When I was a little boy, I believe
hearing that hymn was the first hymn that I ever really heard. I probably wasn't seven or eight
years old, but I remember the congregation singing that hymn,
and it just said something to me. We're going to observe the Lord's
Table tonight. I'm going to be preaching on
the high priest of our profession, a very appropriate message for
the Lord's Table. And also there will be a bridal
shower for Rachel Harries this Saturday and for Emily Bryan
the following Tuesday. And if you plan to attend, please
sign up in the foyer. The Generations of Esau, Genesis
chapter 36. This is a chapter we are tempted
to skip. I dare say many of us have not
even read this chapter. We began and got bogged down
with the list of names and wondered why it was there in the first
place. Second Timothy 3.16 says ALL
scripture is given by inspiration of God. And Genesis chapter 36
is given by inspiration of God. And if we do not have the presupposition
that we begin with, the Bible is the Word of God, we'd be better
off staying home on Sunday mornings and watching the news programs.
But if the Bible is the Word of God, and it is, I know it
is, we need to hear what God is saying in His Word. Now, this is about the genealogy
of Esau and the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. Four times
in this chapter, we read Esau is Edom. Look at the last verse
of chapter 36. We read of all these Dukes and
Kings, and we read the last phrase of verse 43. He is, Esau is the
father of the Edomites. Now, these are the generations
of Esau, and like I said, we read of all these kings and these
dukes and all these different names. And you know, there's
only one event recorded in this chapter. Look at verse 24. These are the children of Zibion,
both Adah and Anna. This was that Anna that found
the mules in the wilderness as he fed the asses of Zibi and
his father. That's the only event recorded. That's the most newsworthy
thing in all of Genesis chapter 36. The descendants of Esau. Now, this chapter BEGINS with
the three WIVES of Esau and their sons, and the wives are named
Esau. Look in verse 2, Esau took his
wives of the daughters of Canaan. Here's the first one, Ada, the
daughter of Elam the Hittite. And here's the second wife, Abelibema,
the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibion, the Hivite. Bash Imath,
Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebuchadnezzar. Now these are
the three wives of Esau and their significance to every word in
the scripture. And these wives, their name,
the first one means ornament. What's an ornament for? Make
you look better. Doesn't do anything for your
inside, makes you look better. The second wife's name means
tent of the high place. It has something to do with idolatry. And the third one's name means
spice. Spice makes things taste better. It enhances the taste
or it covers the bad taste. Doesn't that describe man's religion?
It's an ornament. Nothing more. It's idolatrous. And all it is is spice to cover
up what's really being said. These are the wives of Esau. The Edomites were enemies of
Israel, Esau's descendants. You can read about them in Numbers
chapter 20 where Israel was trying to pass through the land of Edom,
and they wouldn't let it happen, and they wouldn't give them any
water. God remembered that, and it was recorded with regard to
them. Now, Esau is the twin brother
of Jacob. Turn with me to Genesis 25. Verse 19, and these are the generations
of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac
was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter
of Bethuel, the Syrian, of Badanaram, the sister to Laban, the Syrian.
And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife because she was
barren, and the Lord was entreated And Rebecca, his wife, conceived. She now had life in her. And the children struggled together
within her. They fought. They crushed each
other. Now, I don't know how that took
place, but you had two twins in a womb fighting with one another. A great struggle. And she said, if it be so, why
am I thus? What's going on? She didn't know
she had twins. And she went to inquire of the
Lord and the Lord said unto her, two nations are in thy womb and
two manner of people should be separated from thy bowels. Now
notice this is not being redundant, two nations, two manner of people. And what that is letting me know
right off the bat is that there are two things being taught.
from this one illustration of these two boys. And we know that
this is a glorious truth regarding God's elect, the two nations,
the elect and the rest. And this is a glorious truth
with regard to the two natures within a believer. That's what
that struggle represents. The two manner of men shall be
in me. Two nations, God's elect, two
manner of men. And the Lord said in her, verse
23, two nations are in thy womb and two manner of people should
be separated from thy bowels. And the one people shall be stronger
than the other people. And the elder shall serve the
younger. Jacob and Esau, Esau's twin brother. Now there are only two types
of people in this world. You and I are in one of these
types. There's no intermediate group.
