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THE JOURNEY TO CANAAN

Text: Genesis 33:12-20
29 January 2013

(I) THE JOURNEY TO CANAAN

1. Esau’s offer (Genesis 33:12)

a) Let us take our journey

b) Let us go

c) And I will go before you

2. Jacob’s reply (Genesis 33:13-14)

a) Guardedness

“My lord”

b) Children

“My lord knows that the children are weak”

c) Concern about the nursing animals

“And the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me”

d) Concern about the animals being driven hard

“And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die”

e) Continued guarded respect

“Please let my lord…”

f) Esau to go ahead

“Please let my lord to go on ahead before his servant”

g) Following behind

“I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me,
And the children are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

3. Esau offers his servants (Genesis 33:15a)

a) Esau graciously offers his servants to accompany Jacob

b) To help

c) To protect

d) To represent Esau

4. Jacob’s humble but firm reply (Genesis 33:15b)

a) Esau’s offer is declined humbly

“What need is there?

b) Humble plea

“Let me find favour in the sight of my lord.”

5. Esau accedes

a) He returns home to Seir

b) He consented to Jacob’s request

(II) JACOB’S JOURNEY

1. Succoth (Genesis 33:17)

a) Built himself a house (tent)

b) Made booths for his livestock

2. Shechem (Genesis 33:18)

a) He pitched his tent outside the city

b) Bought land in Shechem from Hamor

3. Erection of an altar to worship God

a) God’s name mentioned “El Elohe Israel”

b) God, the God of Israel

i) God was indeed his personal God (Israel) (Cf. Genesis 32:28)

ii) God was the God of his whole tribe (Israel)