ESAU - THE TABERNACLES OF EDOM
Esau --The Tabernacles of Edom
Psalm 83:6
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday Evening Service, March 18, 2012
Gen. 36:8-9 “Thus dwelt Esau in Mount Seir; Esau is Edom. And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.”
Deut. 2:4 “Command the people saying you are to pass through the coast of your brethren, the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir, and they shall be afraid of you, take you good heed unto yourselves therefore; meddle not with them, for I will not give you of their land, no not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.”
Edom is modern day Southern Jordan. As noted in the teaching on Psalm 83, of the ten-nation Confederacy against Israel, three of those ten nations are in Jordan: Edom, Mt. Seir, Southern Jordan; Moab, Central Jordan; Ammon, Northern Jordan.
The spirit of Esau is a power and principality under the demonic prince of Edom. The spirit of Esau is a strong man over our present national and international political theater.
In Hebrews 11:20, it was by faith that Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, and predicted what was going to happen to them. The promises of the blessing were first made to Abraham, (1) I will make of you a great nation, (2) they would have their own land, (3) out of the nation was to come a blessing to the entire world.
Isaac is mentioned in the Hero Hall of Faith because of his faith to bless both Jacob and Esau. He wanted to give the blessing to his older son Esau. That would have been the natural order. But it was not God’s will. Once he discovered that he had unwittingly passed the blessing on to Jacob, he recognized it was God’s will for Jacob to be the heir. Instead of trying to revoke the blessing he said, yes, and he shall be blessed.
Esau was not left out entirely. Isaac gave him a lesser blessing and he became the father of the Edomites. The action was commendable on Isaac’s part that he blessed both of the boys on the basis that God would keep His Word and they would have a place in His plans.
Joshua 24:4: “And I gave unto Isaac, Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau Mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down unto Egypt.
However, twice it is recording in the bible that the Lord loved Jacob but hated Esau. Hate is a strong emotion and means hate.
Mal. 1:3: “And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.”
Rom 9:13: “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Hebrews 12:15-16: “Looking diligently less any man fail of the grace of God; less any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; less there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”
This is addressed to the Church to make sure that no second Esau arises among them, a person who is sexually immoral or godless, and a person who does not value spiritual things. The writer warns that a decision like Esau’s is irrevocable.
Esau is here an example of someone with this fatal indifference to things of the Spirit. Here was a man of the world, a sportsman, someone who lived for earthly pleasure even though he grew up in a home where the revelation of God was the central fact of life.
Esau cried genuine tears, but his father wouldn’t reverse his decision. Isaac couldn’t reverse his decision because it was God will and purpose to give the blessing to Jacob. Esau did not suddenly become a spiritual man. It wasn’t God’s blessing he sought. He wanted the double portion of his father’s wealth which went with the birthright. Esau never cared for the spiritual promises that went with the blessing. In later years when he became wealthy he remained indifferent to the Abrahamic promise.
To his credit, from my perspective, (not credited to him in the Word), he magnanimously forgave Jacob. He ran to meet Jacob, Esau embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him and they wept. When Jacob offered him presents, Esau said, I have enough my brother, keep what you have for yourself. He embraced his brother. Yet, according to the Word, he did not embrace the Lord.
When a person who knows the truth comes to the place where he despises God’s offers, no second repentance is possible. Having tasted the best of God’s revelation, there is nothing more to attract him.
Mal. 1:2-4 “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi, I have loved you, says the Lord, yet you say wherein have you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? Says the Lord; yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom says, we are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus says the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, the people against whom the Lord has indignation forever.”
Here the prophet introduces his word from God by reminding the people of Yahweh’s great love for his people. Their existence is the result of the covenant love of Yahweh. The case of Jacob and Esau who had equal opportunities; both were sons of Isaac and therefore heirs of the promise, yet one was chosen and the other rejected. Jacob was the one especially favored by God. The O.T. nowhere says that Jacob was more worthy of God’s love or more “loveable” than Esau; but God’s electing and redeeming love was manifest toward him.