There are two types of people, the elect and the rest. That's how Paul put it in Romans
11, the elective obtained it and the rest were blinded. Those who believe and those who
do not believe the sheep and the goats. Those who are wicked and those
who are righteous. Those who are justified and those
who are not justified. Those whose sins are forgiven,
those whose sins are not forgiven. Children of God, children of
the devil. Scripture makes that distinction. Those who have been born from
above, And those who remain the same, those who are saved, those
who are lost, those who love Christ, those who have no love
for him. And there are so many examples
and illustrations of this in the scripture, Cain and Abel, David and Saul, the Pharisee
and the publican. The rich man and Lazarus. No intermediate groups, one or
the other. Two nations. The nation of God's
elect and those who are not his. Two manner of people. Those who
have a new nature and those who do not. And you and I are in
one of those groups Now, the first information we're getting
of Esau, look here in Genesis 25, verse 29. And Jacob sawed pottage. He was
cooking a bowl of lentils. And Esau came from the field
and he was faint. He was hungry. He was tired.
He'd been hunting. And Esau said to Jacob, Feed
me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint. Therefore was his name called
Edom." The Edomites. And Jacob said,
Sell me this day thy birthright. Now what is the birthright? Do you remember the promise in
Genesis? Chapter 3, the seed of woman
shall bruise the serpent's head. The birthright is the seed. It's the promise of Christ coming.
Now, Christ should have come through Esau because he was the
firstborn. Jacob said, sell me that privilege. Sell me that right. And Esau
said, I'm starving. If I don't get something to eat,
I'll starve to death. What good would the birthright do me? This
is how much he valued the birthright. He valued that birthright no
more than a bowl of soup. Jacob had great value of it. He said, sell it to me. I want
it. He had to have the birthright.
You see the birthright represents Christ. That's the point. Christ, the Messiah is going
to come through him. Esau said, okay, you got it. Let me have the soup. Verse 31. And Jacob said, sell
me this day, thy birthright. And Esau said, behold, I'm at
the point to die. What profit shall this birthright
do to me? How many times have you said
I'm dying of hunger? I've said it a lot of times. I'm hungry
right now. Um, uh, what good will it do? And Jacob said, swear to me this
day. And he swear unto him and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Now he went on to say he robbed
it from me, but he was lying. He didn't rob it from him. He
sold it. He sold it. I'm going to kill Jacob. He robbed
me of my birthright. No, he sold it to you. Then Jacob verse 34 gave Esau
bread and pottage of lentils and he did eat and drink and
rose up and went his way. Thus Esau, what? Despised. belittled his birthright. Turn with me, hold your finger
there, and turn with me to Hebrews chapter 12. I want us to look
at the New Testament commentary on this. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 15. Looking diligently, lest any
man fail. Hebrews 12, 15. Looking diligently,
lest any man fail. of the grace of God, lest any
root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many
be defiled, lest there be any fornicator or profane person,
as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." Now
hear the New Testament commentary. Esau is called a profane person. Now, when you think of the word
profane, when I think of the word profane, the first thing
that comes to my mind is profanity, cursing, bad language, um, uh,
just, just a general obscene, bad attitude. He's a profane
person. But do you know, the first meaning of that word is
really not that it's accessible. You can cross the threshold.
You know what it means? If you're profane, you can be
bought. That was Esau. He could be bought. Now, if you know the Lord Jesus
Christ, you can't be bought. There's nothing this world has
that can compare to the value of the Lord Jesus Christ to your
soul. You cannot be bought. Oh, there's a lot of things.
You know how sinful you are. You know how weak you are, but
you would not trade anything for the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
if you can be bought, Esau could. It's because something's more
valuable to you than the Lord Jesus Christ. That's Esau. There was something more valuable
to him. I think of what was said of the
Pharisees. It says, they loved the praises
of men more than the praise of God. What men thought was more
valuable to them than what God thought. If somebody leaves Christ,
And people do. People begin and don't continue. The reason they leave him is
because there's something more valuable to him than he is. That's Esau. He was a profane
person who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Now this we know about Esau.
He didn't love God. He didn't love Christ. He was
a pretty good man as far as men go. As a matter of fact, when
you read about how man, Jacob did him so terribly wrong. I mean, there's no justification
for the way Jacob treated his brother when he robbed him of
the blessing and he fooled his father and pretended that he
was Esau. And can you imagine when Esau lost the blessing because
of Jacob ripping it off him? You know what Esau did? He forgave
him. He forgave him. Not many people
would do that. Esau did, he forgave his brother.
They ended up burying their father together and having a relationship
together. So there are things about Esau
that can be commended. But this I know about Esau, he
had no love for God. No love for God as he is. And
he was willing to sell him. And I think it's very telling
what the Holy Spirit says, thus he despised, belittled, valued
as nothing his birthright. Now turn with me to Romans chapter
9. Romans chapter 9. This is a passage
I believe many of us are familiar with. Verse 11. Verse 10, and not only this,
but when Rebecca, we just read about it in Genesis 25, when
Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by her father Isaac,
for the children, Jacob and Esau, being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election
might stand. Now what is election? It's God choosing who he would
save before time began. According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. If you are saved,
it's because God chose you to be saved before time began. God's grace was upon you before
you were ever born. Verse 11, for the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil. They didn't
have any good works to recommend them. They didn't have any evil
works to disqualify them. That the purpose of God, according
to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. You can't be saved by your works.
