GENESIS 32
13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease himwith the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp – Genesis 32:13-21
GENESIS 32 JACOB’S GENEROUS GIFTS FOR ESAU
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
After Jacob’s fervent prayer to God, he prepared his gifts
He wanted to share as much wealth as he had for Esau
So, he asked his servants to lead 400 animals ahead
This way, Esau will see all these gifts before he saw Jacob
This was Jacob’s way of appeasing his brother
So, he can make up for what he did to him in the past.
It was such a generous act that Jacob did in this account. He planned to appease his brother Esau with these gifts. He longed to go back home to his family and make amends with Esau so that he can be forgiven for what he did. It truly shows what God has done in Jacob’s heart. He acknowledged his sin and wanted to make things right with his brother.
What is also remarkable here is Jacob’s generosity. He shared all the bounty he received from the Lord. God prospered him and he shared it with his brother.
REFLECTION
- Does generosity come second nature to us humans? Why or why not?