Many Christians have a problem with the sovereignty of the Lord’s divine election. The references to Jacob and Esau refer not merely to the two sons of Isaac, but also to their descendants, the Israelites and the Edomites. Malachi’s message from the Lord comes at a time in history when the identification of the Edomites against Yahweh and His people is a fact of history; the Edomites (the descendants of Esau) had sided with the destroying armies of Babylon in the destruction of Jerusalem and the plundering of Judah.
God’s judgment on Edom is sure. Edom can seek to be a great nation again, but it will not happen; God will not allow it. However, Israel must not be proud or feel self-righteous; God’s hand of judgment will be on her too, as the prophet will point out later.
Oba. 1:8: “Shall I not in that day, says the Lord, destroy the wise men out of Edom and understanding out of the mount of Esau. And your mighty men, O Teman (son of Esau) shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
Obadiah is the shortest book in the O.T. and is directed against the Edomites, who stand under the judgment of God for their inhumanity to Israel in the day of its suffering? In Obadiah, Edom’s crimes are listed in order of their ascending horror; the Lord will not allow what Edom has done to go unpunished. However, Obadiah moves from the general to the particular, from God’s judgment upon Edom the day of the Lord, which will mean His judgment upon all nations, Israel included.
The judgment of God upon the Edomites is but one aspect of the approaching day of the Lord, which will be a day of judgment upon all nations. That day will be a day of great reversals. As you have done it will be done to you.
A remnant of Israel will be established upon a re-consecrated mount Zion (the Kingdom of God), the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph (the northern kingdom). The house of Esau will be destroyed. The restoration of Judah will involve an expansion of its territories: Israelites from the Negev will inherit the land of Edom (the mountains of Esau); Israelites of the foothills will occupy the coastal plains known as the land of the Philistines: Ephraim and Samaria will be re-inhabited by Israelites, as will Gilead in Transjordan; exiles will return to possess the land as far north as Zarephath and as far south as the Negev. The kingdom which will be established will not be simply a human kingdom, but rather the Lord’s Kingdom.
Edom means “red, the flesh”. The root word of the region (Idumea) is Adam (Strong’s #119). Esau was a man of the “field which Jesus likened to the ‘world (Mt. 13:38). Esau was worldly (1 Jn. 2: 15-17), a man of wild and lawless habits (Eph. 2:3). He was “faint” or “languished” because the world will not satisfy (Gen. 25:29). Like many immature believers, Esau despised the responsibility of the birthright. When he was born, his skin was covered with red hair.
Jesus Christ completely subdued the appetites of the flesh, overcoming all things. Jesus is the One who came from Edom (Adam) with garments dyed red in His own blood, glorious in apparel and great in strength.
Isaiah 63: 1-6: “Who is that that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness mighty to save. Why are you red in Your apparel, and your garments like him that treads in the wine-fat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me; for I will tread them in My anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold; therefore My own arm brought salvation to Me; and My fury, it upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in My anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.”
Our mighty Savior, who tread Gethsemane’s winepress alone, has become our righteousness. On that day when Jesus died on Calvary’s cross, he destroyed the wisdom and understanding of the flesh.
The end-time glorious church, the rebuilt and restored Tabernacle of David, will possess “the remnant of Edom” (Amos 9:12), the “residue of men” who will seek after the Lord (Acts 15: 16-17), in that day “saviors (deliverers) shall come upon Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
Post Script:
Interesting Scripture in Daniel “at the time of the end” referring to Jordan (Edom, Moab and Ammon). These three nations are listed in the ten nation confederacy against Israel in Psalm 83---see Sermon notes.
In Daniel 11:41, “at the time of the end”, the three ancient nations that are now Modern Jordan will escape the anti-christ. “He (the anti-christ) shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon…the land of Egypt shall not escape.”
Taught by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. Bibliography F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary; Understanding Types, Shadows and Names by: Kelly Varner; Teaching on Hebrews 12, by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom; Lovett’s Lights on Hebrews, by: C. S. Lovett.