That's for one thing, you don't have any work worth being saved
for. Nothing you can do to please God. But here's God's purpose
that salvation is not of works. It's not dependent upon you.
It's dependent upon Him. Now I'm giving you what the Bible
teaches. Somebody says, I don't like that. I do. I do. I do. I love everything God says
by His grace. But let's go on reading. Verse
12, it was said unto her, even at that time, The elders shall
serve the younger. The elders, Esau, he's going
to be a servant to the younger as it is written. Oh, there's the authority as
it is written. I hear these words. Jacob, have
I loved? This is God speaking. Jacob,
have I loved Esau? Have I hated? God speaking. Esau, have I hated? Jacob, have I loved? Jacob was
a sinful, deceitful, contradictory man who was loved by God. And the reason for God's love
was not found in Jacob's person. He said, the children being not
yet born, neither having done any good or evil. When people say, how could God
hate Esau? Well, I'm more amazed at how
he could love Jacob. I really am. And even more than
that, I'm amazed by his love to me. I stand amazed in the
presence of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love
me, a sinner, condemned, unclean. Jacob have I loved. Thank God
for his sovereign, saving love. God didn't send his son into
the world to make a way for him to love. He sent his son in the
world because he did love. Jeremiah 31 three says, behold,
I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, With loving
kindness have I drawn thee. Here's how this is expressed
in the New Testament. Whom he did foreknow. That is for love. Whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated
us in love. Herein is love, not that we love
God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation
of our sin. We love him because He first
loved us. God's not gonna love somebody
and go unreciprocated. Everybody He loves, He's gonna
make sure they love Him in return. There will not be anybody in
hell that God loved. Turn to Romans 5 for just a moment.
You're in Romans. Verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Who did Christ die for? Those
without strength, the ungodly. Verse seven, for scarcely for
a righteous man will one die. You know if somebody's real righteous,
and they let you know about it, and you feel uncomfortable around
them, and you feel judged by them, you've known people like
that. You ain't gonna die for them, are you? You don't even
like them. Scarcely for a righteous man
would somebody, I mean, that guy's a jerk. I'm not gonna die for him. Yet, for a good man, that's a
kind man. A merciful man. Some would die for him. He's
a good man. But God commended his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Turn with me to Malachi chapter
one. Last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter one. Now, when
this was written, the book of Malachi, Israel had already been
delivered from Babylonian captivity and had gone back to Jerusalem. Things seemed pretty good. We're
back. Verse 1. The burden of the Word of the
Lord to Israel by Malachi. He calls it the burden of the
Word of the Lord. If the Word of the Lord is not
a burden to me now, it will be. the burden of the word of the
Lord to Israel by Malachi. Now God is speaking through Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet you say, wherein has thou
loved us? What a horrible question to ask. You're back in Jerusalem, aren't
you? We don't say how you've loved
us. And look at the way God answers this question. Where in have
you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Esau, relatively speaking, a
good man, forgiving man. There's more good that can be
said about Esau, humanly speaking, than there could be about Jacob.
There's no question about that. If you read the history of these
boys, Was not Esau Jacob's brother,
saith the Lord? Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated
Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage to waste for
the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, the descendants
of Esau, we're impoverished, but we will return and build
the desolate places. Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
they shall build, but I'll throw down. And they shall call them
the Edomites, the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the
Lord hath indignation forever." Now, this is where Paul quoted
this in Romans 9, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Was not Esau Jacob's brother,
yet I loved Jacob. and hated Esau. Now understand
this. With regard to God's love to
Jacob and his love to me, his love to you, if you are the object
of his love, listen real carefully. It's not unconditional love. There's no such thing as unconditional
love. You read about it. People say
God's love is unconditional. No, it's not. No, it's not. There's no such thing. If God loves me, it's because
he says, thou art all fair, my love. There's no spot in thee. You see, his love is in Christ
Jesus, the Lord. And the scripture says, thou
has loved them. The Lord said this with regard
to all of his elect. Thou has loved them as thou has
loved me. God's love to his son is not
unconditional. He loves his son because he's
altogether lovely. How can he do anything but love
his adorably glorious son? He loves his son and all of God's
love is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jacob have I loved. And I repeat, it doesn't have
anything to do with Jacob's works. The children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God,
according to election might stand not of works, but of him that
calleth it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger
as it's written Jacob of a love. But Esau have I hated. God said
with regard to Esau, I have hated him. Esau hated God and God hated
Esau. That's Bible. Psalm 5.5 says, Thou hatest all
workers of iniquity. Now this goes plumb contrary
to what's preached in our day with regard to the love of God. Men say, well, God loves everybody. You can't get that in the scripture.
