36:1-43
I will deal with this chapter in a single post seeing as it is largely a list of various peoples, seeking to draw out some general lessons. The purpose of the chapter is to establish the place of Edom in Biblical history. Edom was the nation that descended from Esau, and was to be a thorn in the side of Israel for many years. Edom frequently sought to take advantage of Israel, sometimes joining in attacks on her by other nations. Because of this Edom is frequently the target of the prophets in the Bible.
Esau had taken wives from the Canaanites. From earlier chapters we know that Abraham was determined that Isaac should not take a Canaanite wife, and Isaac gave the same instruction to Jacob (Gen 28:1). Out of his bitterness Esau decided to live among the Canaanites. Now see the difference between Abraham and Esau. Abraham lived in the land of Canaanites but was not to adopt their customs (which was the whole point of the prohibition on intermarriage, it was not a racial thing). Esau, on the other hand, did intermarry with them, learning their ways, and then left the land. In a modern context, as the church we are to live in the world, and will one day rule over the world, but we must not take on the ways of the world.
The chapter shows us that Esau, and therefore Edom, occupied the land of Seir, and it became known as Edom.
Why do we get all these names of people? It seems that we don’t really gain much, if anything, by knowing all these names. One thing it does show is that God knows all about the other nations, not just about Israel. All mankind is known to the Lord.
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