The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 36:1,
"This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom)."
Esau was Jacob's twin brother and son of Issac and Rebecca. We are provided various accounts of Esau, especially in relationship to Jacob. I suspect most familiar is the account of when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Genesis 36 is devoted to providing the family line of Esau.
The writer of Hebrews observes that Esau was a godless man, Hebrews 12:16. In Romans 9:13, Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3 where it is written, "'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' declares the Lord. 'Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.'"
Since Esau was viewed as a godless man, a man whom the Lord hated (in Malachi it is not just Esau, but also the descendants of Esau that God claimed to hate, while he loved Israel) and that the progeny of Esau became bitter enemies of the nation of Israel in succeeding generations, why does the Bible spend time on his family line? It is precisely these kinds of observations and questions that provide me with the absolute certainty that the Bible is not what its critics claim it to be. It is heard on occasion that the Bible was written by men who intended to subjugate people to "the elites" of the day, to invent or reinvent religion, to bring about revivals and reforms, etc. Such criticism is best aimed at the Qur'an and other false religious literature.
"This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom)."
Esau was Jacob's twin brother and son of Issac and Rebecca. We are provided various accounts of Esau, especially in relationship to Jacob. I suspect most familiar is the account of when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Genesis 36 is devoted to providing the family line of Esau.
The writer of Hebrews observes that Esau was a godless man, Hebrews 12:16. In Romans 9:13, Paul quotes Malachi 1:2-3 where it is written, "'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' declares the Lord. 'Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.'"
Since Esau was viewed as a godless man, a man whom the Lord hated (in Malachi it is not just Esau, but also the descendants of Esau that God claimed to hate, while he loved Israel) and that the progeny of Esau became bitter enemies of the nation of Israel in succeeding generations, why does the Bible spend time on his family line? It is precisely these kinds of observations and questions that provide me with the absolute certainty that the Bible is not what its critics claim it to be. It is heard on occasion that the Bible was written by men who intended to subjugate people to "the elites" of the day, to invent or reinvent religion, to bring about revivals and reforms, etc. Such criticism is best aimed at the Qur'an and other false religious literature.
It seems to me that no one would showcase the "bad guys" as Genesis 36 does if the Bible had such an origin. And, not just that, but, not only are we presented with the account of Esau's family line in Genesis, which demonstrates the Genesis accounts are not spun out of thin air - but historically well-documented, it also presents us with the failings of the "good guys." Abraham's lying and deception, Jacob's lying and deception, Judah's procurement of temple prostitutes, and on and on.
The authenticating material of historical documentation is one of the Scripture's very strong points, and lays to rest the many attacks by less-informed critics.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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