well this morning if you're a visitor we're continuing our study in the book of genesis next time we start the study of joseph and i would love to jump right there but there is chapter 36 that is in front of us this morning i am bound and determined to read it all if you read in preparation for this morning's passage, you're shocked that I'm doing that. Genesis chapter 36 this morning, and we're going to consider the entirety of the chapter. Let's give our attention to the word of the Lord. These are the generations of Esau, that is Edom. Esau took his wives from the Canaanites. Ada, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite. Aholabamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibion, the Hivite. And Bessamah, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaiah. And Ada bore Esau, Eliphaz. Bessamah bore Reuel. And Aholabamah bore Jeush, Jelam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, he went into a land away from his brother Jacob, for their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Ser. Esau is Edom. These are the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites in the hill country of ser these are the names of esau's sons eliphaz the son son of ada the wife of esau reuel the son of basama the wife of esau the sons of eliphaz were temon omar zepho getom and canaan timna was a concubine of eliphaz esau's son she bore amalek to eliphaz these are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife. These are the sons of Reuel, Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Misa. These are the sons of Bessamath, Esau's wife. These are the sons of Aholabamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibion, Esau's wife. She bore to Esau Jehosh, Jalam, and Korah. These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, the chiefs Timon, Omar, Zepho, Canaz, Korah, Gittim, and Amalek. These are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Ada. These are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son. The chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mesa. These are the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Bessamoth, Esau's wife. These are the sons of Aholabamah, Esau's wife, the chiefs Jehosh, Jalom, and Korah. These are the chiefs born of Aholabamah, the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. These are the sons of Esau, that is Edom, and these are their chiefs. These are the sons of Ser, the Horite, the inhabitants of the land, Lotan, Shobel, Zibion, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, Dishon. These are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Ser in the land of Edom. The sons of Lotan were Horai, Himom, and Lotan's sister was Timnah. These are the sons of Shobel, Alvin, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onim. These are the sons of Zibion, Ayah, Anah. He is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of Zibion, his father. These are the children of Anah, Dishon, and Aholabama, the daughter of Anah. These are the sons of Dishon, Himdan, Ishban, Ithron, and Sharon. These are the sons of Ezer, Bilhon, Zavon, and Akon. These are the sons of Dishon, Uz and Aran. These are the chiefs of the Horites, the chiefs of Lotan, Shobel, Zibion, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishon. These are the chiefs of the Horites, chief by chief in the land of Ser. These are the kings who reigned in the land of Eden before any king reigned over the Israelites. Bela, the son of Beor, reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Denhabah. Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah and Bosrah, reigned in his place. Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedod, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of this city is Avith. Hadad died and Samua of Masrekha reigned in his place. Samua died and Shaul of Rehobah of the Euphrates reigned in his place. Shaul died and Baal-Hanan, the son of Akbor, reigned in his place. Baal-Hanan, the son of Akbor, died and Hadar reigned in his place. the name of his city being Pao. His wife's name was Mehet-Tabel, the daughter of Matrid, daughter of Mezahab. These are the names of the chiefs of Edom according to their clans. They're dwelling places by their names, the chiefs Timnah, Alva, Jetheth, Aholabama, Elah, Penon, Kenaz, Timon, Mezbar, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Aram. These are the chiefs of Edom. That is Esau, the father of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. And there will be a test afterwards. This morning at the front end of this service, we had our two brothers stand up and profess their faith in Jesus Christ. And I don't know if you've given much thought so far in the study of Genesis to the separation that has occurred but a division was even made here a division was made that god just separated out two of his sheep uh from the world and he blessed them and as they responded to his promises he strengthened them think about the wonderful thing that happened today that the angels in heaven rejoiced because two sinners repented when i was thinking about their profession and i knew what was coming in genesis i thought well maybe i should skip this one for their profession i mean what does esau have to do with this this is this is not a easy passage by any means to approach what good is there in this i i don't know if you stayed awake but did you think what good is there in this then i thought back to what god said to rebecca when these two sons wrestled in the womb and when these two sons wrestled in the womb remember what god said to rebecca would happen two peoples would be separated from your body two peoples we have this morning a record of that division. That's what essentially this is. It's a record of the division that God told us would happen. It's not easy when we consider what we're going to consider, but I believe immensely helpful. It's important because I believe we easily forget that there is a division that God has made. I don't think we think about this very much. I think also we don't think about how this division shows itself or manifests itself on the earth we've