Genesis 33  Jacob "lifted his eyes and looked and behold, Esau was coming and four hundred men with him.."   Jacob was still unsure of Esau's reception.. he had done all he could to provide a way.. but seeing Esau and his 400 men had to be intimidating.  But, when he came before his brother, humbly.. the reunion was so much more than either of them could have imagined.. " Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept."  ( v4) 

Both sons of Isaac were able to put the past behind them to some extent. Yet, Esau went back to Seir and Jacob ended up in Shechem. 

Ch 34  Things did not go well in Shechem. The prince of that area saw Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, and took her by force.  He wanted to marry her but he went about that in a violent, ugly way.  When her brothers, Simeon and Levi,  found out what had happened they were angry.  They practiced some deception of their own.. convincing all the men of the city to be circumcised so that they could intermarry, but then when their defenses were down, they went in and killed all the men of the city, took everything they could, and rescued their sister from Shechem's house.  

Jacob knew that this was going to stir up all kinds of problems from the Canaanites. So, under the Lord's directions, he moved his family to Bethel.. back to the place that he had met the Lord when he first fled from Esau. 

Jacob's life and the life of his children were far from perfect.. they were a mess, frankly.  Kind of like the rest of us... Yet, the Lord chose to continue his covenant with Abraham through Jacob.. now Israel.  A new nation was coming into existence through these messy, imperfect people.  This nation, God would call His own. His plan had not changed.. His purpose would still be accomplished.  So thankful for a God who deals with us in our messes and still works His will through our lives.. He is so good to us!

Father in heaven, thank You for all the grace that You continually pour out upon Your people.. even when we mess up, even when things don't look so good.. You work all things for our good.. for us that are called according to Your purposes.  Keep us in all holiness and righteousness, Lord God. Help us to walk in truth and in love, to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.. for it is in His name that we come before You. Amen.