The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Va-yishlach which means, "And he sent." The title comes from Genesis 32:3: "Then Jacob sent (salah [pronounced shaw-lakh] - go, send forth, stretch out, sow, loose, set free, shoot forth as branches, spread, reach forth, appoint, send a messenger, send words, to command anything of anyone, to stretch as a hand from on high, to send away) messengers (malak - angel, messenger, ambassador, deputy, messenger of God [see also Mal. 3:1-3], king, prophet, priest, one sent) before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom."
As we can see from the meaning of the word "sent", or salah in Hebrew as used above, a powerful purpose is ordained, and a powerful result is expected. We will see that what is "sent" to Esau is saves Jacob's life, as well as that of his large family.
Jacob was sending messengers with words of greeting to let his twin brother Esau know that he was back in the land after being away for twenty years. Before Jacob had left his home, Esau had vowed to kill him. This was a humble gesture on Jacob's part, reaching out to Esau, in order to prepare the way for a peaceful return. The messengers returned from their mission to Esau and told Jacob that Esau was coming to meet him, and he was bringing four hundred men with him, leaving Jacob afraid and distressed. He divided all of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) people that were with him, including wives and children, so that it would make it more difficult for Esau to attack all of Jacob's people at one time. (v. 6-7).
Jacob then sent (salah - see above) by his servants word messages and gifts to Esau ahead of his arrival of many goats, sheep, camels, cattle, and donkeys. Jacob told his servants: "I will appease (kapar - atonement, purge, reconciliation, forgive, pacify, to pardon, to cover over, atone for sin, to expiate, merciful, to obtain forgiveness, to make expiation for an offender, to inanimate things which were accounted to be defiled, to receive pardon) him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me." (v. 13-20).
The gift that Jacob sent to Esau was to act as an atonement for sin and an outpouring of mercy according to the Hebrew word kapar used above. Before we find out the conclusion of the meeting between Jacob and Esau, a very strange but important encounter will occur first.
After sending his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) two wives, his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) two women servants, his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eleven children and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) what he had across the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) brook at Jabbok (yaboq/baqaq - "emptying"/make void, empty, lay waste, pour out, devastate, depopulate; spread out as a fruitful vine, be luxuriant, be profuse and abundant), Jacob was left alone: "...and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day." (Ge. 32:22-24). When the Man saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, He touched the socket of Jacob's hip and put Jacob's hip out of joint. However, Jacob would not let the man go until the Man blessed him. So the Man told Jacob: "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel (yisrael/sara - "God prevails"/contend, have power as a prince, persist, exert oneself, to set in order, a noble, a prince); for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed." (v. 25-28). The King James Version of the Bible states that the Man's description of the name Israel was: "for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." After prevailing over the Man, Jacob was changed. Even his name was changed by to reflect this transformation. After experiencing this encounter, could Jacob then prevail over his brother Esau as well? It won't be a physical wrestling match with Esau, but a spiritual one.
Jacob named the place of his wrestling, Penuel/Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God (elohim - God, angels, divine ones) face to face, and my life is preserved." Jacob then also crossed over the brook from that place. Jacob understood that he had been wrestling with God. The revelation that Jacob/Israel obtained during this strange wrestling encounter will affect his reunion with his brother, Esau. If Jacob could see God's face and not only survive but prevail, how much more could he prevail seeing Esau face to face?
The conclusion of the encounter with Esau is that after seeing Jacob's gifts that were sent ahead and seeing Jacob's family, Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept together. (Gen. 33:4). Jacob remained wary of Esau and treated his encounter with him very cautiously.
We see how his encounter with God at Penuel ("Facing God") gave Jacob/Israel the prevailing strength to face Esau. As Esau intended to refuse Jacob's gifts that had been sent ahead, Jacob/Israel said to Esau: "No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. Please take (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.' So he urged him, and he took it." (Gen. 33:10-11).
Jacob's new name, Israel, is "one who struggles with God and men and prevails." The kapar atoning, reconciling appeasement gift (see kapar above) that Jacob sent to Esau spared Jacob's life.
