A. Repentance

1. Esau was in Edom – in the Land of Seir. He seeks out Esau. Geographically he did not have to go anywhere near Esau. Esau had settled in the far south of Canaan, and Jacob was going to the north. Jacob went by the farthest possible route to get there. However, spiritually there was no other route to take. His entire life had been taken up with fighting Esau, and he would have no peace until they were reconciled.

2. He isolates himself. Jacob hears that Esau is coming, and does the first self-less act in his life. He makes himself vulnerable and protects everyone else. He willingly gives up everything that he had depended on: His wealth, his family, his army and his love.

Why is this emptying necessary? You cannot grab onto God with full hands.

3. He humbles himself. Your Servant Jacob sends these gifts to you. Jacob had always seen himself as Esau’s rival. Something has changed, now he sees himself as Esau’s humble servant. Maybe he has begun to realize that he is the problem. I think that is obviously true by what happens next.

B. Restitution

Jacob gives a full 1/3 of his property to Esau his brother. This is not just a little cash, but the capital of his estate – he is giving away his ability to earn more wealth. Why? Is this a bribe? I don’t think so.

Read the chapters before and you see that whatever Jacob did was blessed. Jacob understood that he had stolen the blessing meant for Esau. He had stolen Esau’s birthright, the right to Isaac’s inheritance. Now he was giving it back. Jacob restores to Esau what he had stolen.

This concept of restitution – restoring what you stole, is fundamental to the power of the Gospel working in your life. Does it sound very legalistic and Old Testament to you? Then you have never felt the grace of God powerfully freeing you from your pride.

Zaccheus when he met Jesus restored 4 times what he had stolen. I guarantee you there was a line of people at his door the next day, and a wealthy man probably became a poor man over night. But he did not worship money anymore, and wanted to use his money to bless people, because he had been blessed.

Harlingin Wolf shipbuilders in Belfast Ireland brought back so many tools that management had to issue an order to stop returning them.

Bully repenting to Michael Boyd. He did not worship his image anymore, and willingly humbled himself that Jesus might get the glory.

Have you made yourself vulnerable like this yet. Have you actually faced the consequences of your sins, and asked what you could do to make it right? Some sins can never be re-paid, but you need to do something.

If you have unpaid debts you need to pay them.

If you have people you have defrauded or degraded you need to contact them.