Isaac was happy that his son had returned, and lived after this about twenty years. Finally, enfeebled by age, he died, one hundred and eighty years old. Esau and Jacob buried him at Hebron. [1]
COMMENTARY.
All things come from God. When Jacob offered several flocks to his brother, he uttered these beautiful words: “Take of the blessing which God hath given me.” He confessed thereby that it was God who had given, preserved, and increased his flocks.
Faithfulness of God. This story shows how God fulfilled His promise: “I will be thy keeper, and will bring thee back into this land.”
Keeping vows. Jacob, too, was faithful, and kept his vow. After he had parted from Esau, he went to Bethel, and made there an altar. Picture to yourself how he knelt down before the altar, with all his household, and thanked Almighty God from the bottom of his heart.
Necessity makes people pray. In his great fear Jacob had recourse to God. We, too, ought to turn to God for help, comfort and strength in times of trial, fear and need. “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 123, 8). The holy apostle James says: “Is any of you sad? Let him pray” (James 5, 13).
Prayer does not dispense us from helping ourselves. Jacob did not only pray to God, but he did all that lay in his own power to propitiate his brother. He sent messengers to beg his favour; he sent him presents, and humbled himself, bowing down seven times before him. We should act as he did, in our times of need or trouble. We should, indeed, pray, but we should not sit with our arms folded, but should use every lawful means to help ourselves.
Prayer must be persevering. The holy patriarch, wrestling with God, is a figure of persevering prayer. As Jacob wrestled and cried out: “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me”; so ought we never to give up praying, until we have been heard. Almighty God wills that we should, as it were, wrestle with Him in prayer, do violence to Him, and storm Him with our petitions. By doing so, we become more worthy to obtain what we ask. See the parable of the importunate friend (New Test. XLIX).
The power of prayer. We can see by Esau’s conduct how powerful and effective Jacob’s prayer was. For Esau still bore his brother a grudge, and came with four hundred men to seize him. But, on account of Jacob’s prayer, God changed Esau’s hard heart, and he became friendly towards his brother, and fell on his neck and kissed him, weeping with emotion. See in what manner God can change the hearts
- ↑ At Hebron. In the cave where Abraham and Rebecca were already buried.
