Learning How to Reconcile from Jacob (Genesis 32)
from the Cornerstone NIV Ultrathin Reference Bible Many of you know the story of Jacob and Esau. Esau was the oldest and favored by his father since he was a hunter. Jacob was the “younger” twin who was favored by his mother. Jacob’s delivery into this world attached to Esau’s heel was a foreshadowing of the trouble to come. When Esau came home famished after an apparently unsuccessful hunting expedition, he encountered chef Jacob cooking up some stew. With a combination of hunger, weariness and the delicious aroma filling his nostrils, Esau’s brain wasn’t operating on all cylinders and he agreed to a terrible exchange. In one minute, Esau’s birthright was gone and a hot, steamy stew was in his hands. As Isaac, their father, got quite old, he desired to bless the boys. Before he did, he wanted Esau to go out hunting and to bring him back some savory fresh meat to enjoy. So, Esau departed. Little did he or Isaac know that Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mom and Isaac’s wife, ove...