Genesis 36
Bible Passage: Genesis 36 – the Genealogy of Esau
Now, I found it really quite hard to write on a chapter that is just mentioning genealogy. Yes, in a way doing this blog made me force myself to read through the chapter, but the names will just disappear quite soon after. Some terms that probably retained are the many chiefs (some other versions say king, duke…), and also Amalek. Since Amalek is the great enemy of Israel and the nation that God had commanded to annihilate totally!
So I resorted to searching for materials online. Seriously it is amazing how this chapter can produce a whole long length of commentaries by serious Bible researchers, some of them perhaps deemed as Bible experts and scholars. But one has to be careful when one read what people write. Because one’s ability to research and compile reference materials systematically does not then mean that one will have the ability to interpret the Bible accurately. I do not intend to replicate anything other people “commented”; the intention of referring to online materials is really to make use of what people have already researched and referenced to between biblical records that one may have no time to do within a week. Biblical commentaries are only meaningful when they are based on references to other records of the Bible, and not the commenter’s own feelings.
But I cannot help but want to mention this, because I found this comment on more than one site (not in exact words, but basically what they mean) – “God did not hate Esau really, for God blessed him very much”.
“Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock.” v.6-7
Now I taught a lesson about Esau selling his birthright. The Bible clearly wrote God hated Esau and loved Jacob. I told the class – there is only one name I can find in the Bible that God mentioned He hated (correct me if I am wrong). There are instances God mentioned he hated some kind of people, some behavior, and perhaps even a nation. But one man, one name, I can only find Esau.
I asked the class to guess what is the name that God mentioned he hated. If you did not know the Bible well enough to come across that verse, who will you guess? I doubt Esau’s name will pop up because he did not really do anything we consider as morally abhorable .
So why did God hate Esau, rather than other characters that we might find 10 tens more evil than he? Not Cain, not Saul, not Ahab, not Jezebel?
I believe that it is important for us to understand why God hated Esau.
And no, I do not believe God showed partiality between the twins right from the beginning, but He knew what Esau will chose in his life. Esau despised his birthright.
Today true Christians who followed the commands of God and enters His church of salvation are bought with the blood of Jesus, a great price. Through baptism we obtain the birthright to be a child of God. However there are Christians who do not see the value of their status.
And my conclusion is this – God hates the man who chooses material things over spiritual things, and indulgence over preserving his birthright, which carries true value. Would you exchange a diamond for a can of beer? (even if you are a man who don’t fancy diamond) In fact, today we can see how man choose to leave God because of their favor for the things of the world. We may not easily see the goodness of Jacob, but what I see is that he grabbed hold of God and His possessions throughout his life, whether through scrupulous or unscrupulous means.
Okay, I really like the line below so yes, for this I am copying someone’s commentary, but not without acknowledging my source 🙂
“Mount Seir is called the land of their possession – While the Israelites dwelt in the house of bondage, and their Canaan was only the land of promise, the Edomites dwelt in their own habitations, and Seir was in their possession. The children of this world have their all in hand, and nothing in hope, while the children of God have often their all in hope, and next to nothing in hand. But, all things considered, it is better to have Canaan in promise than mount Seir in possession.”
4 Comments
biblereadingcompanion
I have been struggling over the past few days… over the sudden death of one of my schooldays friends who I was quite close to. His death caused me to question many of the things I have done and have not done and actually left me with more questions than answers.
I felt very down today… and was hoping to find from today’s passage some form of encouragement or comfort. And then I was confronted with a list of Esau’s descendents! Looks like there is no solace to be found in today’s passage then….
But after reading today’s blog posting, I reflected further and came to this conclusion.
Like what TheChosen said, Esau was hated by God because he chose “material things over spiritual things”. So despite his apparent ‘blessings’ – where he had loads of descendents – some very prominent ones in history – he was outside the grace of God and was definitely not the chosen one 🙂
My friend who died had turned to Christ some 30 years ago and was very active in his church. He was unlike Esau. He valued the things of God more than his material possessions and spent almost all his time with his cell groups and counselling others. But yet… he is outside the grace of the truth… and it is my fault for never attempting to invite him to our church, even though I had planned to when we connected again last year.
