July 30, 2007

• Discovering God’s Character – Part 17A
  
  
  
  Esau and His Family

  In Genesis 36, we get a view of what was happening with Esau during the
  time that Jacob was over at Laban’s for 20 years and afterwards. It is
  interesting that God put this account in here. One might wonder why
  bother but there’s always reasons for these things even though we might
  not know about them until the proper time. Now we might be tempted to
  skip this chapter but there is some amazing detail in here and the same
  list is found in I Chronicles 1:35-54 with some of the names having
  slightly different spellings.

  So we pick up with Esau having taken three wives from the daughters of
  Canaan. He has children in born to him in Canaan and end up moving to
  the hill country of Seir. He had to move away because he, like Jacob,
  had prospered greatly and now they could not live in the same area and
  feed their livestock. He founded the nation of Edom. Now his family
  tree would look something like this. By the way, all these sons were
  chiefs.

  1. Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite (also known as Basemath,
  daughter of Elon the Hittite in Genesis 26;34) bore Eliphaz, who in
  turn has Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam,  and Kenaz. Now Timna, Eliphaz’s
  concubine has Amalek

  2. Oholibamah (also known as Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite in
  Gen 26:34), the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the
  Hivite bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah

  3. Basemath (also known as Mahalath in Genesis 28:9), Ishmael’s
  daughter, the sister of Nebaioth, bore Reuel, who in turn has, Nahath,
  Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzay

  Now combine this with the descendants of Seir, the Horite. He had four sons.
       a.    Lotan, whose children were Hori (son), Hemam (son) and Timna (daughter)
       b.    Shobal, whose sons were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepo, and Onam
       c.    Zibeon, whose sons were Aiah and Anah… the one who found the hot springs in the wilderness…
       d.    Anah, whose children were Dishon (son) and Oholibamah (daughter)
       e.    Dishon, whose sons were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran
       f.    Ezer, whose sons were Bilhan, Zaavan, Akan
       g.    Dishan whose sons were Uz… possibly his land was where Job lived and Aran

  We are also introduced to the kings of the land of Edom before any king
  reigned over Israel.  Listed in order of succession, they are…
       a.    Bela, son of Beor of Dinhabah
       b.    Jobab, son of Zerah of Bozrah
       c.    Husham, a Temanite
       d.    Hadad, son of Bedad of Avith (who defeated Midian in the field of Moab)
       e.    Samlah of Masrekah
       f.    Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates River
       g.    Baal-hanan, son of Achbor
       h.    Hadar of Pau, whose wife’s name was Mehetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.

  And before the chapter is over, we are given a list of chiefs that
  descended from Esau according to their names, families and localities.
       a.    Chief Timna
       b.    Chief Alvah
       c.    Chief Jetheth
       d.    Chief Oholibamah
       e.    Chief Teman
       f.    Chief Mibzar
       g.    Chief Magdiel
       h.    Chief Iram

  So why put all this in the middle of Jacob’s history? God has His ways
  about these things and it is wise not to consider “diversions” like
  these unimportant.  We’ll see some of these names again when we discuss
  that next time and perhaps some surprises about Edom as well.  Mr.Vee

  • 12:39 am
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