Genesis 33 begins with Jacob bowing as he approached his brother Esau cautiously, but Esau "ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed (Jacob)". Esau then asked Jacob why he had sent all the flocks, and Jacob said, "to find favor in your eyes". But Esau said " My brother, keep what you have for yourself". What a picture of forgiveness!
Esau did finally accept the gifts, since Jacob insisted, but then he said to Jacob, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." Jacob, though, told him to go on ahead, since he had to move along slowly with his droves and children. Esau then offered, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." Jacob said to Esau, "to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably".

Genesis 32 gives the account of Jacob journeying back toward Canaan and preparing to meet Esau. Jacob was concerned about how Esau would receive him, so he made plans to send him gifts ahead of his arrival to appease any remaining hostility towards Jacob. Jacob prayed, " I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant... Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children". Jacob wrestled that night with an Angel of the Lord and God spoke to him saying, "your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Jacob realized he had seen God face to face and yet his life was spared.

In Genesis 31, Jacob notices that Laban and his sons were becoming increasingly hostile toward him. The Lord told Jacob to "Go back to the land of your father and your relatives ( Canaan) and I will be with you". So he took his family, household, livestock, and belongings, but left without telling Laban. When Laban learned of their departure, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him, but the Lord warned Laban in a dream, saying "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob , either good or bad". So, when Laban confronted Jacob about fleeing in secret, he said "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and warned me to be careful not to harm you or speak anything to you". Rachel had taken Laban's household idols when they left, so Laban searched through their stuff looking for his stolen idols. Jacob became angry and lectured Laban about how he had served him in his house for twenty years, yet he still treated Jacob unfairly, Jacob said, "If the God of my father...had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed, but God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night." Laban offered a covenant with Jacob , asking the Lord to "watch between you and me... God is witness between you and me... that I will not harm you .. and you will not harm me.. and the God of Abraham judge between us". Laban then departed and returned to his home.

Genesis 30 is about Jacob's family growing and becoming prosperous. Both Leah and Rachel have children with Jacob and also their maidservants have children with Jacob, eventually twelve sons in all ( ie. twelve tribes of Israel). We see in this chapter God faithfully continuing to bless the descendants of Abraham through Jacob, despite the dysfunctional mess of a family that resulted from his multiple wives. Once more we realize that it is only by God's sovereign will and purposes that history moves as it does, not because of man's control or wishes.

Genesis 29 begins with Jacob arriving in the eastern lands near Haran, where his uncle Laban lived. Jacob met Rachel, Laban's younger daughter, as she was shepherding flocks of sheep towards a well. He helped water the sheep and then kissed Rachel and wept. After he explained to Rachel who he was, she "ran quickly and told her father, Laban". When Laban heard the news, he "ran out to meet" Jacob, embracing and kissing him, exclaiming "You really are my own flesh and blood!". Jacob stayed and worked for Laban, so Laban finally told him , "Tell me how much your wages should be". He told Laban, "I'll work for you for seven years if you'll give me your longer daughter, Rachel, as my wife" . Laban agreed and Jacob worked for seven years to earn Rachel. But, on the day of his reward, Laban deceived Jacob and sent his older daughter, Leah, to sleep with Jacob on the night of the wedding feast. Jacob was enraged. Laban explained that "It's not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn", but he promised to give Rachel to him now also if Jacob agreed to stay and work another seven years. So, after the bridal week with Leah was over, Jacob took Rachel as his wife also. Because Leah was unloved, the Lord enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. Leah gave birth to many sons for Jacob ( Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah), yet Jacob loved Rachel much more than Leah.

In Genesis 28, Isaac tells Jacob to go away from Canaan to find and marry a woman in Haran, from the family of Abraham. Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him off to take a wife from among the daughters of his uncle Laban, saying “ May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May He give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham.” As Jacob then journeyed toward Haran, he stopped to rest in Bethel and had a dream in which God spoke to him of the promises of blessings and the land of Canaan which would be given to Jacob and his descendants. God said also, “I am with you and will watch over your, wherever you go, and … I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Jacob awoke and realized that God was with him and he made a vow, saying “ (Since) God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God” . Jacob models for us the proper response to God's promises that we claim--- our loyalty and commitment to Him as the Lord of our life.

Genesis 27 is the account of Jacob, with the help of his mother, deceiving his father into giving him the blessing that rightly belonged to his brother, Esau. His nearly blind father, Isaac, was in his last days and was planning to give his blessing to his firstborn son, Esau, as was customary. But, Jacob disguised himself with Esau's clothes and made his hands hairy like Esau with animal skin gloves. Isaac then blessed Jacob, saying "May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness--an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you." When Isaac later realized it was not Esau, he trembled violently and said, "Who was it, then...that came and I blessed him?--and indeed he will be blessed!" Esau held a grudge against Jacob for stealing his blessing, saying "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob", but their mother sent Jacob away to his uncle Laban in Haran. These events fulfilled the words of the Lord spoken to Rebekah when Jacob and Esau were still in her womb, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."