Forgiveness

 

DEVOTION

GENESIS

FORGIVENESS

Gen 33:1-7

33:1 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. 2 He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." 6 Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. 7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.

NIV

How is it that Esau went from despising Jacob so much that he wanted to kill him to running and embracing him, kissing him, and weeping with his brother?  The only reason for this kind of change of heart is the LORD's work. However, it also meant that Esau was sensitive to the LORD, heard his voice, and submitted, so his heart bent toward reconciliation rather than revenge. This also meant that reconciliation is motivated by forgiveness. We cannot make peace with someone while harboring ill feelings and refusing to forgive. The word instructs us, through Paul's letters to the Corinthians and through the writer of Hebrews, to make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy, for without holiness no one will see the Lord. Esau forgave Jacob and made peace with him. We will see how that all played out next, but the lesson is well demonstrated, making it clear we cannot leave any conflict unresolved, but we must make all the effort, first with a heart of forgiveness, second seeking peace, throwing our arms around that person with love in our hearts. If we continue to live in the state of unforgiveness, it festers within and can even cause an inner rage that deepens the chasm between us and the Lord. How can we be holy and see the Lord when we harbor unforgiveness? No, our hearts must first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. When we do that, everything else, the rest of our lives, will fall in line with the heart of God. If anyone had the right to hold our offenses against him, it would be the Lord, for we all have sinned against him. But Jesus came to pay the price for our redemption; God has completely forgiven us. How dare we not forgive, as we have been forgiven? Do we not pray that God will forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us? We know that if we do not forgive, God will not forgive us. Let us learn this well, and live with a heart of forgiveness.