been studying jacob for months we've been studying jacob for months and we have looked at from this pulpit steadily grace it has been wonderful and no one could ever say there has not been grace throughout this this whole thing has been the grace of god in delivering and bringing about deliverance for his sheep and all along the way god has been so good it's been really encouraging to study this god has been so good god has blessed this man and in the worst of messes that we've seen god has pulled him out it's been a case study of what grace looks like in somebody's life and how wonderful it is how freeing it is and it ended in chapter 35 with this marvelous response of Jacob. As the grace had been worked in him by the Lord, remember what happened at Bethel. He made a profession. He stood up. He said, the Lord is my God. If God will do all this for me, then he'll be my God. That's essentially what you two did this morning. He said, the Lord will be our God. But I think sometimes we forget what the opposite choice looks like. I think sometimes we don't think about enough what the opposite of this looks like and the turmoil it brings upon those who are separated out to the Lord. Oh, Christians in third world countries get this. That's why I prayed the way that I did this morning. Christians in third world countries understand this. Right now, some of the heaviest persecutions back, they say, we live in the history of the whole church in one of the most persecuted times ever. The martyrs that are happening, martyrdoms around the world that are happening that we are totally you never hear about on the news we're totally oblivious to oblivious to as we're leading our american lives this is what's going on and they understand the enemy they get the enemy they know what the enemy looks like but we're somewhat spoiled here in the united states aren't we i'm thankful for it but we can begin to think that the separation is just those of islam who are murdering begin to think that's the separation we can begin to think that all the barber barbaric acts that we see on the news and what we see happening in in the world well that's the separation that that's it over there. And we really have not considered where true separation lies. I believe this morning the Lord is having us consider something that's difficult. I don't think there's anything easy about this. But nonetheless, it's like the bad tasting medicine in the back of the cabinet that none of us ever want to take out and have to take. But you need to take it because it's really good for you that's genesis 36 the development of somebody in their life who turned from the lord the development in somebody's life who walked away from the promises and decided i don't want it i'm going the other way that's what genesis 36 is it has a goal this morning the goal is that everyone who hears it would not do that and would come to the Lord. That's the goal. You know the intention right out of the gates. What we have here is a tracing of the genealogy of Esau and his settlement in Edom. For Israel, that would have had immense purpose because essentially when Israel would come back to the land, it was Edom, the country of Edom, that would not let Israel pass through. Edom was a terrible enemy to Israel. And the purpose of that then would be, as this genealogy was traced out, and Israel would look back and study this, they would be able to say, wow, there's our enemy. We see him. We see his development. We see what the enemy looks like. We see what's happened. And that's no less instructive for us today as we're taught to be separate from the enemy, as we're taught to recognize the enemy, to know the enemy, to know what he looks like and know what he's doing. Well, if you look at verse 1, we read, this is the genealogy of Esau, and there are these 10 structures to the book of Genesis that really divide up Genesis into 10 books. And here we have that. Today we come to Esau, and we see a whole section separated out for Esau. There has been, at least in my mind, a question mark regarding Esau. A question mark. I wonder a lot about Esau. What happened to Esau? What does God want to tell us about Esau? What does this chapter tell us what happened to Esau? Well, he's given all these chapters to tell us of his wonderful workings in the life of Jacob and the grace that he received. And now we have this great one chapter of Genesis full of Esau's genealogy to tell us what happens to covenant breakers. And that's something we have to consider. I suppose it would be easy to sit and hear all of this grace and all of the Lord's wonderful workings and mercy and think, well, we believe in election, therefore God's clear purposes according to election are being worked out, and we look at Esau kind of fatalistically. And that's not what the Lord is having us do. That is not what the Lord is having us do. God is showing us through Genesis chapter 36, through the life of Esau, he's saying to us something very, very powerful. He's saying there are very severe consequences to walking away from the Lord. There are severe consequences to rejecting Christianity. There are severe consequences to turning away from Jesus Christ. That's the message that comes out here. So the chapter is a warning to those who reject the promises. And God's saying then, well, then I want you to consider what that path looks like. I want you to consider what the path looks like so you know, I've told you ahead of time, what the path of departure from me looks like what happened with esau what happened with esau if you were to go back and to study the life of esau there were certain things happening and there were certain choices that he was making all along the way that the scriptures have taught us a lot about jacob of course had been no better and that's the marvel of the whole thing if anything jacob had been worse. Jacob had deceived his brother and we'll come back to Jacob at the very end of this. But remember what happened. Jacob had deceived his brother. Esau was hungry and Jacob and his mom got together and cooked the stew. And remember what happened. Jacob made the proposition, sell