Hebrew words:
- ‘Esaw (Esau) — 98x in the OT (vs. 3x in the N.T.)
- Se’ar — hair
- ‘Edhom — Edom, similar to the word for “red” (‘adhmoni), “to be red” (‘adham), and “to be died red” (‘adhammu). The words “Edom” and “Edomites” appear 120 in the O.T.
- Se’ir — Seir, a mountain range in Edom
Further study:
- Old Testament:
- Genesis 25:24-34. (Scriptures in this podcast are from the [Holman] Christian Standard Bible.)
- Re: 24:34 — Proverbs 30:20, Isaiah 22:13, 1 Corinthians 15:32b, Ecclesiastes 8:15. See also 1 John 2:15-17, 1 Peter 1:18, and Hebrews 11:25.
- Genesis 27:1-4, 29-41.
- Esau is potential to be a “second Cain” (cp. Genesis 4).
- Obadiah (about the vengeance of Edom — the descendants of Esau — on Judah in 587/586 BC, when God punished Judah through the Babylonians). See also Jeremiah 49.
- Genesis 33:1-17
- Genesis 35:29 — see 25:9.
- Genesis 36:1-9, 43
- Esau is also mentioned in Deuteronomy 2, Joshua 24, 1 Chronicles 1, and Malachi 1.
- The New Testament:
- Romans 9:13 and Hebrews 11:20 (no commendation)
- Hebrews 12:16-17
Some things we learn about God:
- When we choose pleasure over principle, the people of the world over the people of God, impulse over rationalist, we forfeit God’s blessings.
- Godlessness separates us from God and his goodness.
- Sometimes God’s people are not as nice as those who are not his people. (Esau seems the more fun, relatable, happy-go-lucky of the two brothers; Jacob was more uptight, driven by fear, and calculating.) This shows us that God’s grace isn’t based on works, personality, character, or merit.
For kids:
- Read part of Genesis 25. Talk about the differences between the twins. How were Jacob and Esau similar? How were they different — physically and spiritually?
- Read the story of Genesis 27. How did Esau react when his brother tricked him out of his father’s blessing? How would you have reacted? (Have you ever been bitterly disappointed?)
- Was what Jacob did fair? Was Esau right to plan revenge? Have you ever wanted to hurt your brother / sister?
- What is the difference between making decisions based on pleasure and based on principle?
Key verses:
- 25:33 — sells birthright
- 27:34 — forfeits blessing
- 27:41 — contemplates fratricide
- 33:4 — brothers reunited
- 35:6 — lives away from the land of promise
- Hebrews 12:16 — godlessness / worldliness separates us from God and his goodness