring. He traveled with all the children, his entire family, maidservants, menservants and huge herds of animals. God knew the travel was gruesome and he sent angels to meet and encourage Jacob. He was very relieved to see them and he named the place Mahanaim which meant two host because he felt there was an angel on his left and on his right. Although the angles were a comforting sight for Jacob, he still had fears about his travel ahead. He especially worried about his brother Esau and how he might still be angry about the circumstances he had caused before he fled. Though many years had passed, Jacob remembered how he had tricked their father Isaac into giving him the family blessing that rightly belonged to his older brother, Esau. He thought about the anger his brother had felt then, how he threatened to kill him over it. He remembered his mother warning him to run away until Esau's anger subsided. Jacob wasn't sure that day would ever come. He was afraid he was leading his family directly into trouble.
He decided to be cautious and send messengers on ahead to meet his brother in the land of Seir, in the country of Edom. Jacob commanded them to tell his brother that his servant Jacob has been staying with their uncle Laban, that he now owns many cattle, donkey, sheep, goats, menservants, and maidservants, and that he would like to ask for his favor in returning home.
The messengers went on ahead and God allowed them to be successful in finding Esau. Many days later, when they returned, they told Jacob they saw Esau, gave him the message and now Esau was insisting on coming out to meet him. Not only that, he was bringing along with him four hundred men. In great fear and distress Jacob divided his people and animals into two groups, deciding that if one group was attacked then the other one could possibly survive. Jacob then prayed. He prayed for God's protection. He prayed for God to stand by what he had promised when he commanded that he return to his country and to his relatives. Jacob knew he was unworthy but still he prayed God would save him from his brother Esau. He remembered God's promises to make him numerous as the sand of the sea, yet he was still very afraid.
Jacob thought up a plan to hopefully make a peaceful meeting with his brother. He gathered up a very fine gift of two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams, thirty female camels and their young, forty cows, ten bulls , twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. He put all of the animals in the care of his servants, each herd by itself. He commanded the servants to go ahead of him. He instructed them that when Esau approached they were to tell him the animals belong to his servant Jacob and they are sent ahead as a gift to his lord. He instructed the second and third and all the others who followed behind with the herds to do the same. He told them to tell Esau he was following behind. He hoped the gifts would pacify his brother's anger and he would accept them as a peace offering.
That night Jacob took his wives, maidservants, and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok River. After he sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So then he was left alone having not yet crossed himself. It was then, while he was alone on one side of the river that a man appeared. The man and Jacob wrestled all through the night, until daybreak. During the wrestle the man injured Jacob's hip so that it was wrenched. Upon daybreak the man told Jacob to let him go. But Jacob refused, claiming he would not let go until the man blessed him because he knew it was God. The man told Jacob, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but will now be Israel, because you have struggled not only with men but also with God and have overcome." The man then blessed Israel. Jacob called the place Peniel, saying he saw God face to face, yet his life was spared.(This encounter, as strange as it sounded, was an encounter with God that left evidence- a limp. From then on Israel was limping as he walked, and his family refused to eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip of any meat. This tradition carried on through out the Israelites generations. *The Israelites are the descendants of Israel who is Jacob)
Israel (Jacob) traveled on. Finally at one point when he looked up ahead he saw his brother Esau approaching in the distance. Immediately his heart began to race and he felt very scared but he knew the time had come to face his brother. He divided up his children between the maidservants and his wives. He sent the maidservants ahead first, then behind them was Leah and behind her was Rachel and Joseph. ( His most loved family members were of course behind all the rest. He never tried to hide his obvious favoritism for Rachel and Joseph.)
He himself went ahead and bowed down seven times as he approached his brother.
To Israel's complete surprise Esau did not approach in a rage or attack, but instead he ran straight toward him to meet him and he embarrassed him. He threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And there they wept. It was an emotional reunion. Years had passed, neither knew what to expect, but upon meeting the undeniable love between brothers pulled them together. The fear and exhaustion and all other emotions poured out into their embrace as they held each other for several moments.
Esau saw the women and children and asked his brother, "Who are these with you?"
Israel answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." The maidservants and the children approached and bowed down.
Esau thanked Israel for the gifts of herds that he had sent but insisted that he keep them, explaining that he had plenty of his own. But Israel pushed that Esau accept them explaining he wanted favor and for his entire family to be accepted graciously. Esau saw that his brother was pushing the gift as an apology so he relented and accepted the gifts. Then he offered to accompany Israel as they traveled on. But Israel explained that because there were so many young animals that had to be cared for, as well as young children, his pace would be way too slow for his brother. He asked Esau to allow him to turn down his offer to escort them and move at their own pace and then they could plan to catch up with him in Seir. Esau offered to leave some of his men to assist Jacob, but Jacob insisted Esau's favor would be more than enough. (On the surface Israel and Esau had reconciled. It seemed with the hugs and tears they had completely forgiven each other and everything was okay. Underneath the niceties, however, mistrust continued. Israel did not want Esau to accompany him , nor did he accept his protection, because he wasn't sure his brother was genuinely over his anger from before. He didn't feel that Esau could easily forget everything that had happened. So, instead of being honest with him, Israel let his brother think he was on his way to Seir, but instead he turned to Succoth as soon as Esau was out of sight.)
Israel traveled to Succoth. There he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. It was later on that he traveled on to Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. He bought a plot of ground where he pitched his tent, and there he sat up an altar to the Lord.
(Life question: Have you ever been so scared you thought you would surely die? Jacob thought he and his family were going to be killed by his brother. He prayed and prayed even though he didn't feel worthy of God's protection. His fear was overwhelming. How have you handled terror? Did you begin to pray? Did God ease your mind? Was your faith strong or weak during the moment? )