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The Jews have been in a
continuous ongoing conflict throughout history. No nation on
earth has experienced the turmoil as that of Israel. Satan’s
goal continues to be to exterminate the Jews in order to prevent
God from fulfilling His covenant promises to them. A part of
this conflict began with these incredible words from God.
“Esau have I hated.” (Rom.
9:13)
Paul was simply quoting
scripture. Rebecca, Isaac’s wife was barren and Isaac asked God
to give them a child and God answered his prayer (Gen. 25:21).
Rebecca was having some pregnancy problems and asked the Lord
about it (Gen. 25:22). Here is God’s answer!
“The Lord said to her, “Two
nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated
from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the
other; And the older shall serve the younger.” (Gen. 25:23)
The prophet Malachi’s take on
this passage reads like this.
“I have loved you,” says the
Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” Was not Esau
Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved
Jacob, but I have hated Esau.” (Mal. 1:2-3a)
The words “love and hate” do not
mean what we may think they mean. God is saying that He chose
Jacob over Esau. God’s choice became evident throughout the rest
of the Old Testament.
Esau became the father of the
Edomites.
“These
then are the records of the generations of Esau the father
of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.” (Gen. 36:9)
Esau married into the Canaanite
line and had many children. The marriages were not with the
blessing of his parents, Isaac and Rebekah.
“When Esau was forty years
old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the
Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And
they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.”
(Gen. 26:35)
Thus began an ongoing conflict
between the Jews (the sons of Jacob) and the Edomites (the sons
of Esau). This conflict is reflected throughout the Old
Testament and throughout the history of man. Esau’s family tree
takes up a whole chapter in the Bible, a clue that he is going
to play an integral part in history (Genesis 36).
Edom’s
Conflict With Isaac
The Edomite Arabs refused to
allow the Exodus generation of Jews to pass through their land
on their way to Canaan (approx. 1440 BC).
“Then Edom said to him, ‘You
shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you
with the sword.’ So the children of Israel said to him, ‘We
will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any
of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass
through on foot, nothing more.’ Then he said, ‘You shall not
pass through.’ So Edom came out against them with many men
and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Israel
passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from
him.” (Numbers 20:18-21)
The Jews had to go through Moab
to get to Canaan. The Arab families of Ammalek, Moab, and Ammon,
also tried to prevent Israel from moving into the land of Canaan
during the Exodus (Ex. 17:8; Numbers 20:18; Num. 22: 4-6; Jos.
13: 25).
King Saul warred against the
Edomites.
“So Saul established his
sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies
on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon,
against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the
Philistines.” (1 Sam. 14:47)
David defeated Edom and
annihilated most of their male population.
“For it happened, when David
was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up
to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom
(because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel,
until he had cut down every male in Edom), that Hadad fled
to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s
servants with him. Hadad was still a little child.” (1 Kings
11:15-17)
The little child, Hadad, became
the leading Arab sheik. He escaped from David and tried to
entice the Egyptians against David. He went into exile into
Syria and became the greatest enemy of Solomon.
“He was an adversary of
Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that
Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over
Syria.” (1 Kings 11:25)
The Edomite Arabs were successful
against Jehoram in Judah.
“In his days Edom revolted
against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves.
So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots
with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who
had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. Thus
Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this
day.” (2 Chron. 21:8-10)
Amazia, king of Judah, carried
out successful campaigns against the Edomites.
“He killed ten thousand
Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and
called its name Joktheel to this day.” (2 Kings 14:7)
The Jews were never able to
successfully subjugate the Edomite Arabs.
“At the same time King Ahaz
sent to the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the
Edomites had come, attacked Judah, and carried away
captives.” (2 Chron. 28:16-17)
When Nebuchadnezzar conquered
Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and carried Judah into the fifth cycle of
discipline, the Edomite Arabs joined Nebuchadnezzar in the
conquest. The Edomite Arabs joined Nebuchnezzar in the slaughter
of the Jews because they despised the Jews. They cried out to
Nebuchadnezzar to destroy completely the city of Jerusalem. The
Psalmist reminds us that God does not forget.
