Welcome to
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Rev Xi An Poon
《創世記32章》讓我們看見，雅各在雅博渡口被神摸著，名字從雅各改為以色列。這不只是名字的改變，更是生命方向的改變。過去的雅各很懂得抓住、安排、計算和逃避；但當神摸著他的生命，他開始學習不再用舊方法保護自己，而是用新的生命去面對前面的路。

到了《創世記33章》，雅各真正要面對以掃。以掃曾經恨他，甚至想要殺他；如今以掃帶著四百人前來，雅各心中一定仍有懼怕。但這一次，他沒有再逃避。他走在隊伍前頭，向哥哥俯伏，開始面對過去留下來的問題。

一、不再逃避，勇敢面對

創世記33:3「他自己在他們前頭過去，一連七次俯伏在地才就近他哥哥。」

雅各仍然有安排，仍然有顧慮，甚至仍有人的保護方式；但經文特別說，他自己走在眾人前頭。這是一個生命改變的記號。

走回神的道路，第一步常常不是馬上解決所有問題，而是不再繼續逃避。有些關係需要面對，有些責任需要承擔，有些心裡的懼怕需要帶到神面前。神不是要求我們一步就完全剛強，但祂會帶領我們不再逃避，勇敢面對。

二、順服向前，看見神工作

創世記33:4「以掃跑來迎接他，將他抱住，又摟著他的頸項，與他親嘴，兩個人就哭了。」

雅各原本以為前面可能是報復、衝突和危險；但當他真正走向以掃時，卻看見以掃跑來迎接他、抱住他、與他一同哭泣。

這讓我們看見，當人願意按著神的帶領向前走，神常常已經在前面預備我們不知道的恩典。有些門，我們以為只會遇見審判，卻發現神預備了接納；有些處境，我們以為一定無法走過，卻發現神的手早已在前面工作。

三、守住方向，走神道路

創世記33:12-14 以掃邀請雅各與他同行，甚至說：「我在你前頭走。」但雅各沒有跟以掃回西珥。因為西珥是以掃的地方，不是神應許給雅各的地方。雅各要回的是迦南，是神應許給亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各後裔的地。

雅各可以與以掃和好，可以接受以掃的接納，但他不能因為人的邀請，就離開神給他的道路。這提醒我們，不是每一個善意的邀請，都是神要我們走的方向；不是每一條看起來安全、有人同行的路，都是神命定我們要走的路。

所以經文最後說，雅各平平安安地到了迦南地的示劍城，並且在那裡築壇，起名叫「伊利伊羅伊以色列」。他不是只停留在「事情解決了」，而是回到神面前，承認神是以色列的神。

《創世記33章》讓我們看見，一個被神摸過的人，會開始走出舊生命的模式。雅各不是一下子完全成熟，他仍有懼怕，仍有安排，仍有人的顧慮；但他開始不再逃避，勇敢面對。當他順服向前，他看見神已經在以掃身上工作；當他經歷恩典，他沒有被西珥的邀請帶走，而是繼續走向神應許的迦南。

這就是「走回神的道路」。不是因為我們已經完全沒有軟弱，而是因為我們願意讓神帶領我們，不再被過去困住，不再被懼怕控制，也不再被人的方向牽引。

也許我們心裡也有一些「以掃」：一些不想面對的人，一些不想回想的事，一些不知道結果會如何的關係或責任。

神今日不是催逼我們用血氣衝出去，而是帶領我們按著祂的同在，踏出順服的一步。當我們願意跟隨祂，也許會發現，神已經在我們前面工作，祂的恩典比我們想像的更早、更深、更真實。

但經歷恩典之後，我們仍要守住方向。不能因為人的接納，就忘記神的應許；不能因為有人邀請，就離開神的道路；不能因為眼前看似容易，就走向不屬於自己的西珥。

今天，讓我們把自己的腳步重新交給神：不再逃避，勇敢面對；順服向前，看見神工作；守住方向，走神道路。

天父，我們感謝祢，因為祢是帶領我們走回正路的神。

主啊，很多時候我們像雅各一樣，心裡有懼怕，也有許多人的安排。但今天祢藉著祢的話提醒我們，被祢摸過的生命，可以不再逃避，可以開始勇敢面對該面對的生命。

求祢幫助我們，在懼怕中仍然願意順服，在不知道結果的時候仍然願意向前。讓我們看見，祢早已在我們前面工作，祢的恩典常常比我們的懼怕更早到達。

主啊，也求祢賜給我們分辨的心。當我們經歷人的接納、關係的恢復、環境的轉機時，讓我們不失去祢給我們的方向。幫助我們守住方向，繼續走祢要我們走的道路。

奉主耶穌基督的名禱告，阿們。

創世記 33

1 雅各舉目觀看，見以掃來了，後頭跟著四百人，他就把孩子們分開交給利亞、拉結和兩個使女， 2 並且叫兩個使女和她們的孩子在前頭，利亞和她的孩子在後頭，拉結和約瑟在儘後頭。 3 他自己在他們前頭過去，一連七次俯伏在地，才就近他哥哥。 4 以掃跑來迎接他，將他抱住，又摟著他的頸項與他親嘴，兩個人就哭了。 5 以掃舉目看見婦人孩子，就說：「這些和你同行的是誰呢？」雅各說：「這些孩子是神施恩給你的僕人的。」 6 於是兩個使女和她們的孩子前來下拜， 7 利亞和她的孩子也前來下拜，隨後約瑟和拉結也前來下拜。 8 以掃說：「我所遇見的這些群畜是什麼意思呢？」雅各說：「是要在我主面前蒙恩的。」 9 以掃說：「兄弟啊，我的已經夠了，你的仍歸你吧。」 10 雅各說：「不然，我若在你眼前蒙恩，就求你從我手裡收下這禮物。因為我見了你的面，如同見了神的面，並且你容納了我。 11 求你收下我帶來給你的禮物，因為神恩待我，使我充足。」雅各再三地求他，他才收下了。 12 以掃說：「我們可以起身前往，我在你前頭走。」 13 雅各對他說：「我主知道孩子們年幼嬌嫩，牛羊也正在乳養的時候，若是催趕一天，群畜都必死了。 14 求我主在僕人前頭走，我要量著在我面前群畜和孩子的力量慢慢地前行，直走到西珥我主那裡。」 15 以掃說：「容我把跟隨我的人留幾個在你這裡。」雅各說：「何必呢？只要在我主眼前蒙恩就是了。」 16 於是，以掃當日起行回往西珥去了。 17 雅各就往疏割去，在那裡為自己蓋造房屋，又為牲畜搭棚，因此那地方名叫疏割。

