GLEANINGS - GenesisSample

Lessons from Esau’s Genealogy

There are important lessons that we can learn from this chapter.

1. You can gain the whole world and still lose your soul. Esau, the man whose generations are listed here, was a most successful man by worldly standards. But Esau lived for this world, and in so doing, he failed miserably where it matters most--with God. Our greatest fear should not be of failure in life, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.

2. Material prosperity does not equal spiritual prosperity. Esau moved east because he was too prosperous to stay near Jacob (36:6‑8). Esau realized that the inheritance was going to Jacob, so he looked for a new place to live. Esau had no spiritual vision. For him Canaan was not important – any good land would do.

3. Political power does not equal power with God. Esau and his descendants were men of great political power. They are called chiefs (36:15 ff.; 40 ff.) and kings (36:31 ff.). It is pointedly stated that these men reigned as kings in Edom before any king reigned in Israel (36:31).

4. A beautiful family by the world’s standards does not equal a family blessed by God. Esau’s family was outwardly attractive. His wives were beautiful women who bore him children. But they all failed at what matters most because they left God out of their lives. The most important thing you can impart to your kids is not how to be a worldly success. The goal of the parent is not to get the child to the top university but to get the child to Heaven.

5. There are only two kinds of people in this world. Those who live their lives in rebellion against God and those who walk with God. There is a contrast between chapter 36, which outlines the wealth, success, and power of Esau and his descendants, and chapter 37:1, which says, “Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan.”

6. Temporal fame does not equal eternal recognition by God. In their day, Esau was more famous than Jacob. At the end of their lives, Jacob had about 70 descendants living under Pharaoh’s umbrella. Esau had conquered Edom and established a dynasty there. Genesis 36 shows us that God, not man, writes the final chapter of history. These once-famous names don’t mean a thing to our world today, but Israel’s name is in the news almost daily.

Don't live for yourself but live for that day to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.” The most awful thing would be to be famous on this earth and to hear Him say, “Depart from Me; I never knew you.”

APPLICATION QUESTION:

Are you living for fame and material success or are you living to fulfil God’s purpose for your life?

QUOTE:

He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life backing away from his treasures. To him, death is loss. He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he's moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain. He who spends his life moving toward his treasures has reason to rejoice. Are you despairing or rejoicing? Randy Alcorn

PRAYER:

Lord, help me never to run after what the world has to offer and as a result miss out for all eternity. Amen