History Repeats Itself - Genesis 33:1,2

[Ben Avraham]

History Repeats Itself - Genesis 33:1,2

When Jacob was returning from Paddan Aram, where he had spent about 20 years working for his uncle Laban, and was approaching Canaan, he was told that his brother Esau was on his way with 400 men to meet him.

Jacob got so desperately anxious for his life and the lives of his family, that he spent the whole night fighting in prayer for a solution about what to do. If we remember, when he had left Canaan, his brother had promised to kill him for having stolen his blessing of the firstborn.

As Jacob looked up and saw his brother from afar off, he decided to divide his family in three groups. The only thing in his mind was that Esau would kill them all in revenge for what had happened 20 years ago.

So, in the first group, Jacob set his maidservants with their children, so that in case they got killed, the others behind could have a chance to escape. In the second group, he set Leah with her children, perhaps to safeguard the lives of Rachel, Joseph and himself, just in case.

Fortunately, for everyone's luck, Esau had changed his mind in the course of those 20 years and nothing drastic happened to anyone. However, everyone with the minimum of commonsense can see that this attitude of Jacob's was everything but fair.

But let's see how different Jesus did to prevent History from repeating itself. The text is in Matthew 26:36-39.

Soon after the Last Supper, as he sensed arrest, he took his disciples and fled to a hiding place in the Gethsemane. At the entrance of the Garden, he left eight of the disciples and told them to watch, and took farther inside the other three disciples: Peter, James and John. Perhaps he thought, if there was a fight, at least the second group would have a chance to escape. In another place farther in, he told the three disciples to stay put and watch, while he would go deeper inside to spend some time
in prayer.

Now, I have been wondering how much of these two cases have in common. One thing we can all be certain of: Both men, Jacob and Jesus were going through the same kind of anxieties in fear for their lives. Bear in mind that the parallel between the facts within the cases is astounding. Would it be appropriate to think of the eight disciples at the entrance of the Garden as the facsimile to the maidservants of Jacob with their children? How about the three disciples in the second group meant to represent Leah with her children? And scary of all, Jesus himself for Jacob with Rachel and Joseph? Luke does say that Jesus was indeed so anxious as to sweat even drops of blood. Anyway but... I don't think either case justifies the measures taken. Both sound too unfair. Any idea out there to set my mind at easy?

 

[Brickjectivity]

So, in the first group, Jacob set his maidservants with their children, so that in case they got killed, the others behind could have a chance to escape. In the second group, he set Leah with her children, perhaps to safeguard the lives of Rachel, Joseph and himself, just in case.

He sent first those whom Esau had the least ought against, along with gifts to mollify Esau. Then he sent those Esau may have disliked more, and they were all presented to Esau as gifts. Jacob was giving everything he had to his brother. When he finally arrived himself he bowed to his older brother.

As Jacob looked up and saw his brother from afar off, he decided to divide his family in three groups. The only thing in his mind was that Esau would kill them all in revenge for what had happened 20 years ago.

It appears that what was in his mind was a determination not to kill his brother or to run back to Laban, and he determined to reunite with his brother at any cost.

Jacob got so desperately anxious for his life and the lives of his family, that he spent the whole night fighting in prayer for a solution about what to do. If we remember, when he had left Canaan, his brother had promised to kill him for having stolen his blessing of the firstborn.

Jacob fought both for himself and his brother's sake, and he saved his brother from becoming a murderer. In the process he became gimpy, but he became Israel, too. His brother later acknowledged that Jacob was the true leader of the family, but Jacob had already demonstrated that he was Isaac's true heir through his actions.

Fortunately, for everyone's luck, Esau had changed his mind in the course of those 20 years and nothing drastic happened to anyone. However, everyone with the minimum of commonsense can see that this attitude of Jacob's was everything but fair.

It was not luck. Esau had grown up in the same home and been taught by Isaac. So this was not a stranger but someone who knew Jacob and understood that Jacob had determined not to fight him or run away. Esau was transformed, and he repented of his evil intention.

 

[Ben Avraham]

He sent first those whom Esau had the least ought against, along with gifts to mollify Esau. Then he sent those Esau may have disliked more, and they were all presented to Esau as gifts. Jacob was giving everything he had to his brother. When he finally arrived himself he bowed to his older brother.

It appears that what was in his mind was a determination not to kill his brother or to run back to Laban, and he determined to reunite with his brother at any cost.