18 雅各從巴旦亞蘭回來的時候，平平安安地到了迦南地的示劍城，在城東支搭帳篷， 19 就用一百塊銀子向示劍的父親哈抹的子孫買了支帳篷的那塊地， 20 在那裡築了一座壇，起名叫伊利伊羅伊以色列。

Genesis 32 shows us that Jacob encountered God at the ford of Jabbok. God touched his life, and his name was changed from Jacob to Israel. This was not only a change of name, but a change of direction.

In the past, Jacob knew how to hold on, arrange, calculate, and run away. But when God touched his life, he began to learn not to protect himself by his old ways, but to face the road ahead with a new life.

In Genesis 33, Jacob truly had to face Esau. Esau had once hated him and even wanted to kill him. Now Esau was coming with four hundred men. Jacob must still have had fear in his heart. But this time, he did not run away. He went ahead of his family, bowed before his brother, and began to face what had been left unresolved in his past.

Do Not Run Away, Face It Bravely

Genesis 33:3 “Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.”

Jacob still had his arrangements. He still had concerns. He still carried human ways of protecting what he loved. But the Bible specifically says that he himself went ahead of them.

This was a sign of life change.

Returning to God’s way often begins not with solving every problem immediately, but with no longer running away. Some relationships need to be faced. Some responsibilities need to be carried. Some fears in our hearts need to be brought before God.

God does not require us to become completely strong in one step. But He leads us to stop running away and to face what we need to face with courage.

Move Forward in Obedience, See God at Work

Genesis 33:4 “But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.”

Jacob may have expected revenge, conflict, or danger. But when he truly walked toward Esau, he saw something different. Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and wept with him.

This shows us that when a person is willing to move forward according to God’s leading, God has often already prepared grace ahead of us.

Some doors we thought would bring judgment may become places where God has prepared acceptance. Some situations we thought we could never pass through may become places where we see that God has already been working before us.

Keep the Direction, Walk in God’s Way

Genesis 33:12-14 records that Esau invited Jacob to travel with him and even said, “I will go before you.” But Jacob did not follow Esau back to Seir.

Seir was Esau’s place. It was not the land God had promised to Jacob. Jacob’s direction was Canaan, the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’s descendants.

Jacob could be reconciled with Esau. He could receive Esau’s acceptance. But he could not leave God’s way because of a human invitation.

This reminds us that not every kind invitation is God’s direction. Not every road that looks safe, comfortable, or accompanied by others is the road God has appointed for us.

At the end of the chapter, Jacob came safely to Shechem in the land of Canaan and built an altar there. He called it “El Elohe Israel,” meaning “God, the God of Israel.”

Jacob did not stop at “the problem has been solved.” He returned to God, built an altar, and acknowledged that God was his God.

Genesis 33 shows us that a person who has been touched by God begins to walk out of old patterns.

Jacob did not become completely mature overnight. He still had fear. He still had arrangements. He still had human concerns. But he began to stop running away and face what he needed to face.

As he moved forward in obedience, he saw that God had already been working in Esau. After experiencing grace, he did not allow Esau’s invitation to lead him away to Seir. Instead, he continued toward Canaan, the land of God’s promise.

This is what it means to return to God’s way.

It is not because we have no weakness anymore. It is because we are willing to let God lead us, so that we are no longer trapped by the past, no longer controlled by fear, and no longer pulled away by the direction of others.

Perhaps there are also some “Esaus” in our hearts: people we do not want to face, situations we do not want to remember, relationships or responsibilities where we do not know what the outcome will be.

Today, God is not pushing us to rush forward in our own strength. He is leading us to take one step of obedience with His presence.

When we are willing to follow Him, we may discover that God has already gone ahead of us. His grace is earlier, deeper, and more real than we expected.

But after experiencing grace, we still need to keep our direction. We must not forget God’s promise because of human acceptance. We must not leave God’s way because of someone’s invitation. We must not walk toward a “Seir” that does not belong to us just because it looks easy.

Today, let us place our steps before God again:

Do not run away, face it bravely.
Move forward in obedience, see God at work.
Keep the direction, walk in God’s way.

Father, we thank You because You are the God who leads us back to the right path.

Lord, many times we are like Jacob. There is fear in our hearts, and we still carry many human arrangements. But today, through Your Word, You remind us that a life touched by You can stop running away and begin to face what needs to be faced.

Help us to obey You even when we are afraid. Help us to move forward even when we do not know the outcome. Open our eyes to see that You have already been working ahead of us, and that Your grace often arrives before our fear.

Lord, give us a discerning heart. When we experience acceptance, restored relationships, or changes in our circumstances, help us not to lose the direction You have given us.

Help us to keep the direction and continue walking in the way You want us to walk.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Genesis 33

1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?”

So he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.

8 Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”

And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.”

9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”

10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” So he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14 Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

15 And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.”

But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.