me your birthright and I will give you, you know, I will give you some of my red stew boys and girls remember what esau said what's my birthright to me it doesn't matter now that little statement said a lot the birthright as the firstborn meant that he had the right to be the principal heir of the abrahamic blessing and what did he do with it he showed us what was in his heart that a bowl of stew was more valuable than God's promises and and so we studied from an early age in the life of Esau in the very beginning a turning away from the promises and no interest in the promises and selling his his birthright Hebrew says for a morsel of food he realized afterward what he lost in other words the great material blessings of what he lost, and he wanted it back, but he couldn't get it back. And what does Hebrews say began to develop in this man's life? Anger. Anger. A spirit of anger developed in the life of Esau and overcame him. So angry at his brother that he had decided decided that he would kill him. A root of bitterness, Hebrews says, that sprang up. It controlled him. So if you begin to put together the life, as we have it pieced together here, what happened to Esau was there was an initial rejection of the Lord's promises and there was no value for the Lord. There was no interest in the Lord. There was no value for the Lord's way. There was no value for his gospel. There was no value for his plan of redemption. It didn't mean anything to him he didn't see it he didn't he didn't perceive it as having any real value or benefit for his life and so what is the imagery that we have he sold it all for the pleasures of the world that's what you get the imagery of Esau is a figure of immediate gratification translating into an angry life anger at God and then even one of the roots here of the It describes fruits that were born out of this in the life of Esau. There are a few you can notice here in chapter 36 at verse 2. You'll notice that Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan, Ada, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholabama, the daughter of Anah the Zibion, the Hivite, and Bessamoth, Ishmael's daughter. What was the first real fruit then after this initial rejection and hardening that took place? You see it in who he married. Who he married. What was the great burden of Abraham? When Abraham was selecting the wife for Isaac, remember what Isaac's servant said, well, you know, what should I do? Should I take Isaac back? No, no. And then Abraham said, you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell. No way. My son is not to marry a Canaanite. But you shall go to my country and to my family and take a wife for my son Isaac. So Abraham understood God's separate calling on his life. Abraham understood God had separated out a people that was the essence of the covenant of grace. When he made with him, you're my people, you're special, I've set you apart to me. And then that meant that to take a daughter from the Canaanites was to mingle up that separateness and the two seeds that had been taught to us from Genesis chapter 3. God had separated out two seeds in the earth, remember? The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Two peoples are going forward in the world. and Abraham understood we can't do that we can never take and marry an unbeliever and the bible this was something God was so concerned about over and over and over for his people that believers would marry other believers because the destruction to the life and the hardship on the life would be so overwhelming but then it would be an alienation from God So you have to be blunt. What Abraham understood was that to marry a seed of a Canaanite outside of a Christian was to unite with the seed of the devil. That's what Genesis 3 taught us. So in Genesis 26, this is what we read. When Esau was 40 years old, he took wives, Judith the Hittite, Bessamoth, the daughter of Elan, and what happened in the hearts and minds of the parents. they were of grief of mine to Isaac and Rebekah. This hurt. What is the fruit of somebody's life who's running the wrong way? You no care about marriage, but you cause great grief to your parents. Great grief to your parents. Godly parents who cared and loved you. And you don't care. When I was preaching Psalm 51 a few weeks ago, David described when he had committed his sin with Bathsheba, being in this state of a hard heart. And I emphasized, how did you not see that you were an adulterer, you know, what you did. And when he went in that period of a hardened heart, he says that God's heavy hand was upon me. The heavy hand was upon me. You know, when the heavy hand of the Lord, when you're running from Him and the heavy hand is on you, Do you know what you experience? You're in conflict with everyone. You're miserable. And inevitably comes this statement, I feel trapped. I feel trapped. You feel parents are holding you back. What do godly parents want? Your best? Their mind is this, don't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion is light with darkness? And what accord is Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. You can understand if you're running at least why that would be a grief of mine to godly parents. So what he did is he's to show the fruits of this are showing he's despised God's covenant promises. So then the second thing he does, notice in verse 6 of Genesis 36, then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. That sounds a lot like Abraham and Lot, doesn't it? Where Lot looked out over the plains of Jordan and it was so beautiful, that's where I'm going. And you remember the mess he was in? Here's the imagery you get. The imagery here is Esau walked away from the kingdom. He traded a life of faith for the world and its pleasures now and notice the language he went away from the land where they were strangers that is such an important statement because the very thing commended over and over and over in the scriptures about god's people is this by faith abraham obeyed when he called to go out to the place where he would receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going By faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland and if truly, if they had called to mind that country that they had come out of, they would have had the opportunity to return. But now, they desire a better. That is a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared a city for them. This is Esau. I'm not waiting for a thing. My kingdom. Now. So what is this? The challenge of this is this. What would we translate this to in our terms today? It would look like this. Absolutely no interest in spiritual things. It would look like an intense love for the world and what it has to offer. No desire to make a commitment to Christ. Anger in your life. Displeasing of those around you who care about you. and abandoning the church. That's what this path looks like. That's the story of Esau. And you see why I didn't want to preach it. This is hard. I don't like this. This is the worst tragedy to study. I don't like studying it. But it's the best thing for people considering running. It's the best thing for the young person who refuses to profess faith to think about, I'm going not neutral. I'm going one way or the other. Esau, here's the great tragedy. Esau received the sign of the covenant. He was circumcised. You know, as our confession says, just like baptism circumcision, it set him apart to be a member of God's covenant. And he threw it all away. and the text shows us something shocking where did this all lead him to you would say oh it leads to this downward spiral into just this this you know down on the streets homeless person in san diego no no he got it all he got it all what is described in verse 90 the end of the chapter is the building of the most glorious kingdom of the day that's why all those names are there look at jacob's little kingdom and look at that oh that's the one if i saw i want to be a part of powerful wow look at that kingdom it's mount sarah mount shaggy literally whatever that looked like it must have been amazing a massive mountain range in edom extending from the dead sea to the gulf It sat in northern Judah and the whole picture we have is this glorious kingdom rose up rivaling the true kingdom, which was not God's kingdom. So from verses 15 to 19, we have all these chiefs listed and these were real people, real genealogies, a tribal structure in that day. Their names are all pagan. Notice how there's no mention to the Lord in any of this. None. There's no worship of the Lord. There's no calling on the name of the Lord. Verses 20 through 30, you have a list of inhabitants of the region of Seir. What the text is telling us is that Esau overcame all those regions by conquering them through marriage. And in verses 31 to the end, we have the development of a king and a kingdom, a nation ruled by kings, powerful kings. This is a mighty, powerful, rival kingdom on the earth to the true kingdom. It's a representation for us today, and this is the point, it's a representation for us today of the world and its system. Edom throughout history was known as Israel's great enemy. And I look at Esau and I think, well, this was the most successful man on the face of the earth, you know. He had everything. No one had obtained this so far. All the patriarchs did not obtain this. He had everything every Hollywood movie would love to tell you about. He was no dropout. He was no druggie. We think of him as wild-eyed and out of control. No, no, no, this guy was attractive. This guy made it. He knew how to get it. He had the inheritance of Canaan, it seemed. Every parent in our day would be proud of this guy, you know? More kingdom, more money, outward blessings than you ever knew what to do with. Lots of children did extremely well for himself. Everyone would say, boy, that Esau really made something of himself. That Esau really made something of himself. And God's saying to you, look at this the way I look at it. How do you think I'm looking at this? That's not my kingdom. The entire book of Obadiah tells us what? judgment on edom and i believe the chapter should come across as a tragedy to us it's every parent's reminder and i have to think about this myself it's every parent's reminder that we cannot be happy with our sons and our daughters earthly successes ultimately if they're not living lives that are following christ as a father i think to myself you know these are the souls entrusted to us and to me and and how important is it to sit and talk to them about what is most important in this life you know i mean the lord always said this lord always said this in deuteronomy you shall love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength you say amen we should love the lord was the next thing he said all that should be in your heart. How do you get it in the heart? You shall teach your children. Teach these things. Teach your children to love the Lord and shall talk of them when you sit in your house. When you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise up, talk about me to them. Show them that you love me and it'll affect. That's the connection, the general rule. I was reminded this morning when I heard the profession, and I thought about when I baptized my children. I had the privilege as a pastor to baptize my own children, and I remember what I promised. Do you promise in reliance on the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Christian community to do all in your power to instruct this child in the Christian faith, to lead by your example into the life of Christian discipleship? What was your answer? Well, at this point, I think it's easy to write all this off thinking, well, Jacob, I've loved, Esau, I've hated. Jacob, I've loved, Esau, I've hated. Esau was beyond hope. You know, God is giving us this story, not that you would draw that conclusion. That is not the way to look at this passage and Esau's life. He wants everyone this morning to consider Esau's ways. What purpose does a life study in the life of Esau have? It's a pretty powerful effect, don't you think? Let me quote just a moment our canons to you, our canons of Dort. This is so effective and helpful for this morning. On the teachings of how we view the mysteries of