Day 13: Genesis 30-33

If I was going to pick an overriding theme or idea of these 4 chapters I think it would be reconciliation.

Jacob is quite the conniver (is that a word?). Anyway, I think he may have met his match in Laban. Over the years Laban has treated Jacob pretty unfairly, it seems, and Jacob took it without complaint. Through it all, God watched over Jacob and took care of him and even made him rich. The end of chapter 31 finds Laban and Jacob making a covenant. It seems they are reconciling.

Chapters 32&33 record the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau. Jacob seems to be pretty scared...rightfully, I think. He isn't sure how he will be received by Esau. It's been a long time (maybe 20-25 years) and Jacob left having cheated Esau out of his father's blessing. They make peace, but it's not like they ended up bosom buddies. They kind of go their separate ways but at least they let each other live in peace.

It seems to me that Jacob experiences both sides of forgiveness. He gives forgiveness to Laban and he receives forgiveness from Esau. I wonder if his experience with Laban wasn't a lesson to him of what it was like to be on the receiving end of deception. Maybe because of his years of working for Laban he was better able to understand Esau. So...when he approaches Esau, he does so humbly, offering gifts. He's afraid but he goes through with it.

Reconciliation is hard. Sometimes it's costly. It puts us in uncomfortable situations. But it's what God wants us to do. Because I've received forgiveness, I should offer forgiveness...whether it's accepted or not.