Review of Genesis 36

— by Victor Fawole

It’s been a scintillating ride into the life of Jacob and his family. However, this chapter tells a lot about Esau and his descendants. Esau was a man who compromised God’s standards for the world’s standards, always loving instant gratification and worldly pleasures. He grew up with low regard for the things of God. His journey in life was a downward slope. His nation made themselves the enemies of God’s people. The fall of his mighty nation was so great that they no longer exist. Let us hit the review ground running…

1. NOTICE THE APPELLATIONS
When we compare the names of Esau’s eldest children to the youngest, there is a clear reflection of his decline his regard for the God of his father.

• Eliphaz: “God is my strength” or “My God is fine gold”
• Reuel: “Friend of God”
• Jeush: “Assembled” or “God is foundation”
• Jaalam: “Hidden/Concealed”
• Korah: “Bald” or “Ice”

When we further consider the names that Esau’s sons gave to their own children, it is clear that he didn’t teach them the ways of the God of his father. Let’s check some of them out and their meanings:

• Amalek: “Aggressor”
• Dishon: “Gazelle”
• Aran: “Mountain goat”
• Baal-Hanan: “Baal is gracious”

His heart was totally away from God. Hmmm…

2. NOTICE THE DEPRECIATION

Gen. 36:6-7 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

The land of Canaan was the land God promised to Abraham. Esau had lived there all his life. But as Jacob came back to the land, their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. Esau could have handled that challenge by going to another part of Canaan land. It was indeed a vast land. But he chose to leave Canaan and went to Seir. He was comfortable with choosing to live his life apart from God.

Although Esau achieved earthly greatness, he was excluded from God’s covenant and its attendant blessings. Whereas, the nature of earthly greatness is temporary. The trajectory of Esau’s life reminds us that material wealth is temporary and uncertain and we are not to trust in it (1Tim. 6:17). Clothes wear out, careers come to an end, influence wanes, educational achievements can become irrelevant, and even beauty fades away. Uncertain riches can be here today and gone tomorrow. May God preserve our blessings in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In everything that we read about Esau’s life, there was never a mention of worship. Jacob put up an altar, built up a pillar, worshipped God, rendered sacrifices unto God… but we never read this about Esau. He had material prosperity but lacked soul prosperity. As believers, there are God-glorifying ways to gain material prosperity, while also enjoying our soul prosperity in Christ. This is the mentality that we are groomed with in the Gospel of Grace Outreach.

By leaving Canaan, Esau cut himself off from the covenant blessing of God. His departure made it quite clear that he wasn’t a part of God’s chosen people. When people claim that “a believer has lost his salvation” and no longer loves the Lord, the first question should be: “Was this person ever saved at all?” Being a part of the church gathering for many years is not the guarantee of salvation. Being morally upright and holding leadership positions in church are not the guarantees of salvation. The Apostle John made it clear:

1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

3. NOTICE THE OPPOSITION
Another trajectory that we observe in Esau’s descendants was that they grew in number, took control of the land of Seir, renamed it “Edom”, and the Edomites made themselves bitter enemies of Israel. Their opposition was revealed in three major ways:

A. Frequent Warfare
Edom was frequently at war against Israel. They fought against Israel, under different kings and in different centuries. Here are some examples:

• Saul vs.Edom (1Sam. 14:47)
• David vs. Edom (2Sam. 8:13-14, 1Kgs. 11:15-17)
• Solomon vs. Edom (1Kgs. 11:25)
• Jehoram vs. Edom (2Kgs. 8:20-22)
• Amaziah vs. Edom (2 Kgs. 14:7)
• Uzziah vs. Edom (2Chro. 26:2)
• Ahaz vs. Edom (2Chro. 28:17)

B. Forbidden Waypath
When Moses was leading the Israelites out of Egypt (Num. 20:14-21), Moses reached out to the Edomites in a very peaceful and diplomatic manner, requesting their permission to pass through their territory in order to get to the Promised Land. But the Edomites refused his request and actually sent out their army to make sure the Israelites didn’t pass through their land.

C. Frightening Waylay
Perhaps the most shocking occasion of Edom’s opposition towards Israel is in the book of Obadiah. When the Israelites were in the process of escaping from the army of Babylon, the Edomites actually stood at the crossroads to cut off their escape, captured them, and handed them over to the Babylonians as slaves. (Obad. 1:13-14)

Through Prophet Obadiah, God pronounced a judgement on Edom (Obad. 1:15,18). There are other prophecies against Edom (Jer. 49:8; Isa. 34:5, Eze. 25:13). Obadiah’s prophecy was indeed fulfilled in the 1st century. History has it that in the year 68 AD, Edom was destroyed by the Roman army. The earthly greatness of Esau lasted for a long time, but it eventually came to a tragic end. Now, the nation no longer exists!

Food For Thought: What shall it profit a man, like Esau, if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?

Till next time when we continue our reading in the book of Genesis, I say…

Grace to you, Church!