Genesis 25:19-28:9
Toldot means “generations” or “descendants” and as always this comes from the opening verse of the portion.
In reading this portion we see the conception, birth, and division of Jacob and Esau. While still in the womb, these two nations struggled for dominance.
Historically, we should understand that Esau was the father of the Edomites, or Idumaens in the Greek. His descendants were given the Mountain of Seir as an inheritance.
Jacob (Israel) was the father of the
Israelites. His descendants were given the land of Canaan as an inheritance.
In verse 26:34 – 35 we read, “ And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto
Isaac and to Rebekah”. O, how many nights have parents lay awake because of the terrible decisions of their children? Unfortunately, this was not the only grief that Esau would bring to his parents.
Esau would have a perpetual hatred for his brother Jacob. Read Amos 1:11-12 and Ezekiel 35:1-15 for starters.
The two nations which came from these two boys would forever bear the blunt of this hatred till the end of this present age. This hatred by Esau would pass from generation to generation. In fact, it is this hatred that still boils in the Middle East today.
We know that Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of venison. Genesis 25:34 states that Esau “despised” his birthright. In the Hebrew (Strong's H959) this means that Esau had a very low
regard or opinion of his birthright. What we find is that Esau wanted the privileges of the birthright but not the responsibility of the birthright. The descendants of Esau still battle the Israelites for their land,
but not because they really want or care about the land, but just because they don't want Israel to have it. What they really want is to destroy their brother!
Esau has always been a mortal enemy of Israel. The Edomites refused to let the Israelites pass through their land on the way to the promised land. Any enemy of Israel has always been associated with and called Amalekites (See Deut. 25:17-19). Amalak was a descendant of Esau.
Amalek was the first to attack Israel when they came out of Egypt.
Haaman from the book of Esther was from Amalek. King Herod the Great, and all the Herods, were from Esau. Is it just a coincidence that Haaman and Herod the Great both tried to wipe out the descendants of Jacob? I don't think so.
The entire book of Obadiah is about the judgment of HaShem upon Edom. Yah has a perpetual indignation against Esau forever because of his hatred and mistreatment of his brother, Jacob. Please
read Malachi 1:1-5.
In Isaiah 63:1-19 we read of the end of Esau and his descendants. Yeshua’s garment will be dipped in blood at His return, Revelation 19:11-15, because His wrath will be poured out upon Edom; the haters of Israel. Bozrah was the capital of the Edomite kingdom.
If you take a look at what is going on in the Middle East today through the lenses of Bible history you will find things become a lot clearer. Many claim that Ishmael is the problem. Historically, the majority of the Ishmaelites lived at peace with the children of Israel. Esau was and still is the problem.
Shalom,
Leisa
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