OceanSide church of Christ

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THE GENERATIONS OF ESAU

Genesis 36

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.           The Title of Genesis 36

 

A.   The Generations of Esau (Gen. 36:1, 9)

B.    Esau, the Father of the Edomites (Gen. 36:9, 43)

C.   Esau Becomes a Mighty Nation

D.   The Rise of Edom

 

II.         The Key Verse of Genesis 36:  Genesis 36:1

 

Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

 

Why this verse?  This verse completely summarizes all that one reads within the chapter.

 

III.       The Outline of Genesis 36

 

i.               Purpose (Gen. 36:1)

ii.              The Wives of Esau (Gen. 36:2-3)

iii.            The Children of Esau (Gen. 36:4-5)

iv.            Esau’s Dwelling Place (Gen. 36:6-8)

v.              Esau’s Grandsons (Gen. 36:9-19)

vi.            The Sons of Seir (Gen. 36:20-30)

vii.           The Kings of Edom (Gen. 36:31-39)

viii.         The Dukes of Esau (Gen. 36:40-43)

 

IV.        The Lessons of Genesis 36

 

A.   From one man great nations can arise (Gen. 36:1).

 

Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

 

B.    One’s mate plays an important part in one’s offspring (Gen. 36:2-3).

 

Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan…And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter…

 

C.   It seems that Jacob came to Esau, but Esau made the decision to part from his brother (Gen. 36:6).

 

Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.

 

 

 

D.   Places often become synonymous with those who dwell there (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.

 

E.    Esau was responsible for the Amalekites, bitter enemies of Israel (Gen. 36:12).

 

And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek…

 

F.     The Horites were the pre-Edomite population of the south country (Gen. 36:20).

 

These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah.

 

1.     They are first mentioned in Genesis 14:6 as an independent people.

 

And the Horties in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness.

 

2.     The Edomites overtook their land (Deut. 2:12, 22).

 

The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead…

 

G.   Men can become known by the deeds that they have performed (Gen. 36:24).

 

And these are the children of Zibeon, both Ajah, and Anah:  this was the Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

 

H.   The presence of evil influences begin to develop long before their effects are felt on God’s people (Gen. 36:31).

 

And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

 

1.     Kings were forming all around the nation of Israel.

2.     One day, they would desire a king “like the nations around them” (I Sam. 8:5-6).

 

I.     Kings come and go, but God is eternal (Gen. 36:32-39).

 

And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zearh of Bozrah reigned in his stead.  And Jobab died, and Hushan of the land of Temani reigned in his stead…