Paul wrote about the same kind of blessing that was given to Jacob by the Man he wrestled mentioned above, and the power of kapar atoning reconciliation or appeasement in this way: "What then can we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered (paradidomi - incl. the meaning "to give into the hands of another, to give over into one's power or use") Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors (hypernikao/nikao - to gain a surpassing and decisive victory, to vanquish beyond/to subdue, to conquer, to overcome, to prevail) through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:31-39).
Jesus taught that before we bring a gift/offering to God, we must be reconciled with our brother who has something against us. He said: "...First be reconciled (diallasso - to change the mind of anyone, to reconcile, to renew friendship with one/to change or to transform thoroughly, to make different, to conciliate) to your brother (adelphos - natural brother, countryman, a fellow believer, associate, any man), and then come and offer your gift. Agree (eunoeo - to wish one well, of a peaceable spirit, reconcile) with your adversary (antidikos/dike/deiknyo- opponent, enemy, even arch-enemy Satan/vengeance, punish, judgment/to show or teach, give evidence or proof) quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge..." (see Mt. 5:23-26, excerpt).
Both Jacob and Esau had sinned against each other. While Esau voluntarily sold his birthright to Jacob, from Esau's point of view, Jacob tricked his father Isaac into giving him his paternal blessing instead of the elder and favored son, Esau, as Isaac had planned to do. Esau sinned, speaking and planning the revenge murder of his brother. However, the kapar appeasing atonement gift sent by Jacob to his brother changed Esau's plans thoroughly. Instead of using his four hundred men to attack and kill Jacob, Esau ran to Jacob, hugged his neck, kissed him and wept. In this case, we see that Esau was changed or transformed completely from his original intentions, which is also part of the kapar atonement reconciling appeasement gift (see diallasso above).
We see this idea in the New Testament also. We also know that Jesus was sent and given by the Father in heaven as a gift of reconciliation and appeasement to the world. (Jn. 3:16-17). Paul also referred to Jesus as a gift: "For the wages of sin is death, but the (free) gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 6:23). We also see, as part of the process of reconciliation, a thorough change or transformation (see diallasso above): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled (katallasso - to change mutually, to reconcile) us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (katallage - restoration to divine favor, reconciliation, atonement), that is, that God was in Christ reconciling (katallasso - see above) the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation/atonement (katallage - see above)...be reconciled (katallage - see above) to God." (2 Cor. 5:17-20, excerpt).
Reconciliation is directly tied to its root meaning in Greek, which includes atonement. A complete change or transformation in state must also result from and accompany our supernatural reconciliation to God through Christ. As important in the verses above is that this same transforming and atoning gift of reconciliation that we received, now is placed into our hands to minister to others. In Word and prayer, we minister the gift that changes individuals and reconciles them to God through the gift of Jesus Christ. Do we want to see "change" in the world? The ministry of reconciliation that has been given to us is a powerful place to start.
The following verses use a different but related Greek word for "reconciliation": "For it pleased the Father that in Him (Jesus) all the fulness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless (note the change in condition), and above reproach in His sight - if indeed you continue in the faith..." (Col. 1:19-23). The Greek word used in these verses meaning to reconcile is the word apokatallasso. This word means "to reconcile completely, to reconcile back again, to bring back to a former state of harmony."
The portrait of the gifts of appeasement which Jacob sent forth to Esau, and the resulting reconciliation between those brothers, to me presents the greater truth of the reconciliation of man back to God through the gift of Jesus Messiah/Christ to all who will accept the gift. Jacob pleaded with Esau to accept his gift, and lives were spared from death that day, and circumstances were transformed. (Gen. 33:10-11). How much more powerful and eternal is the ministry of reconciliation through Messiah/Christ that the Lord has placed into our hands than the sheep, camels, cattle and donkeys which Jacob gave to Esau?
If you would like to learn more about the transforming, reconciling, atonement gift, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, even while I was separated from You by my sin, You sent forth a gift to me that would save me and change me, which is the gift of Your Son, my atonement and my reconciliation. As I look at a lost and suffering world, help me to see it through Your eyes. You gave Your own and only Son because of Your love for this inhabited world. Teach me and help me through Your Holy Spirit to pray and speak the Word of Reconciliation/Atonement - a Word that changes and transforms those who will hear, believe and receive it - a Word that reunites all creation back to Yourself through Jesus, the Lord of all creation. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus. AMEN."
*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.
