City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14 “Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.” 15 Esau said, “Please 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 Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth. Jacob Settles in Shechem 18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 19 He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Genesis 33:12-20

Reflection

The Lord had commanded Jacob to return to the land of his birth (Genesis 31:3), and Jacob obeyed. Jacob’s obedience had been costly. It had cost him his relationship with his in-laws, put him in great danger from his brother Esau, and cost him much of his wealth. It also cost him his physical health; when Jacob finally entered Canaan, he did so with a limp.

Then, when Jacob had completed his obedience and arrived at the place to which God had called him, he built an altar and called it “El-Elohe-Israel,” which means, “God, the God of Israel.” This was not a reference to the nation of Israel, which did not yet exist, but to Israel the person, formerly known as Jacob. This altar was a declaration that Jacob had accepted his new identity in God and that God was his God.

Application

Obedience binds us to God in a way no amount of good teaching or good intentions ever can.

That is in part because the cost of obedience naturally invests us in God’s plan for our lives. I am committed to the success of my law firm not only because I work there but because when I became a partner, I had to buy into the partnership. Commitment follows cost.

Obedience also binds us to God because of how God responds to our obedience. Jesus said it like this, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21).

The more invest in our walk with God through obedience, the more inclined we are to continue to follow Him. The more we are obedient to God, the more He reveals of Himself to us and the deeper our relationship with Him becomes, which makes us want to continue obeying Him. It is a beautiful cycle.

Prayer

Lord, empower me to walk in greater obedience to You, so I can walk in greater knowledge of You. Amen.