During social distancing I watch a lot of odd Youtube videos. Anybody remember the Ames Brothers singing Cy Cohen’s song I saw Esau? It starts out like the nursery rhyme:

I saw Esau sitting on a seesaw.
I saw Esau with my girl.

Is anybody named Esau nowadays? Esau is a Biblical personage, but he doesn’t have a great reputation.

Esau was the elder twin brother to Jacob. As the eldest, he should have inherited the larger share of his father’s possessions, but he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew because he was hungry. Stupid kid. Then, when their father Isaac was dying, their mother Rebecca helped Jacob to get his father’s blessing instead of Esau. So Esau planed to kill his brother. Jacob took off to hide with his uncle Laban in another country.

Many years later Jacob returned to his homeland accompanied by his two wives, children and the substantial wealth he had accumulated. He was met by Esau–a moment of great suspense. What would Esau do? Genesis 33:4 reports: “ Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” That’s not expected at all.

The years changed Esau. He let go of the past to embrace his brother. That’s good model for us. Let go of grudges and past hurts and embrace the possibilities of forgiveness. Let love drive out anger. In these difficult times that could make life a whole lot better.

Read Genesis 33:1-11 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne