GENESIS – An Expositional Overview of the Beginning of God’s Revelation: Chapter THIRTY SIX

Contributing commentaries by pastors Sonny Islas, Albert Lopez and James Fire

Chuck Missler Bible Commentary - Genesis 32-36 (Part 2)

GENESIS 36 – by Albert Lopez; to watch this teaching on Facebook video, go here.

Introduction:  It’s strange to be away from the fellowship and instead of seeing God’s precious flock in person, we are having to fellowship through live video [Due to the mayoral directive regarding coronavirus, 3/18/2020]. I pray that as Pastor James and Pastor Sonny have pointed out to us through the Word, which I pray made us think that whatever is happening, may be used to drive out false and dead worship to our True and Living God. Maybe this is a way that The Lord as Pastor James put it will set us aside individually and collectively through prayer to show us what it means to W.A.T.C.H. and pray that we don’t fall into temptation and desperation during these times and what is to come.
W.ise in the word: Be a reader church; I’m not guiltless but let us be intentional. We at Shine Bright Church have a small bookshelf/library but it is loaded. These kind of books we have will lead your heart and mind to God’s living Word.  The Word calls us to “Renew our mind and not be conformed or molded to this world or its way of thinking and doing things (ROM 12:1-2). The Bible says that The Word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path. It will guide us through these challenging times.

A.lert: We are to be not be drunk with wine. I’m using wine because that’s what the Bible uses when it says: 

EPHESIANS 5:18 
“And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit”

We know that if we are drunk we are not sober. We are not clear headed and that is what the enemy wants. We don’t necessarily need to be drunk with wine; anything that controls us and steers us away from the leading of the Holy Spirit can get us drunk in a sense.

The word teaches us:

2 TIMOTHY 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power,[a] love, and sound judgment.

Do you want to be alert? Let the Spirit of God lead your steps.

T.rials welcomed:
No one likes hard circumstances; there was a commercial going around showing us that we are always looking for ‘the easy button’. We ask God to stop the storm, but as He said to the disciples Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Oh, by the way Jesus, we read, was sleeping:
Not panicking or taking water out of the boat by the handfuls, desperately thinking this is it. The ship is going down, as they say. It’s not that God is asleep at the wheel - or the oar, it’s that God is Sovereign and in control. The Creator will not be taken by surprise or alarmed by the creation. His creation.  

C.onsecrated and C.ommitted to Christ:

1 PETER 4:19
Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 

Peter denied the Lord three times (MATT 26:73-75) and Paul wrote about the fight between the flesh and his spirit (GAL 5:17). Our flesh is weak because we are no more than common clay made of the dust of the earth. Yet as pastor James said we are not helplessly weak if we have the glory and grace of God’s spirit in us.

H.oliness
Look at the grapevine: in order to produce the maximum amount of fruit, the vine dresser must prune it back until what remains of it is virtually just a stick! Some of you are probably looking like a stick – if you’re going to produce fruit, yup that’s the way it works!
Thanks to my friend Tony who gave me an opportunity and taught me all about the pruning business. Hopefully I didn’t kill too many of his trees!

One of my favorite passages in the bible is:

JOHN 15:1-5
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing".

You know recently I read an excellent article by one of my Facebook friends, Kyle Peart, in which he says, “An apple tree produces apples which is how we know what kind of fruit it produces. The tree does not try to produce the apples, that is the outcome of the resources. It receives; including water and light. Without those specific resources the tree could never produce fruit and would soon fade away and die.” 
He goes more in-depth, but this goes back to abiding and getting out life from the True Vine. Our Lord and Savior Jesus.

Trials can be hard and grieving very painful. I truly am sorry if this message finds you going through either one of these situations. I pray that you find hope in the one that knows what you have been through, what you will go through and where he wants to take you. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

There is so much more to say but I will stop there. Our study of Genesis left us off in chapter 36 but before we get into this, a little recap of GEN 35:

We just finished reading about How God had gave Jacob instruction on his next step He said Go to Bethel and settle there.
So, Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes.”

God also said to him, “I am God Almighty (El Shaddai) be fruitful and multiply. A nation indeed an assembly of nations will come from you, and kings will descend from you.”
We are also told about Jacob’s sons which are also the Twelve Tribes of Israel.  Out of which will come Benjamin who, we read, is where Paul the apostle is born from. Levi, which we will read, Moses and Aaron will come from. Among these others but the focal point is in the tribe of Judah: Judah will bring the Messiah who we know as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

So, we read that Jacob and Esau are able to set aside their differences to bury their father Isaac. There is than a break with Jacob and we shift to Esau and his family and descendants. As we read the Bible we will encounter many family records and genealogies
The word Hebrew for genealogies is toledoth and it means “generations or records”. God keeps records and generations of His people. We see this clearly in the book of 1st Chronicles; first from Adam to Abraham and then continuing with Abraham’s descendants where we read that Isaac and Ishmael were born to him. From Isaac, Esau and Jacob were born.

Here in chapter 36 we come to the family record of Esau the firstborn and Jacob’s twin brother. One commentary says there are eleven family records and Esau’s family is the shortest of them all. In only five verses Esau is summarized in a sense. What follows is his descendants, the Edomites.

GENESIS 36:1-5
Now this is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom. 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Aholibamah[a] the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 3 and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth. 4 Now Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel. 5 And [b]Aholibamah bore Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. 

These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
Earlier in GENESIS 28 we read: 
Esau noticed that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to get a wife there. When he blessed him, Isaac commanded Jacob, "Do not marry a Canaanite girl. 7 And Jacob listened to his father and mother and went to Paddan-aram. 8 Esau realized that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women, 9 so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son." 

As with Abraham earlier in the previous generation – remember we are going over family records – Isaac was concerned that his youngest son not marry a Canaanite girl. The idea was this; finding the right girl for Isaac required God’s help. This act that took place where Abraham had made his servant take an oath by the Lord and place his hand under Abrahams thigh (GEN 24:2-9) was to symbolize the importance for Abraham’s future and that of his clan. Remember Israel was not a nation as of yet. I believe Isaac had a flashback when it came time for Jacob to find a girl.

Not so with Esau! He chose to go against God and his father Isaac possibly because he had lost his birthright as we had read, but it says that he had Canaanite wives. After realizing that Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women; Esau tried to make things right by adding a wife from the clan so to speak, through Ishmael who was not the son of promise. 

In Proverbs we find that it says: 
A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD (PROV 18:22).

The thing is that in order to obtain favor you have to seek Him, because the favor comes from the Lord. He is the source Church, not just for finding a wife; but for our everyday walk in this life. 
Esau did not understand that (from the beginning we see back a few chapters) he gave up his birthright for a bowl of lentils and was baptized with the name Red or Edom. Esau was impatient and gave in to his hunger for food. Instead of seeking the bread of life he wanted the hot lentil stew. What are we desiring more than God? What are we impatient for and are not willing to wait on the Lord for? These are good questions to ask now more than ever as our hearts are tested and will continue to be tested, I believe.

The Lord keeps record of everything; we find in: 

GENESIS 2:4 
This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

God is infinite and we are finite; let’s just think about this:
Our Creator knows all: He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Immutable - these are characteristics only God has. He knows everyone’s name and He says that He searches and knows everyone’s heart (JER 17:10). 

I’m not talking about the physical part of your body that pumps blood of course. I’m talking about the intentions and motives and effort and attitude by which we do the things that we do; the LORD knows these things about us (HEB 4:12). 

God, unlike us, doesn’t forget and remember who’s who and what everyone’s need is. Like Pastor Sonny said, 
The promise for all that have put their trust in Jesus is: I will never leave you nor forsake you (HEB 13:5). But you must seek Me, you must want Me, you must do this with all your heart and you will find Me (JER 29:13). 

He wants to be found in the pages of His word, in your prayer life, in your fellowship; in everything you do. The Bible says that He knows how much hair you have on your head (MATT 10:30) and that he formed you in your mother’s womb (ISA 44:2, 24; JER 1:5). He knows you through and through Church and friends watching this livestream.

Getting back to: 
GENESIS 36:6-8
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. 7 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. 8 So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. So we see that Esau is Edom.

It says here that Esau left Jacob’s presence; in a way he was also getting further from God and the promise to Abraham’s descendants. Even so, God took care of him and his people for a period of time. The Lord said to Moses and the people, 

DEUTERONOMY 2:4-6
Command the people: You are about to travel through the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so be very careful. 5 Don’t provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, not even a foot of it, because I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his possession. 6 You may purchase food from them, so that you may eat, and buy water from them to drink. 

He told Moses I will not give you any of their land and then gave them instructions on how to deal with Esau’s people. We need to ask God for discernment church, so just like Moses when he dealt with difficult people, we can know that God is the one dealing with them and in His time He may say that it’s ok to take heart in a manner of speaking or to tread carefully as God has not prepared the ground.

GENESIS 36:10-14
10 These were the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, and Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. 13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 14 These were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau’s wife, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon. And she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.

We see a name here in verse 11: Teman, this was Esau’s first grandson. Teman which means “south” is an important region in southern Edom who was famous for his wisdom. 
JEREMIAH 49 when prophesizing against Edom says:  
About Edom, this is what the LORD of Armies says: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom rotted away? 

In OBADIAH 1:8-9 it says: 
In that day — this is the LORD’s declaration — will I not eliminate the wise ones of Edom and those who understand from the hill country of Esau? Teman, your warriors will be terrified so that everyone from the hill country of Esau will be destroyed by slaughter.

Judgment was coming on Edom, but not just Edomites. We will get back to this in a little bit. . . 
GENESIS 36:15-19
15 These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, 16 Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah. 17 These were the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. 18 And these were the sons of [f]Aholibamah, Esau’s wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, and Chief Korah. These were the chiefs who descended from Aholibamah, Esau’s wife, the daughter of Anah. 19 These were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.

We move from just the sons to Esau’s sons and grandsons, adding a seventh son Korah to the listing of Eliphaz’s sons.  These verses repeat a word which is “chief”. The term is the Hebrew word alluph and it refers to the leader of a familial unit or of a geographical region. Like with Jacob and his twelve sons who’s names became the twelve tribes of Israel. Just like in our families there was someone who had the family name and the name followed down to us but it started somewhere. I suggest you maybe check out ancestry.com or look up your family tree. 

GENESIS 36:20-30
These were the sons of Seir the Horite who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. 22 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and [g]Hemam. Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 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. 25 These were the children of Anah: Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 These were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah, 30 Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.

The sons of Seir. These people known as Horite lived in Seir a place that was known as a mountainous region. We read the Horites had previously lived in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out, destroying them completely and settling in their place, just as Israel did in the land of its possession the LORD gave them. The Lord we read did not give all the land at once to Israel: The book of Exodus says,

EXODUS 23:29-30
I will not drive them out ahead of you in a single year; otherwise, the land would become desolate, and wild animals would multiply against you. 30 I will drive them out little by little ahead of you until you have become numerous and take possession of the land. 

The Lord also gave land to Ar a descendant of Lot. So, we can see here that the Lord had his reasons for doing what He did and for doing what He does. Sometimes He reveals His reasons and sometimes He doesn’t. But I say it’s ok because He is Lord and he is faithful regardless!

GENESIS 36:31-39
31 Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel: 32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 34 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 35 And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith. 36 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 37 And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. 38 When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 39 And when Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

The Chiefs of Esau:

GENESIS 36:40-43
40 And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and their places, by their names: Chief Timnah, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, 41 Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 42 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 43 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.

These were the men who reign in the land of Edom prior to the days of King Saul Israel’s first King. These Kings might have lived during the time of the Judges in Israel. Earlier in Genesis Isaac told Esau: Look, your dwelling place will be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of the sky above. 40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will break his yoke from your neck (GENESIS 27:39-40).

