AUDIO
TRANSCRIPT
Today we are in Genesis 33.
Have you ever watched any of the house flipping shows on tv like fixer upper or home town, or property bros.?
I confess that I usually watch the beginning to see the old mess and then skip to the end to see the new or transformation
Or restoration.
This is kind of an example of the relationship between Jacob an Esau in chapter 33. Jacob and his mother had schemed
And stolen Jacob’s brother, Esau’s birthright, or his blessing from his father or his inheritance. In doing that the relationship
Between the brothers was severed, broken, and destroyed. There was hurt, anger and betrayal. It seemed like their relationship
Was beyond repair. They even went their separate ways.
In Genesis 33 we se where God restores the relationship between Jacob and Esau.
This is a great example of God’s redeeming power. He takes a dead relationship and makes it new. He restores it.
Reconciliation is defined as restoration of fractured relationships by overcoming grief, pain, and anger.
True reconciliation begins with humbling ourselves—Desiring to be forgiven and see restoration with others and
With God. What if the other party has offended you and won’t admit that they are wrong?
Do we then live our lives in relationships like Jacob and Esau? Silence and hurt because we are not willing to
Be the first in the process of loving restoration?
Reconciliation can be difficult, hard, even a bit frightening. Jacob wasn’t sure how the whole meeting with Esau was
Going to play out. He was afraid for his family and for himself. Emotions were high and suspicions were present. Is this
The real thing? Will he forgive?
We must be committed to restoration for it to truly happen. Jacob made plans and kept walking. We must also
Commit ourselves, our motives, and our hearts to God in prayer so that we can forgive and be forgiven.
We must also be willing to humble ourselves. Maybe we were wronged or maybe we wronged, but by humbling ourselves
We set the stage for reconciliation to happen. Let’s ask ourselves how can we show humility to the person we are estrange
From? Not being humble not only prevents restoration in our relationships with people but also with God. In James 4:6
It says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Reconciliation requires that we step forward in humility and vulnerability. You could be hurt again. Jacob didn’t know the outcome
Of his meeting with Esau but he went ahead and stepped forward. He decided that the risk of being hurt again was better than
Being cut off from the relationship that he wanted with his brother.
Esau embraced Jacob and there was forgiveness and restoration.
In verse 10, Jacob said, “seeing your face is like seeing the face of God.” There was release and relief. Forgiveness is letting go
Of hurt and the past. I read once that forgiveness is not probation, but a pardon.
When we are forgiven or we forgive and pardon it is like Jacob said to Esau, “it is like seeing the face of God.”
God forgives us over and over. We are reconciled to God because of Jesus. He doesn’t hold our sins against us.
As Christians, we are to be like God. We are to forgive and be reconciled like Jacob and Esau.
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