The Face of God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE FACE OF GOD

Gen 33:8-20

8 Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?" "To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said. 9 But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself." 10 "No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it. 12 Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." 13 But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." 15 Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." "But why do that?" Jacob asked. "Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord." 16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17 Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth. 18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.  

NIV

Although this is simply a conversation between Jacob and Esau over the gifts presented, something stands out: the first refusal, the second attempt to give, and then the acceptance. Jacob said that because he found favor in Esau, when he looked at him, it was like seeing the face of God, now that he had received him favorably. Our first thought goes to the moment we take our last breath: when God receives us favorably, we will see Him in all His glory; we will be looking at God. We also remember that at their first meeting, Jacob bowed low, as did all his family. We will be sure that, as we meet God face to face, we will bow low. However, this truth also applies to seeing the face of God in a person, as Jacob did when he saw Esau. Because we are in Christ and He is in us, and we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us, whichever way we express it. The point is that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and He has brought His gifts and fruits to manifest in us and through us. Of course, Jacob and Esau were family, and that first applies within the church, where we are all God's family.  We wonder if we reflect the face of God to others. What do other believers see when they look upon our face? Do they find favor in us? Do we accept them as brothers and sisters, without judgement? Do they see the face of God when they see us? Do we see the face of God when we see them? We wonder what the church would look like if we lived in that manner. We wonder what the church, us, would look like to the world around us. Of course, there are sinners, but we all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Esau was not perfect, but Jacob saw him as if he were seeing the face of God. We cannot love sin or the sinful lives people live, but how can they see the face of God if we do not reflect it in their presence? People around the world, those who live a sinful life, accept each other and give credence to one another; yet how do we love them, reflecting the face of God to them, without accepting their sinful behavior? Then we think of Jesus, and while we were yet sinners, he died on the cross for us, for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Should we not love like that? Should we not reflect the face of God?