(Gen. 31-33) Even though Jacob was making his way back to back to the place where he had first met God, he and his family were carrying hidden idols with them. Jacob was afraid of his brother Esau, who was coming out to meet him. He was willing to call upon God for deliverance, but was still partially dependent upon his own efforts to save himself. This tendency toward self-preservation and taking matters into his own hands led him to a lot of unnecessary turmoil and in one case even a physical injury that would affect him for the rest of his life.