It would be with no little trepidation that Jacob would meet up with his brother who vowed to kill him. As this great entourage assembled to meet Esau; placement of his family members was done to protect Joseph, at all costs, Jacob’s favorite son. To his great surprise and elation, Jacob’s prayer to God was heard and Esau had a change of heart. Instead of destruction and annihilation; their reunion was the cause for joy and celebration. Esau didn’t even want Jacob’s generous gifts and refuses them several times before finally accepting them. Peace and unity is restored among Isaac’s sons.
Genesis 33:4-11 KJV 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.
Though Esau wants them to live together in Seir; Jacob travels into Succoth instead; and resides near the city of Shalem, a city of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. He buys land from Hamor, king of Shechem, which is named after his son, Once again it should be noted that the patriarchs of old, were always building altars and sacrificing to the LORD. Here we see Jacob erecting an altar. Worship was at the forefront of their lives. This is an example to us today; that our worship, to the LORD, should be at the forefront of our lives as well.
Genesis 33:16-20 KJV 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 Elelohe-Israel.
The relationship between Jacob and Hamor starts out as a mutual blessing, until it is soured by the act of rape. Jacob’s daughter Dinah is raped by Hamor’s son Shechem. After defiling her, he wants her for his wife. This becomes a double affront. First, because of the rape; and secondly, cause Shechem is an uncircumcised infidel.
Genesis 34:1-4 KJV And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. (2) And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her. (3) And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel. (4) And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
Jacob has become a man of wisdom and he entertains Hamor’s desire to make peace; but his sons are wrought with anger about their sister being defiled. They want retribution, not peace.
Genesis 34:6-7 KJV And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him. (7) And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
Shechem is beside’s himself with affection for Dinah and his father is willing to pay any amount for his son to have her as his wife. This further enrages Jacob’s son’s. They come up with a price to be paid, but it is a deceitful plan. Hamor agrees to the demand that every male in his kingdom must be circumcised; including he and his son.
Genesis 34:14-16 KJV And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us: (15) But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised; (16) Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
Though Jacob’s son’s had deceit in their hearts, so did Hamor have an ulterior motive; as he looked to the wealth of Jacob that he hoped to become his own. And so, the king and every male in Shechem was circumcised.
Genesis 34:18-24 KJV And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son. (19) And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father. (20) And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, (21) These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. (22) Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. (23) Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us. (24) And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
Remember, Abraham was an old man when the LORD required him to circumcise himself and all of the males in his tribe, starting with his son Ishmael. The story was told many times around the evening camp fires, and in the fields; of the sickness and fever; that sets in about the third day after circumcising an adult man. The son’s of Jacob had a plan to take advantage of this weakness. On the third day, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi slew all of the men of Shechem; including Hamor and his son Shechem and took their sister back to their camp. Then they spoiled the city; taking the women and children as captives along with all of the city’s wealth of livestock and goods.
Genesis 34:25-29 KJV And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. (26) And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. (27) The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister. (28) They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, (29) And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
This was all done without Jacob’s knowledge and when he found out, he was furious. Now, all of the inhabitants of the land might unite and rise up against them and slaughter Jacob and all of his entire family.
Genesis 34:30 KJV And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
Once again God must intervene to rescue Jacob. He appears to Jacob and tells him to go to Bethel and to worship, by making an altar. There God appears to him and again tells Jacob that his name is to be called Israel. God then reaffirms one more time that the promises given to Abraham would be fulfilled through Israel.
Genesis 35:9-12 KJV And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. (10) And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. (11) And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; (12) And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
Prayer: Almighty God, Father in Heaven, you always make a way of escape for me. Praise and honor are to you alone. Give me the strength that I lack and the faith that is necessary to allow you to work in my life. I know that you will complete all that you have started in me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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