And in reality, what is taking place are men are attributing
to God what they think He OUGHT to do. God ought to love everybody. Why? It's unfair for God to not
love everybody the same. Paul anticipated that objection
in Romans 9 when he said, Jacob, if I loved, he shall have hated.
What should we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? Is God being unfair? Is God being unjust in loving
one and hating the other? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. Don't ever, oh may God deliver
me and you both from this forever standing in judgment on God and
saying, he's wrong for that. Since when are you fit to be
God's judge? Do you really think that you're
able to sit in judgment on him and say, I agree with that, but
I don't agree with that. Who are you, O man, to reply
against God? Whatever He does is right. He's
just. He's holy. When men present God loving all
men the same, they're saying what the scripture never says. And in making that claim, they
make the love of God meaningless. You mean God can love you and
you can wind up in hell anyway? Not much to that kind of love.
That's not saving love. Makes God mutable. God can love
you and then he can turn around and get mad at you and send you
to hell. Scripture says, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore
you sons of Jacob are not consumed. If you believe, if I believe
that God loves all men the same, I must believe in salvation by
works. God's love doesn't say somebody. It must be what the
one did that the other did not do. That's the natural implication
of that. Salvation is by works. I've even heard people say with
regard to Esau, well God loved Esau less. Doesn't say that,
does it? How can God love less? That's
blasphemous. God love less? Malachi, let's go on reading. Malachi chapter 1, I've loved
you, saith the Lord. Malachi 1 verse 2, I've loved
you, saith the Lord, yet you say wherein has thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother?
Saith the Lord, yet I loved Jacob and I hated Esau. And what did
he do with Esau? I laid his mountains and his
heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. That doesn't
sound like love less to me. Look what verse four says. Whereas Edom saith, we're impoverished. We're in a bad place, but we
will. There's Esau. Not if God will,
not if God has mercy on us, not if God does something for us.
We will. I will. The essence of sin. I will. Will you? Where as Edom saith, we are impoverished,
but we will return. We WILL build the desolate places. Remember where the Lord said
we ought to say, if it's the Lord's will, we'll do this or
that. Not eat them. I will. God says they shall build, but
I will throw down, and they shall call them the border of wickedness,
the people against whom the Lord hath indignation forever. Now these are the generations
of Esau. I turn back to Genesis 37 now. This is what I want to close
with. The generations of Esau. All kinds of kings and dukes
and mighty men and men who thought themselves to be something and
somebody, yet I think it's interesting the only thing that's recorded
is a man finds some... That's the best thing to be said
about them in reality. Now they had higher opinion of
themselves than that, but God tells the truth. But look at
the generations of Jacob. Genesis chapter 37 verse 1, And
Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in
the land of Canaan. These are the generations of
Jacob, Joseph. Here's the life and times of
Jacob. Here's the truth, the skinny concerning Jacob. Here's
everything you need to know about Jacob, Joseph. Joseph is the greatest type of
Christ in the Bible, I believe, the most complete. I mean, I
wouldn't wanna say they're all great, but we're getting ready
to get into the history of Joseph, and there's more said concerning
Joseph than Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. Did you know that? If I'm saved, Here's all that
can be said about me, Jesus Christ. He stood as my surety before
time began and agreed when I was given to him by the Father to
bear full responsibility for my salvation. He came in time,
he became flesh, he kept the law for me. He lived for me. He died for me. My sins nailed
him to the cross. He died for me. And he put away my sins. And
he was raised from the dead for me, for my justification. That's
why I stand seamless before God. My sin was put away. He was raised
for my justification. He ascended back into heaven
right now. He's interceding for me, representing
me as my great high priest. And he's coming again for me. Here's the generations of poor
old, weak, sinful Todd Knobbert, Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for our
Redeemer. How we thank you for the glorious, saving love in
your Son that you have for all your people. Lord, I ask in Christ's
name that everybody in this room might be your people, that you
would reveal yourself to them, reveal to them the glory of your
Son. how we thank you for him, how
we thank you for his precious blood, how we thank you for his
glorious righteousness. Lord, our only desire is to be
found in him. I bless this message for the
glory of thy name. In Christ's name we pray, amen.