Jeremiah 49:7-22 Edom’s Future
We have come to the nation of Edom; the descendants of Esau. Jeremiah shares Edom’s future and God’s decision concerning them. It is NOT rosy.
Edom and Israel have a LONG history. They are the nations that sprang from the twin brothers of Isaac. There was animosity between them their whole lives. It was spurred on by their parents because each favored one over the other. Isaac favored Esau and Rebecca favored Jacob.
Rebecca was also given a prophecy from God before the boys’ birth. She was told that the younger would rule the other. And she did everything she could think of to make sure this happened. This included telling Jacob exactly how to steal his brother’s blessing from their father.
“For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time when I punish him” (verse 8b). I am curious about this “calamity.” It’s meaning is: an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster.
Esau’s loss of his birthright and blessing were both calamities. They had lasting damage and distress in Esau’s life. They also had a lasting impact on Jacob’s life. I believe Jacob felt ashamed of his actions for the rest of his life. His attempt to make amends with Esau when he came back to the land of Canaan seems to bear this out. And the fact that he didn’t join his brother in Edom lends its weight to my conclusion too.
Esau lost his standing in the family. He went from first son to last place. Part of it was due to his own disregard for what he had. But the second portion, which he desperately wanted, was stolen out of his hands. Esau’s reaction was to want to KILL his brother. This was NOT an idol threat or rash words. He was that angry! Jacob was spirited away to prevent this from happening.
Once Jacob was beyond Esau’s reach, Esau went into rebellion. He married women he KNEW his parents wouldn’t approve of. This was also an act of spite. “I might as well be the nothing son they have reduced me to. They have pinned all their hopes on Jacob for the family’s future. I’ll give them a future they won’t forget!”
Esau and Jacob eventually ‘made up’ and Esau invited Jacob to come and live in the territory he controlled. Jacob initially said yes but then thought better of the idea. There were too many of his own people and it would overwhelm the region was his excuse. I think he chose to separate himself from Esau so that tensions wouldn’t start up again.
The distance didn’t keep tensions from cropping up again. When Israel was in the wilderness, Edom was another nation who refused them passage through their land. They weren’t as bold as Ammon who came out with military might against them, but neither did they grant Israel passage or provisions.
There were other interactions between the two nations. Some good and some not so good. Edom apparently was known for their wisdom. Their wise men are specifically mentioned. But their wisdom will not save them from the judgment that is coming from the Lord. All their ‘hiding places’ will be stripped away from them and they will be exposed for exactly who they are and made available for captivity.
God says that He would protect the widows and the fatherless children, IF they listened to Him. That didn’t mean that they wouldn’t be carried off into captivity, but that He would watch over them wherever they went.
Edom was destroyed, just as God had said. God didn’t promise them another time when He would ‘restore their fortunes’ as He did for several other nations. The people of this land were either killed, taken captive, or assimilated into another culture. The nation of Edom would be no more. They would be as altered as Esau was after Jacob stole his blessing.
Esau was lost without the God of his father. He chose to try and make a ‘good life’ his own way. Using man’s wisdom, he would choose a different path than his brother and not look back. And the nation he ‘fathered’ left God out of their lives too.
Father God, there are SO MANY ‘what if’ questions I could ask here. What if Jacob hadn’t stolen Esau’s place through deceit and cunning? What if Rebecca hadn’t told Jacob to lie and steal? What if Esau had asked for a wife from Rebecca’s family too? What if they had held fast to You as Jacob did? Would they have turned out different? I KNOW You didn’t make Jacob, Rebecca, Esau, and Isaac act the way they did, but You used their personalities in Your plans.
Your plans for me use my personality too. You know which way I will go before I do. And You bring me to the places You have planned out for me. ‘What ifs’ don’t matter so much. My question should be ‘what now’ instead. Lead me where I should go. Don’t let me become an Esau or Philistia. Make my life matter and my future secure in You.