election and reprobation. Just listen to this. Those who do not yet actively experience within themselves a living faith in Christ or an assured confidence of their hearts, if you're not really sure, peace of conscience, a zeal for childlike obedience, and a glorifying in God through Christ, but who nevertheless use the means by which God has promised to work these things in us, preaching of the gospel, such people ought not to be alarmed by the mention of, I'm going to substitute a word here, Esau. nor to count themselves as a reprobate. Rather, they ought to continue diligently in use of the means to desire fervently a time of more abundant grace and to wait for it in reverence and humility. If you're struggling, in other words, I don't know and I'm really struggling, it's okay. Come hear the gospel. Wait on the Lord. On the other hand, Here's another separation that's made. Those who seriously desire to turn to God, to be pleasing to Him alone, and to be delivered from the body of death, but are not yet able to make such progress along the way of godliness and faith as they would like, you're just not where you want. Everyone can put their hand up on that one. Such people ought much less to stand in fear of the teaching concerning reprobation. since our merciful God promised that He will not snuff out a smoldering wick and will not break a bruised reed. You have a broken and contrite. He's not putting you out. However, those who have forgotten God and their Savior Jesus Christ and have abandoned themselves wholly to the cares of the world, see it? and the pleasures of the flesh, such people have every reason to stand in fear of this teaching as long as, there's even hope here, as long as they do not seriously turn to God. How do we understand this? Look at Esau and say, I need to turn to the Lord. Why? Why would I refuse a God who is so willing to forgive me if I come? Why would I do that? If you do that, your path will look something like this. You'll remain unconverted. You won't care what you do in life, who you marry. You won't care about the ministry of the church. You'll really be after the world and the gaining of it. And you'll never take seriously the call to come to Christ. You're choosing that. You're choosing that. Genesis 36 then is a dividing moment in the book and it's going to be so wonderful to go into Joseph. But do you see how important this moment is to stop? I think scripture often stops and it gives us serious calls and it draws a line in the sand and it says, choose you this day. There are moments like that. Choose you this day whom you will serve. This had to happen in the nation of Israel. This has to happen in the church of Jesus Christ. But God wants to encourage us today. How did he encourage you today beyond your greatest imagination? He put two brothers up here to profess. I didn't set that up. I'm not that smart. It's not that we're better than Esau. If you look at Jacob's life, you know. You know what grace and favor and gospel is. Because God's been pursuing that man the whole time. And you know where you would be if the Lord had not sought you out. You know where you would be. But God wants you to know today that if He blessed you and He put His sign on you, He didn't leave it up to you as an option to walk the Esau path. The calling and expectation is profess your faith in Christ and in your struggle, look to Him. He'll give you grace and strength. I close with this. You know the Lord didn't ultimately abandon Edom? I found one verse. I don't know how else to read it. So if I get corrected, I'll take it. On that day, Amos 9, I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages. I will raise up its ruin and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom. And all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord who does this thing. When Christ came from Jacob, And Isaiah said, when he came, he would then assemble all the outcasts of Israel. And Isaiah said, all the nations would be brought, not to Edom's mountain, but to the holy mountain of Jerusalem. Guess what happened? God saved a remnant. God saved Esau. And to this day, he is still grafting in out there Edomite. You see how much hope the gospel brings to you today. This is the day in which we live. God is returning a remnant from Edom to the true Jerusalem, the true mountain where all heavenly Zion sings together and where we all belong. That kind of mercy has been put on display and that's the day in which you live. And then you understand, then you understand the weight now of Hebrew state of statement. The weight of it when it says this, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? I mean, it's all come. and he has been so faithful you live in the greatest day ever amidst all the turmoil all the hardship all the struggle that goes on the gates of righteousness have been thrown open to you and they're open right now so come then to christ if he can give a place to rot and eat them he can give a place to you and surely he will fulfill all that he has spoken to you who have believe he'll he'll fulfill it he will not fail to do one good thing that he promised an eternal land on the mountain in the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness shall reign forever and ever all by the precious blood of jesus all because he defeated an edomite herod when he came here so that you might have life may his ways be on our lips and in our hearts not just your hearts but the hearts of your children amen heavenly father a challenging text we confess and we pause and say that if it were not by your grace and mercy we know where we would be thank you for instructing us and thank you for calling the wayward of which we all are or have been and being so long suffering in your announcement of the gospel to the ends of the earth that people may be saved thank you for these two brothers that stood up today that is the greatest encouragement in the study of Genesis and it demonstrates your goodness may we never forget the life of Esau and may we come to the Lord this day in true faith and a believing heart loving the God of our salvation in Jesus name we pray Amen