Esau - Past, Present and Future Esau – Past, Present and Future

Study 1 Esau and Jacob - Two Manner of People Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau – Past, Present and Future Purpose of this study To examine the character of Esau individually and nationally. Extract the exhortation for believers in every generation from his example. Visit the Judgement Seat in advance. Follow the bitter struggle between the descendents of Jacob and Esau. Confirm who Esau represents nationally today in relation to fulfilling prophecy. See what part Esau plays in the future. Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau, Edom and Idumea The name Esau occurs 100 times in Scripture (O.T. & N.T.) Edom, Edomite and Edomites occur 107 times in only the O.T. Idumea (same as Edom) occurs 5 times in Scripture – once in N.T. Dumah (Isa. 21:11) is an anagram for Edom. Seir occurs 39 times (O.T.) Total of 252 occurrences Jacob occurs 377 and Israel 2575 times in Scripture Abram/Abraham occurs 311 times Esau – Past, Present and Future

אדם Edom ארם Syria The Birth of Esau - Gen. 25 V.20 – “the Syrian” – In Hebrew, Syria and Edom have similar consonants – confused by translators 2 Sam. 8:12-13. V.25 – “red” – admoniy – reddish “hairy” – sa’ar – hair (dishevelled) “Esau” – hairy, rough. Akin to asah – to do or make in the sense of handling; hence rough (sensibly felt). The idea is that Esau was “fully made” from birth. He never changed from what he was at birth. אדם Edom ארם Syria Esau – Past, Present and Future

Two manner of people Esau Jacob "red all over" "Fully made" from the womb Cunning hunter Man of the field Isaac loved Esau Despised his natural birthright Called Edom (akin to Adam) for his profanity Hated by God – Mal.1:3 Normal at birth Hand on Esau's heel at birth A shepherd A plain man Rebekah loved Jacob Sought the birthright for spiritual reasons Finally became Israel and prevailed with God Loved by God – Mal.1:2 Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau in Manhood Fornicator – a notorious womaniser. A polygamist by choice (after the example of Lamech). Noted for ‘double standards’ (duplicitous). Totally lacking in spiritual perception (marriage to Ishmael’s daughter illustrates – Gen. 28:6-9). Small-minded and egotistical (illustrated by Gen. 32:6). Hated his brother Jacob – the first Anti-Semite – Gen. 27:41. Esau – Past, Present and Future

Character of Esau and Jacob “The free, easy, frank good-nature of the profane Esau, is ruined and rendered useless by fickleness, unsteadiness, weakness, want of faith and principle. The craft, duplicity, timidity of the religious Jacob is turned to lasting good by steadfast purpose, resolute sacrifice of present benefits for future ones, and a fixed principle which ultimately purified and elevated even the baser qualities of his character.” A non-Christadelphian commentator Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau – Man of the field “Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison” Gen. 27:3 Esau – Past, Present and Future

The Stolen Blessing – Gen.27:27-29 INHERITANCE "The dew of heaven" "The fatness of the earth" "Plenty of corn & wine" AUTHORITY "Let people serve thee" "Nations bow down to thee" "Be Lord over thy brethren" PRIESTHOOD "Let thy mother's sons bow down to thee" "Blessed be he that blesseth thee" Relates to the rights of the firstborn in the present. Esau – Past, Present and Future

Away from the fatness of the earth! “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be…” – Isaac’s words to Esau in Gen. 27:39 (R.S.V.) Esau – Past, Present and Future

Edom – Dry and barren land The soils of Edom matched the redness of Esau’s hair Esau – Past, Present and Future