Jacob fought both for himself and his brother's sake, and he saved his brother from becoming a murderer. In the process he became gimpy, but he became Israel, too. His brother later acknowledged that Jacob was the true leader of the family, but Jacob had already demonstrated that he was Isaac's true heir through his actions.

It was not luck. Esau had grown up in the same home and been taught by Isaac. So this was not a stranger but someone who knew Jacob and understood that Jacob had determined not to fight him or run away. Esau was transformed, and he repented of his evil intention.

Well, now, how about the similarities of Jacob's actions to prepare himself for the encounter with his brother and the actions of Jesus about which of his disciples would meet the cohorts first that were coming to arrest Jesus? Why didn't they plan to meet them together or to pray all together at least to release the anxious tension Jesus was suffering? If you compare the tension between Jacob's and that
of Jesus', I find a lot of similarities.

 

[Brickjectivity]

@Ben Avraham I cannot verify that. Jesus struggle is with himself I think, and this is the scene where he is extremely saddened. He has conquered himself and submitted to the process of dying but it seems like the disciples are there to witness his actions, and they may even be there to prevent him from running away. I do not see a witness/trial component in the story of Jacob and Esau. For them it is the moment that the true heir is made plain. For Jesus that moment does not happen until his resurrection.

 

[Ben Avraham]

@Ben Avraham I cannot verify that. Jesus struggle is with himself I think, and this is the scene where he is extremely saddened. He has conquered himself and submitted to the process of dying but it seems like the disciples are there to witness his actions, and they may even be there to prevent him from running away. I do not see a witness/trial component in the story of Jacob and Esau. For them it is the moment that the true heir is made plain. For Jesus that moment does not happen until his resurrection.

Tell me Brickjectivity, can you prove Jesus' resurrection with an eyewitness to the event? I am asking because there is nothing I can say based on the gospel of Jesus which was the Tanach which clearly witnesses against bodily resurrection. Perhaps if we use the NT itself, we might produce some decision-taken from either myself or you.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Tell me Brickjectivity, can you prove Jesus' resurrection with an eyewitness to the event? I am asking because there is nothing I can say based on the gospel of Jesus which was the Tanach which clearly witnesses against bodily resurrection. Perhaps if we use the NT itself, we might produce some decision-taken from either myself or you.

I think the topic of what happens here with Jesus sweating blood surrounded by his disciples and waiting for his death is different than the confrontation between Jacob and Esau, because Jacob and Esau are experiencing reconciliation. Jesus is experiencing judgment. Jesus is reconciling the world, so in that way the world is Esau while Jesus is Jacob. You may not recall, but I am not really concerned about any resurrection except for when a person leaves evil and chooses to be good. This is the only resurrection that matters and not whether people are brought out of their graves or become ghosts etc. You could argue that Jesus at this moment has reached the pinnacle of obedience which justifies. I still do not see, however, a real correspondence between the disciples surrounding him and the families Jacob sends ahead of himself.

 

[Ben Avraham]

I think the topic of what happens here with Jesus sweating blood surrounded by his disciples and waiting for his death is different than the confrontation between Jacob and Esau, because Jacob and Esau are experiencing reconciliation. Jesus is experiencing judgment. Jesus is reconciling the world, so in that way the world is Esau while Jesus is Jacob. You may not recall, but I am not really concerned about any resurrection except for when a person leaves evil and chooses to be good. This is the only resurrection that matters and not whether people are brought out of their graves or become ghosts etc. You could argue that Jesus at this moment has reached the pinnacle of obedience which justifies. I still do not see, however, a real correspondence between the disciples surrounding him and the families Jacob sends ahead of himself.

If you ask me, I see no difference between the psychological condition of Jacob and that of Jesus. Both were in the expectation of death; Jacob by Esau and his men, and Jesus by the Roman soldiers if he reacted arrest. The anxiety of Jesus was so serious that he came to the point to sweat blood especially due to the fact that, after praying three times asking the Lord to remove that cup from him having to drink it, and Jacob had right there with him 20 years of achievement in the creation of a big family and all the assets he acquired as a result of his hard work. Now, to arrive back home as he had left it, he would be better off dead. The point here is that the solution they both, Jacob and Jesus, came to was absolutely unfair and egoistic. IMHO, the best option was to get all together and expect Divine interference which was what happened to Jacob at least. Jesus, he had to go although against his will.