Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is Hebron) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Genesis 35:27
Jacob had been gone for a long time. He returned to Canaan with many sons and camped near Shechem. Eventually, God told Jacob to settle at Bethel, the place where God appeared to him when he fled from his brother Esau.
With all this moving about, there is an unexpected trip. Jacob went to Hebron. His father Isaac was still alive.
I'm surprised.
For one thing, Isaac was already feeble when Jacob left. Now, he must have been almost an invalid. I guess the other thing that surprises me is that Jacob didn't immediately go to Hebron. If his father was still alive, why didn't he go there first? There was obviously not a strong relationship between them. But regardless, Jacob honored his father by being there to bury him.
Lord, I feel convicted today. This is not the first time that You have challenged me with the thought of my own father's death. Can I move past the many years with no relationship to honor him when he dies? Jacob apparently did. I believe Jacob received just about as much from his father as I have from mine. What he got, had to merely accept; very little was freely given to him.
Father, help me to continue on this journey of forgiveness. I may not have the type of father-son relationship I would prefer, but I can accept what I have. I can honor my father at the end.
Help me to bring honor to You, Lord. Stay near today.