Separation of Two Families SPIRIT Gen. 28:1-5 - Blessing of faith – building of the divine family (v.1). Wife from Abrahamic family (v.2). El Shaddai – strength of the nourishers (v.3). Ecclesia (qahal) formed – “a multitude” (v.3). Abrahamic promise extended (v.4). FLESH Gen. 28:6-9 - Esau takes wives to build the family of flesh. Motivated by feelings of jealousy towards Jacob (v.6-7). Realises wrong choice of wives (v.8). Ignorantly seeks a wife with family link (v.9). Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau’s Way or the Birthright? Hebrews 12 Theme - "children" and chastening v.5-11 V.8 - "bastards" - nothos - spurious or illegitimate son - Esau is the example selected. Esau - no chastening - fornicator and "profane" - Gr. bebelos - permitted to be trodden, accessible (a threshold); unhallowed, profane - despised his birthright - the failed firstborn - v.16-17. V.23 - The general assembly and ecclesia of the firstborns (plural) - equates with "chastening" and "the spirits of just men made perfect". Esau – Past, Present and Future

A fearful looking for judgement Hebrews 10:25-29 Not forsaking the assembling together Exhorting as day approaches No mercy for willful sinners Fearful expectation of judgement Trodden under foot Christ’s sacrifice Counted covenant profane (common) Hebrews 12:14-17 Follow peace and holiness Looking diligently lest others defiled Fail of the grace of God Esau found no place of repentance Cross the threshold - spiritual fornication Sold his birthright as a common thing Esau – Past, Present and Future

The Esau Class at the Judgement Seat Luke 13:27-30 V.27 - “workers of iniquity” - cp. Esau's profanity and immorality - Heb.12:16. V.28 - “weeping and gnashing of teeth” - cp. Esau - Gen.27:34,38; Heb.12:17. “Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob” – The promise to Jacob - Gen.28:13. “thrust out” - cp. Esau - Gen.27:39 (RSV); Heb.12:15. V.29 - “the east....the west...the north...the south” - cp. Abrahamic promise - Gen.28:14. V.30 - “there are last which shall be first” - the “elder shall serve the younger” - Gen.25:23. Esau – Past, Present and Future

Hence, Esau is Edom (Adam) = Failure, incompleteness Stated 5 times in Gen.36. The name Edom occurs 11 times in Gen.36. There are 11 dukes in the final list - Gen.36:40-43. (Eleven is the number of incompleteness and failure - see Ex.20:3-17; Acts 1:26) Edom - "red" is from adom - rosy. The root word is adam - to show blood in the face; flush. Hence, Esau is Edom (Adam) = Failure, incompleteness Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau and the Nations 70 - number of the nations - Gen.10; Deut.32:8. Esau produced many nations - Gen.36:40-43. Edom became the name by which God denominated all anti-Semitic nations - see Obadiah 15 & 16. The “all nations” who are gathered against Jerusalem at Armageddon are called “Edom” - Isa.34:1-6. The “generations of Esau” listed in Gen.36 lists 70 different names of the off-spring of Esau (exclude the names of cities, nations and women, and count male off-spring only once). Esau – Past, Present and Future

Esau represents the nations In this way, Babylon and the Goat-nations are “made to drink of the wine of the wrath of the Deity, prepared without mixture in the cup of his indignation.” Esau will have had the dominion over Jacob long enough; and the time will now have arrived to prove to mankind “that there is a God that judgeth in the earth”. Esau has lived by his sword, but not righteously. He crucified the king of Israel, persecuted and killed his brethren, corrupted the faith, trod under foot the Holy City forty and two months, and poured out the blood of Jacob like water upon the ground. But they who war against Zion and her sons “shall be as nothing, as a thing of nought”. Bro. Thomas – Eureka Vol. 5 pg. 50 Esau – Past, Present and Future

Edom – Miniature of all nations Bro. H.P. Mansfield commenting on Obadiah v.6 “…the punishment of Yahweh was to be complete and absolute, leaving nothing of the nation remaining. This punishment commenced with the humiliation that Nebuchadnezzar brought upon it, it was completed by conversion to Judaism forced upon it by the Maccabees when nationally Edom passed from the pages of history. And in all this, as the prophet showed, there was shown in miniature, the judgements Yahweh had in store for the world at large.” Esau – Past, Present and Future

Next Study "The character of Edom in history" (God willing) Esau – Past, Present and Future

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