14/01/2022 - THE PLANS OF MAN

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Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. Genesis 32.3

Many times, without realizing it, we let ourselves be carried away by thinking that we can do what is necessary, or what comes to our mind, without consulting the Lord. Now, Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15.5). Every time we don’t talk to God about our projects and don´t ask for His guidance, we will have problems either at that moment or later. 

The vision of angels coming out to meet Jacob made him believe that he could do anything. This has also happened to many brothers, who later realize that things did not work out as they thought. The master of the situation was not Jacob, but God. It seems that he didn’t know that: Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word (Psalm 103.20). It is right to give voice to the Word!

The heir of promise did not forget Esau’s concerning him: that he would one day kill him. Knowing his brother’s character, Jacob knew this possibility was real, but with the two heavenly armies on his side, he thought he could control Esau by sending him some servants and gifts. Self-confidence is lying, evil, and very treacherous – and this, he found out later. Now, without God, we can do nothing (John 15:5)!

We do not know for sure how far he was from the mountain of Seir, where his brother lived. It certainly took Jacob’s servants many days to get there, but this was not a problem, because he wanted to get rid of the threat. Perhaps he concluded that time had removed out of Esau´s heart the intention to kill him, or perhaps he missed his brother. After all, they had not seen each other for 20 years. Only God can erase the hatred!

When they returned, the envoys did not bring the news that Jacob was expecting. This saddened him to the point of being desolate and fearful. Only the Lord knows how much he longed to hear that his brother was glad to hear how he was doing. But when he learned that Esau was going to meet him with 400 men, a mixture of sadness and disappointment invaded his heart. Jacob then began to pray, almost blaming the Lord for not having changed his brother’s heart.

Things are not always as we would like them to be, especially when we do not give God His proper place. The Most High has no commitment with those who are not His. He had told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers, but Jacob, after seeing the multitude of angels, didn’t even bother to cry out. Jacob had only planned how he would overcome the evil force that was working in Esau – so he made a mistake!

No matter how close you are to the Father; never stop seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first, and all things shall be added to you (Matthew 6.33). The Lord is God and not someone like us. Out of mercy He helps us in our troubles, but we must give Him the place of our Commander, not a security guard.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares