Title: Kiss Your Brother
kiss your brother
2006-06-04
Genesis 33:3-4
I. background of the text
In the patriarchal era, which was the basis for the formation of the kingdom of Israel, it was a time when a patriarch who had the authority of both a king and a priest at the same time ruled. In particular, he had the power to bless the firstborn. In such a patriarchal era, Jacob, who was born as twins with his older brother Esau, always regretted that he was not born as the firstborn and that he could not enjoy the blessings of his father. However, God had chosen Jacob over Esau in advance, and Isaac tried to bless his older brother Esau, ignoring that fact. Because of this, Jacob deceived his father Isaac and took Esau's blessing, and he stayed at his uncle Laban's house for a long time to avoid Esau's retaliation. The text depicts a scene in which Jacob, returning to his hometown with his wife and children, is reconciled with his brother Esau with God's help. Through this incident that ended the family history of resentment, we would like to learn the biblical understanding of reconciliation with brothers.
II. Reconciliation on the Yabbok River
A. A kiss of reconciliation: Before meeting his brother, Jacob decided to use a lot of money to relieve his heart, but after hearing that Esau was coming to him with 400 soldiers, he could not solve this on his own. realized that there was no However, it is unknown what happened to his brother's heart, but a dramatic reconciliation can be seen between the two. This was because of Jacob's decision. Knowing that he did not have the ability to solve all these problems, he prayed to God at the river Jabbok and asked for His grace, and God, who heard the contrite prayer, melted Esau's heart and made it possible to reconcile.
C. As much as our relationship with God: In the end, our family is restored as much as our relationship with God. Only as much as our relationship with Him can we live as a model of the kingdom of God in our homes. Family is the most important starting point to happiness. All relationships are determined by the relationship the family members have with God. This aspect of the family is the same as that of the church. It is impossible for a person who is full of resentment and hatred toward his family to say that he loves God. Jacob himself could not release Esau's resentment for what had already happened. However, after his relationship with God was restored, he was able to reconcile with his older brother.
Ⅲ. How to reconcile with your brother
A. Abandoning self-love: Through self-brokenness, you can reconcile with your brother by forsake of self-love. Jacob was accustomed to extremely human tactics, and God trained him harshly for a very long time. In the imminent situation of meeting Esau, Jacob still used his human cunning, but all the circumstances eventually made him pray. However, this was his intention to carry out his will to God with blood. God disciplined him by striking his hip bone, and Jacob was contrite and broken before God. Being broken in the presence of God causes us to abandon our self-centered, selfish love, and to depend deeply on God. Although the restoration of the stolen blessing was not accomplished, the disciplinary incident at the Jabbok River brought Jacob's repentance, and God, seeing his broken appearance, touched his brother Esau's heart, made them reconcile with each other.
C. As the debtor of love: Discord is not due to a person's faults, but is a phenomenon caused by a lack of God's loving influence within us. Many people give up brotherly friendship and live their lives. Even Christians. He who has been grafted into Jesus must break himself up, as he did, and build his home as well. When we think about how we are loved by God and how we are indebted to that love, we must be reconciled to our brothers and sisters. When we do this, the family becomes one in Jesus, and the salvation of unbelieving brothers is not far off. Suffering is what we suffer, but it is the life He wants to give our family life to enjoy.
IV. Conclusion and application
Sharing 1. Let's share the life we practiced after listening to last week's sermon, 'My son, my son (2 Samuel 18:33)'.
Sharing 2. Genesis 33:3-4 Let's share the overall content of the sermon and tell each other the parts that came to us deeply.
Sharing 3. What was the cause of the discord between Jacob and Esau? Talk to each other about your relationship with your siblings, and if you have a brother who is at odds, share why.
Sharing 4. What was God's action in Jacob's reconciliation with Esau? What are the right ways to reconcile with our brother?
Sharing 5. Let's share what virtues we have built up in our relationships with our brothers by believing in Jesus Christ. If you have a plan to extend Christian virtue in a brotherly relationship, let's share how we should do it.
2006-06-04