Although it seems Jacob and Esau were able to put aside their differences, their descendants would constantly be at odds with each other. In a spiritual way this represents the world and the church, the flesh and the spirit. Paul gives us a great picture of what this is and what it looks like: 

ROMANS 7 when he talks about the problem with sin in us. Paul asks a very good question Who will rescue me from this body of death? Who Church? That’s right He says Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (ROM 7:24-25).

We have been reading about Esau and his descendants the Edomites. As we just said, these people became the enemies of Israel, and in turn, of God. Judgment came against Edom. In the book of Obadiah we get a picture of Edom representing all nations opposing Israel. We can also say this represents all people rejecting God’s gift of salvation through his son Jesus. 

The destruction that would come to Edom would be permanent. Edom’s imminent humiliation foreshadows God’s judgment on all nations. In OBADIAH 1:21 it says: Saviors or (those who have been delivered) will ascend Mount Zion to rule over the hill country of Esau, but the kingdom will be the LORD’s. 
People from Edom considered themselves beyond the reach of God but in the end God will rule.

The Lord’s judgment was predicted for Edom because of her arrogance in trusting three things:
1. Geographical security - they might of thought they were beyond the reach of God. We read in 
OBADIAH 1:3-4 
Your arrogant heart has deceived you, you who live in clefts of the rock in your home on the heights, who say to yourself, “Who can bring me down to the ground?” 4 Though you seem to soar like an eagle and make your nest among the stars, even from there I will bring you down. 

This was false security based on where they were living would bring protection. What about us what do we have as our false security? Economic status: Great House, Nice car, good living. If you’re blessed or I’m blessed, praise the Lord it’s by Him that we have what we have and are what we are! But don’t let those things be our security. If it is, let us repent and find our shelter in the All-mighty

2. Diplomatic treaties - The Edomites were continually making treaties with other people so as to not be overtaken and preserve their people; on one occasion they lifted their hand against their brother as the word puts it. 

OBADIAH 1:10
You will be covered with shame and destroyed forever because of violence done to your brother Jacob. 

They allied with Babylon when Jerusalem was overtaken and then plundered or took all their belongings and mocked them telling the Babylonians to Destroy Jerusalem. This specifically was Judah’s distress and we know that the Messiah comes from this line. The Edomites believed that they would be saved by the conquering Babylonians but that again was false hope.

We individually don’t necessarily make diplomatic treaties, but we have seen that the reaction that this Corona virus has brought out of us in some cases have been ugly and selfish and just sinful. We are to love on one another and meet the needs. I’m not guiltless, but just in case anyone is still considering that they are a good person it goes to show us who we are apart from Christ. Let us repent and be trusting on the one who raises kings and removes kings. Through Judah’s Kings will come the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And as we speak He sits enthroned. Let our allegiance be to Him. 

3. Counsel of her famed wise men instead of the God of Israel - These people had areas in Edom specifically the southern region were they were famous for being wise. Going back to Obadiah God asks: Will I not eliminate the wise ones of Edom and those who understand from the hill country of Esau? What is our false security when it comes to Wisdom and Understanding? The word says Trust the Lord with all your Heart and lean not on your own understanding (PROV 3:5).

Where do we get our counsel from? Is it trustworthy?
The Judgment that we read in Obadiah was against Edom. But they are a representation of all the nations. All means all - no one is left out. We serve a God who knows all. God does not always judge sin immediately. But you can be sure that there is a Judgment coming on this present evil age and world. God will defend his people. The word says:

AMOS 9:12 
So that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name— this is the declaration of the LORD; he will do this.

These are sure words not because I’m saying them but because the Lord said them. Will you bear his name Church and also friends who are listening? The word says in:

2 CORINTHIANS 6:2
For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.

See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation! But right before that in:

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 
Be reconciled to God. 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We read through many names today but at the end, only one name will matter!

PHILLIPIANS 2:9-11
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.