Confronting The Inevitable

SOONER OR LATER WE MUST FACE ESAU!

Verse 1 says: "And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and,behold, ESAU CAME and with him four hundred men."

For 21 years Jacob had avoided a face-to-face encounter with Esau. At the age of 40, Jacob had to leave home unexpectedly to save his life on account of his deceit and trickery, when he stole the blessing of his father, Isaac, from the first-born son, Esau. And because of that,Esau hated Jacob, his brother, and said in his heart that as soon as his father was dead, he would kill Jacob. So, following the advice of his mother, Rebekah, Jacob fled for his life to Padan Aram to live with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother.

During those 21 years in hiding, Jacob had become a very rich and successful businessman, amassing large herds and flocks of livestock. He had acquired two wives, 11 sons and 2 daughters, along with two handmaids and many men and women servants. For 21 years Jacob had avoided Esau. But now at the age of 61, the CONFRONTATION IS INEVITABLE; because now, with a limp, he is on his Way Home to Beersheba from Padan Aram. And to get to Beersheba, Jacob must Pass Thru Seir, the land of Esau.

And that is significant, because it Might Take 21 Years or 21 Days;BUT SOONER OR LATER, WE MUST FACE ESAU! Its just a matter of time; for one day, We shall Lift Up Our Eyes and See Our Esau Coming, at a distance, To Meet Us. You and I are going to Have to

Face Our Esau. We might have been successful in avoiding him until now; but One Day Soon, WE MUST FACE OUR ESAU!

WHO, THEN, IS ESAU? For Jacob, Esau was his TWIN BROTHER, HIS MIRROR-IMAGE, HIS D-N-A MATCH. So much alike and yet so different. For from the womb the two boys struggled. And Esau won the first match for he came out of the womb first; but Jacob took hold of his heel and followed him.

They were Alike yet Different. Esau was an outdoorsman, a sportsman, a man who enjoyed hunting; a man who enjoyed matching his wits and strength against nature. Esau was a man of the Field, a man of the world. And Isaac Loved Esau. He was a Daddy’s Boy.

While on the other hand, Jacob was a House-Boy, a Home-Boy, a Mamma’s Boy. He stayed at home and cooked, cleaned and helped his mamma around the house. And so, Rebekah Loved Jacob.Esau was stronger physically than Jacob, but Jacob was stronger mentally than Esau. So Jacob always out-thought Esau; he always out smarted Esau to get what he wanted. With his mind, he out

smarted Esau with a bowl of stew. With his mind, he deceived his father into believing he was Esau, and thus, stole the blessing of the first-born. Thus, it was his Intelligence that caused the problem!

And so, I submit that ESAU WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF HIS CHARACTER. Jacob’s habit was Tricking, Out-Thinking Esau. And Jacob’s trick of stealing the blessing caused Esau’s hatred and desire to kill him. ESAU WAS THE CONSEQUENCE OF JACOB’S CHARACTER!

And that is significant, because as it relates to You and I, OUR ESAU IS OF OUR OWN MAKING; OUR TWIN, OUR MIRROR-IMAGE. OUR ESAU IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF OUR CHARACTER!

THE CONSEQUENCE OF OUR CHARACTER CAN TAKE THE FORM OF A PERSON WHOM WE WRONGED IN THE PAST. A Person we stepped-on on our way up. We misused to get ahead; to get a Job; a Woman/Man; a House, Car or Land.

Or, THE CONSEQUENCE OF OUR CHARACTER CAN TAKE THE FORM OF OUR PAST-LIFE. An Abusive Past. An Alcohol or Drug-Filled Past. A Life of Sexual Infidelity. A Life of Greed, Love of Money. A Lying Past.

Eventually OUR PAST WILL CATCH UP WITH US! "Be sure your sin will find you out." "Whatsover a man soweth, that shall he also reap." "Sow an Act and you reap a Habit. Sow a Habit and you reap a Character. Sow a Character and you reap a Destiny." AND ESAU IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF OUR CHARACTER. AND SOONER OR LATER, WE MUST FACE ESAU!!!

And so the issue is: What do I Do When Confronting the Inevitable? How Do I Confront the Consequence of My Character?

Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, ESAU CAME! ESAU IS OUT THERE; WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? He’s approaching in the distance. You can hear the noise of his horses. You can see the outline of his company from afar. The question is: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

Well, let me offer a few suggestions on HOW TO CONFRONT THE INEVITABLE.

I. FIRST, ACKNOWLEDGE THE REALITY OF EASU’S PRESENCE.