He left behind a god-fearing family. He left behind many of his church mates who spoke warmly of his love for God. He left behind many friends who missed him dearly. He left behind a mark of being a successful man.
And yet… he is not the chosen… but I am in the true Church.
Like Esau, he was not part of God’s plan. Like Jacob… I am in the household of God.
What makes me different from Esau? What makes my friend different from Jacob?
Why am I chosen and my friend is not?
I admit I do not know why. And I guess I never will.
But what came strongly to me was this….
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them
— Ephesians 2:8-10 —
Fact that we are chosen to be in His true church – totally…. TOTALLY HIS GRACE. And it is a Gift! Nothing we do, nothing we say, nothing… NOTHING at all makes us deserving of His salvation.
But we must accept it through Faith. And then go and do the works He wants us to do.
Success in the world is not important. We can be like Esau to leave a big name for ourselves in the world today… but that is not what is important.
With the grace we have received… we should and must do more. I know clearly now what I MUST do and all the more make sure I do not receive God’s choosing in vain.
In the life of Jacob, in the last chapter, we read of his return to God by paying his vows at Bethel. But do you noticed before that…. he gathered his family and told them to get rid of all the foreign idols that they were still carrying around and to purify themselves.
The contrast between a son of promise and a son that is not of the promise cannot be clearer.
The question is … do I despise the birthright that I am given and fail to do the things God wants me too? Or do I fulfil my vows and do the things that He wants me too.
Biblereader
I have also experienced what BibleReadingCompanion have experienced. When my father was in hospital, I brought along church tracts thinking that I would have a chance to talk to him another time about Christianity. However, due to work, I had to go to Israel and at that moment, in the hospital my father told me not to leave and he gave me a very upset and defeated look. I thought he will be ok as the doctor said he was ‘stable’. I even wrote things down that I wanted to say to him. However, I made the decision to leave as it was an important meeting. Before I knew it when I was in Israel, my father was in ICU and I had to travel the most agonizing flight back to Singapore from Israel.
I did not get the chance to say what I wanted to say to him. I did not have the chance…. it was too late and it was the wrong choice. If I were to say what is the biggest regret in my life, that was it. It is because of this incident that motivates me and drives me to talk to people more about Christianity. We never know when is our last chance. Every opportunity, is a chance given by God for us to save those we love.
LittleDust
Thanks all for the generous sharing.
There really is nothing in this world that worth even close to the salvation / birthright. Absolutely nothing. If one thing that I think it’s worth dying for, it is this!
I personally like how thechosen has summarized Jacob’s faith for now – ” We may not easily see the goodness of Jacob, but what I see is that he grabbed hold of God and His possessions throughout his life, whether through scrupulous or unscrupulous means.” Yes, no doubt Jacob has been the bad boy and I’m not encouraging how we should learn of his tricks in getting what he wanted (i.e. by his means and not God’s), but he fought for the blessings that are not of this world.
While we could never comprehend such an amazing grace – how can it be, that we are the chosen lots; we should instead work harder to bring this salvation grace to as many out there as we can and not to live on more regrets in our life.
Lastly, if we ever hesitated of the ‘best’ timing to share this salvation grace with that someone, just remember – There is no better time than NOW!
May you find the peace and joy in Him.
PS
There are indeed many names in Gen 36, many of which i can’t even pronounce properly.
Some events recorded too. These events must be important to warrant Moses to record them down, but their significance is lost on me, to me they were bygones, eg Gen 36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah. This was the Anah who found the water in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon. What water? Where is it now?
Men passed on. Events passed. God remembers His children through the ages. His salvation is in place from the beginning (Col 1:14-15)
Although our names are not recorded in the bible, our names are recorded in the book of life on earth (ie register of members, digital in fact) and the book of life in heaven.
Both thechosen and biblereadingcompanion mention about birthright.
Most of us are born into different families, yet Lord Jesus gives all of us a common birthright, ie the right to enter into His kingdom in heaven.
May Lord Jesus help us not to despise our birthright.