Thursday
Read: Genesis 36:1—37:1; 27:28–29, 39–40; Hebrews 10:23; 11:20
SOAP: Hebrews 10:23
And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy.
Devotion
The author of Genesis gives a full account of the descendants of Abraham, focusing on those in the line of the promise while also including the records of many of Abraham’s other descendants. Esau’s family is recorded similarly to the way Ishmael’s family is in Genesis 25.
Esau, also called Edom, took wives from among the Canaanites. Esau’s choices reflect a love of the world and a continued concern for fulfilling fleshly desires. While he forgave Jacob and reconciled with his brother, Esau is described as a profane person who despised the things of God and sought worldly freedom.
While we are not given much insight into Esau’s life, we can still learn from even this short account of his genealogy. Esau was the father of many chiefs and kings, ruling in the land of Edom before there were any kings in Israel. From a worldly standpoint, Esau flourished. He had many possessions and many descendants, some who were very powerful. The promise he had received from his father had indeed come to pass. Esau made his home in a prosperous area of land, lived by the sword, conquered neighboring tribes and clans, and did not submit to Jacob. The fulfillment of Esau’s blessing showed the faithfulness of God. Even though Esau was not the one God had chosen, he still received a blessing.
The prosperity of Esau shows how secular greatness is often achieved much faster than spiritual greatness. It takes patience to inherit the promises of God. Often, spiritual blessings are only received after a process of refining has taken place. This was true in Jacob’s life: God took him away from his home before fulfilling His promise. Yet, the blessings Esau received were another reason for Jacob to believe in God’s promises. If Esau, who had not been chosen by God, still received a blessing, how much more would God fulfill the promises He had made to the one whom He had chosen?
Our God is a God of promise. He keeps all His promises in His perfect time. All of His promises are trustworthy. Most of the people we study in Genesis only saw the promise of God beginning to be fulfilled. Whether or not we can actively see God fulfilling His promises has no bearing on His ability to do so. He is the Promise-Keeper, the only One on whom we can depend. He alone is trustworthy. Let’s put our faith in His promise-keeping power today.