Devotion for Thursday, April 30th
Kevin Peterson
Devotional Text: Genesis 36 (To read and even listen to this text for free, click here.)
Verse in Focus: “These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. ... Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his livestock, all his beasts, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. He went into a land away from his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)” (Genesis 36:1-3, 6-8).
Related Verse: “When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. ... Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. And Esau said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!’ (Therefore his name was called Edom.)” (Genesis 25:24-30).
Devotional Thought:
As I had mentioned yesterday, some of the material in chapter 36 provides us with something to chew on. What I mean by that, is that there are a few discrepancies—a few pieces of information that seem to contradict earlier bits of information. How are we to handle them? The first in the one I spent nearly all of yesterday’s devotion examining—the matter of the names of Esau’s wives. And in answer to that conundrum, I offered the two most common answers: One, that the modern critical view that the two lists come from two different sources and are thus irreconcilable; and Two, a more conservative approach that merges the list so that they refer to the same 3 women. I, of course, prefer the latter—but there is even a third option I have yet to mention. What is it? Why, I’m glad you asked!
Perhaps—so the option goes—just perhaps, the two lists actually reveal something previously left unmentioned. What might that be, you ask? Why, that Esau had more than three wives, of course! This possibility comes to us primarily from historic Jewish commentary on this text. The proposal notes several things. First, Scripture never pretends to give us everything—only what we need to know for faith and life. Second, Esau’s marriages and family life were not nearly as important as his relationship to his father, his brother, and to God. Third, in view of these truths, various rabbis proposed that Esau may have had as many as 4 or 5 wives—depending upon if the two listed as daughters of Elon were the same person or instead were sisters. To be honest, the second option is still the strongest—but this third one does has possibilities.
Regardless, however, we still have a discrepancy yet to be answered. Was Esau already living in Seir when Jacob returned or did he only move there later because the two brothers’ herds were too large to keep using the same pastures and wells? Up until chapter 36, of course, the answer would have been obvious, since Jacob made contact with his brother, Esau, through messengers sent to Seir—it would seem logical to assume that is where he lived. But now verses 7 and 8 of chapter 36 have thrown all that into doubt. How are we to make sense of this seeming contradiction?
Of course, option one from modern critics still stands—“so the Bible contains contradictions, get used to it.” But such a simplistic stance is hardly satisfying for those of us who like to wrestle with this stuff and give the text the opportunity to answer its critics. Instead, here are two other options to consider. The first goes something like this: With Jacob and not Esau now officially considered the firstborn and primary heir of their father, Isaac—Jacob would eventually return to claim his rightful inheritance. Esau perceptively knew that when that happened, there wouldn’t be enough room for both of them, their families, and their herds at the old homestead—so he relocated well east of there to Seir.
An intriguing possible solution, to be sure. But I mentioned two options, didn’t I? Well ... as I’ve come to the end for today, I guess you’ll have to wait ‘til tomorrow. Blessings on your day!
Vaya con Dios!
Pastor Peterson
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