today's meditation (Gn.33) Building an Altar of Devotion

(Dear Lord Jesus, open my eyes to Your message...)

(Genesis 33:1-20)  Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2 He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maids came near with their children, and they bowed down. 7 Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8 And he said, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11 Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

15 Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 19 He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

I love hearing stories of reconciliation, which requires not only apologies, but forgiveness towards the people who have hurt you.  Jacob had sent his "apology-gifts" on ahead, so Esau would receive them before meeting up with them.  And obviously, Esau had long ago forgiven Jacob (even though he had never heard an apology from him until this point).  

You can see God's involvement in all of this.  And when Jacob found land to settle in, he built an altar as a place where he could worship, and called it "the mighty God of Israel".  It would seem that Jacob's scheming ways were a thing of the past, and he was now living up to his new name, Israel. 

As soon as we become believers, we are called "Christians".  The definition is in the name itself:  a Christ follower.  I know many people will say they are Christians even though they have not put Christ first in their lives... some do not have Christ in their lives anywhere, thinking that just because they are "good people", and/or come from a certain country or family - makes them a Christian.  

Following Jesus is to embrace everything He has done for us and everything He has said to us.  If we say we are Christian, our altar to Him should be evident in our hearts, as well as our actions of worshipful devotion.