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The Face of God

Genesis 32:22 - 33:11

Three recent events have drawn my attention back to the story of Jacob and Esau in the book of Genesis. The first is the 11th anniversary of my younger brother's death. Our relationship was somewhat the inverse of Jacob and Esau, as I was the older brother who robbed the younger. I did not steal his birthright or blessing, but I did rob him of dignity, and a healthy sense of self-worth. We grew up like many brothers, best of friends and worst of enemies one moment to the next. In our early childhood, I cruelly taunted and mocked my younger sibling. As a result, our relationship became distant and strained. We grew up and moved away from each other. I went on to higher education and he went into military service. We kept in touch from a distance, and earnestly enjoyed each other's company when we were able to get together. I forgot about our tense childhood relationship. However, on one occasion long after we had become "adults," he reminded me of one of the demeaning phrases with which I used to mock him. It brought sorrow and shame to my heart to realize that my cruel tongue was still haunting him.

The second event which has drawn me to Jacob and Esau is the discussion which has been taking place in the Pentateuch course I am currently teaching. In relation to the account of Noah and the flood, students reflected on how ultimately we must all be related to one another since everyone on the planet must have descended from Noah after the great flood. The thought was reinforced by the related idea that everyone on the earth has also descended from Adam. So all nations, even enemies, are related to one another as part of the human race. That conversation is linked to the third event which has drawn me to Jacob and Esau.

The third event involves the current conflicts between Israel and her enemies in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iran. As we know, these age-old conflicts are reminiscent of ancient Israel's battles in the Old Testament with nations who used to occupy some of the same territories: Philistia, Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Aram. I was reminded of the conversation in Pentateuch class because, in the cases of Edom, Moab, and Ammon; Israel fought against its own relatives. Genesis indicates that Moab and Ammon are distant relatives of Israel through Jacob/Israel's grandfather Abraham whose nephew Lot was father to them (i.e. Moab and Ammon).

More significant to our story, we are told in Gen 36: 8-9 that "Esau is Edom . . . ancestor of the Edomites." Also, recall that Jacob is Israel, as God had changed his name. Edom has the distinction among Israel's enemies of having an entire prophetic book, Obadiah, dedicated to its judgment for offenses against Israel. The conflict between Israel and Edom is highlighted with the infamous words "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" (Malachi 1:2-3; Romans 9:13). If only these nations, Israel and Edom, had followed the original story of their progenitors, Jacob and Esau.

I am sure we are all familiar with the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob took advantage of his brother Esau's hunger one day and tricked him into giving up his birthright. Jacob also deceived his father and stole his brother Esau's blessing. As a result, we read that "Esau hated Jacob" and said, "I will kill my brother Jacob" (Gen 27:41). The two siblings moved away from each other and did not meet up again until several years had passed. By that time, Jacob was terrified that Esau's hatred and desire for vengeance had possibly grown into a morbid hatred. In anticipation of their encounter, Jacob sent waves of property and gifts to Esau in an effort to appease Esau's anger and save Jacob's life.

Genesis 32:20 contains the statement reflecting Jacob's plan to win over his brother: "I may appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me, and afterwards I shall see his face; perhaps he will accept me." The English translation misses out on the significant word play here. The Hebrew term for "face" (??????, ???????) appears four times in this verse. The term is often used idiomatically to refer to one's presence. For example, a phrase translated "ahead of me" or "before me" can literally be rendered "to my face" or "before my face." So, an English equivalent of what the Hebrew reader or listener would see or hear in Gen 32:20 with its repetition of the term for face would sound like this: "I shall appease his face with the gift that goes before my face, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept my face." The word play causes the term "face" to echo in the mind of the reader or listener.

Before encountering Esau's face, Jacob is involved in a famous wrestling match which is full of mystery. The encounter took place at night, in the darkness. Jacob was alone. Jacob wrestled with a man but ended up seeing God. The man would not give his name. The man, who turned out to be God, "did not prevail against Jacob" until he put out Jacob's hip (32:25). To add to the mystery, the Hebrew passage lacks references (proper names or noun identifiers). It is filled with pronouns which make it difficult to determine who is doing what, and who is saying what, throughout the account. A word play which enhances the enigma relates to Jacob's name. The three Hebrew consonants which make up Jacob's name also make up the name of the river and the verb for "wrestle." The second and third consonants are switched in two of the terms, with similar sounding vowels intervening. A transliteration of the three terms in the summary statement, "Jacob wrested at the Jabbok (river)," would sound like this: Ja'akob Je'abek be Jabbok.

Out of this mysterious encounter, Jacob exclaimed the astonishing words, "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved" (Gen 32:30). We have returned to the word play using the Hebrew term for "face" (??????? ???????????). It is reinforced by Jacob naming the location "Peniel" which translates to "face of God."

The next day, Jacob is surprised when he encounters Esau. Instead of morbid hatred, vengeance, and a sword, the biblical text communicates that "Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (Gen 33:4). In this reunion we encounter yet another play on words. Recall, back in Gen. 32:20, Jacob had said to himself that he hoped to appease Esau with the gift which he sent before him. Here in Gen. 33:10, Jacob speaks to Esau and presses him to accept that gift from his hand. In both of those verses, the Hebrew term, minchah, is the term translated gift. However, in the following verse, at Gen. 33:11, in which Jacob further appeals to Esau to accept this same gift, the Hebrew term is changed from minchah ("gift") to berakah. This is the word for "blessing."   The story has come full circle. Jacob now seeks to return blessing to the brother from whom he had stolen blessing years before. It appears that the conniver/trickster/deceiver, Jacob, was transformed at that mysterious night-time encounter and came to a point of surrender and was moved to give up and return blessings, rather than take them!

Esau had also been transformed. With two more instances of the Hebrew term for "face," Jacob said of Esau, "I see your face as seeing the face of God" (Gen 33:10). Jacob should know what God looks like, because just the night before he claimed to have seen God "face to face." Now, he proclaims that he sees God's face in Esau's face. What does God look like?! The face of God looks like forgiveness, love, mercy, and acceptance.

I shared earlier about my strained relationship with my younger brother. Despite the afflictions I imposed upon him, my younger brother consistently held me in high esteem. A few years ago, he called me one of his heroes in an overwhelmingly gracious note of tribute. My brother was known for suffocating, yet loving, bear hugs. I had opportunity to visit him at his home in Florida and speak at his church. I shared about how grateful I am for his forgiveness and the renewal of our relationship. Afterward, he blessed me with one of those great big bear hugs, smothering me with love. The next time I visited that church in Florida was for his funeral after his untimely death. My brother's response of forgiveness, love, and grace restored our relationship and blessed me with great joy and fellowship through the final years of his life on earth. As Jacob exclaimed regarding Esau, I too can say that in my brother's face, I have seen the face of God!

Esau is one of my heroes in the books of the Pentateuch. Over time, he took in the pain and heartache which his brother had imposed upon him, and he returned forgiveness and reconciliation. In doing so, Esau reflected the character of Jesus Christ. Despite our own forms of deceit and selfish ambition, by which we have injured God and our brothers and sisters, Christ has not reacted against us with violence and wrath. He has taken in the pain and heartache of our sins, to the point of dying on the cross on our behalf. Like Esau, Christ runs and embraces and hugs and kisses us with love and reconciliation.

Christ also calls us to follow Him and join this work of forgiving and reconciling. We are called to absorb whatever pain and heartache others may bring, and return forgiveness and reconciliation. As we pursue Christlike character, let us consider the example of Esau, and may our faces reflect the face of God.

Dr. Tom King serves as Director of Bible and Theology at Nazarene Bible College.