Devotional Short Note to Genesis 33
In Signs of the Times of July
1968: 29-30 there is an article by Adventist Archaeologist Siegfried Horn that
is accepting the consensus position that Succoth is Deir `Alla. After the
reconciliation with Esau and Esau moving South to Seir, Jacob went to Succoth
on the eastern side of the Jordan to live there some time. The Commentator Keil
(1885: 310) explained that Jacob lived there quite some time because his father
was still alive. He built himself up as an independent patriarchal figure and
could not mix now suddenly with his father. So he lived separated. Isaac died in 1960 BCE so Jacob lived
some years independent. This chapter seems to be sequential to
the previous one and the flow of events happened in a space of time that is
closely related. The result of our calculation of the birth date of Joseph to
1988 BCE and that before the birth of Benjamin, since the twelfth one was not
born yet, Genesis speaks of eleven children in Genesis 32:23, means that the
date for the events in Genesis 33 first part relating Esau, took place also
shortly after 1988 BCE. Scholars do not know how long Jacob
remained living in Succoth but the years between the birth of Joseph and the
death of Isaac should be considered, which is a span of 28 years. The shocking
aspect is still to come, but Isaac was still alive when Joseph was sold to
traders heading for Egypt in later chapters! Keil’s Commentary on Genesis had a
very good explanation about the wrestling incident in the previous chapter with
God Himself. He and Delitzsch shared the view on page 305 that the conflict was
real of both mind and body, a work of the spirit with intense effort of the
body. Keil said: “In a merely outward conflict it is impossible to conquer
through prayers and tears”. He pointed out that years later the prophet Hosea
lay hold of this important aspect of weeping in the prayer as the key to the success
of the wrestling event (Hosea 12:4-5). “…and he fought with the Angel and
prevailed, he wept and made supplication unto Him” = יָּשַׂר אֶל-מַלְאָךְ וַיֻּכָל, בָּכָה וַיִּתְחַנֶּן-לוֹ.
The weeping and supplication is very interesting since Jacob is not making
prayers to an outside source of power but directly with the One Whom he is
wrestling since a preposition is added with a independent pronominal suffix “to
Him”. The word “favor” is used but in an interactive [hithpael] form “with one
another”. There was a satisfying element to each other in this relationship and
the choice of Moses formulation of the word “supplication” indicates this close
relationship. Ellen White, unaware of the comments of Keil and Delitzsch, wrote
similar about this incident also citing Hosea 12:4 and saying: “Through
humiliation, repentance, and self-surrender, this sinful erring mortal prevailed
with the Majesty of heaven” (Ellen White, Patriarch and Prophets page
197). She also said it was Christ. She places the event in the context of the
power of importunate prayer, “prevailing prayer and unyielding faith”. In Genesis 33:5-7 Esau asked Jacob who is with him. Jacob
answered faithfully: “'The children whom God [Elohim] has graciously [hanan] (given)
your servant” = וַיֹּאמַר-ַיְלָדִים אֲשֶׁר-חָנַן אֱלֹהִים אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ. The
same root is at play here as in the word “supplication” during the wrestling. Ellen White pointed out that the religious persuasion of
Esau and Jacob was different even though they were educated in the knowledge of
God and they both could have walked in the Commandments of God but they had to
separate (Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 207). The choice of
Jacob above Esau was no arbitrary choice on the part of God, Ellen White says,
so that the Predestination ideas of the followers of Calvin in Calvinistic
Orthodoxy of Theodore Bezae are cancelled here and not entertained by
Adventism.
Dear God Also do we pray and make supplication unto You for
blessings as You gave Jacob. Also we want an interactive positive relationship
with You. With You we can face tomorrow. In Jesus Name. Amen.