“Remember, O LORD, against
the sons of Edom. The day of Jerusalem, Who said, ‘Raze it,
raze it, to its very foundation!” (Psa. 137:7)
Because of this hatred of Israel
and this treachery, God made this astounding prophecy concerning
the Edomites:
“‘Edom also shall be an
astonishment; Everyone who goes by it will be astonished and
will hiss at all its plagues; as in the overthrow of Sodom
and Gomorrah. And their neighbors,’ says the LORD, ‘No one
shall remain there, Nor shall a son of man dwell in it.’”
(Jer. 49:17-18).
Notice carefully that God said
that Edom shall be overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah. Is this
recorded anywhere in human history as having happened? Not yet!
Biblical Prophecy and the
Edomites
“Rejoice and be glad, O
daughter of Edom, You who dwell in the land of Uz! The cup
shall also pass over to you. And you shall become drunk and
make yourself naked. The punishment of your iniquity is
accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no longer send you
into captivity. He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of
Edom; He will uncover your sins.” (Lam. 4:21)
“Therefore thus says the Lord
GOD: ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off
man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman;
Dedan shall fall by the sword. I will lay My vengeance on
Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in
Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and
they shall know My vengeance,’ says the Lord GOD.” (Ezek
25:13-14)
“Thus says the LORD: ‘For
three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn
away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the
sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually,
And he kept his wrath forever. But I will send a fire upon
Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.’” (Amos
1:11-12)
Edom and Christ’s
First Coming
As a reward for helping
Nebuchadnezzar, the Edomite Arabs received all the land of
Judah, from Egypt to the Northern part of the Land. Esau's
children at one time had all the land. The Edomite Arabs
remained for 400 years until the Maccabee's (a Jewish family)
subdued them and forced them into Judaism.
The Edomites changed their name
to Idumeans. However this was conversion by coercion and that
has never worked. The Arabs did not forget!
Now enter Herod the great, an
Edomite, and Antipas, who was also an Edomite Arab. The Edomite
Arabs took the land back from the Jews politically. Herod became
the third in command in the Roman Empire behind Augustus and
Agrippa.
Just before the
siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., twenty thousand Arabs said they
wanted to help Jerusalem, so they were allowed inside. But just
as in the time of Nebuchadnezzar, as soon as they got inside
they began to rape and pillage, rob and murder. They killed
thousands of Jews before Titus came against the city.
Edom and Christ’s Second Coming
“Who is this who comes from
Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One
who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of
His strength? It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to
save. Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the
one who treads in the wine press? I have trodden the wine
trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me.
I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath;
and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I
stained all My raiment. For the day of vengeance was in My
heart, and My year of redemption has come. I looked, and
there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was
no one to uphold; So My own arm brought salvation to Me, and
My wrath upheld Me. I trod down the peoples in My anger and
made them drunk in My wrath, and I poured out their
lifeblood on the earth.” (Isa. 63:1-6)
Who is this one coming from Edom?
He is described with garments dyed bright red. This is a
description of the Rider on the white horse of Revelation 19.
“And
I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who
sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and
on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on
Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a
robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of
God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may
strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of
iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of
God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a
name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’” (Rev.
19:11-16)
Our Lord’s white robes are
stained with blood, Arab and Mongolian blood. Bozrah is the
capitol of Edom. This is a part of the slaughter of Armageddon.
When the Lord Jesus came the first time, he was subjected to the
cruelty of the Edomites, Herod and Antipas. The first time he
stood before them, He said that if He were the king at that
time, His subjects would fight. But He came with great humility
in order to die for our sin. But the second time, he's coming
as a warrior. He is coming trampling upon grapes in the wine
vat. The stain of the grapes finds its way to His clothes. This
is a symbol of blood that will stain His clothing. This is a
picture of a slaughter! Edomite Arabs will one day reap the
vengeance of God.
Sources
New American Standard Bible
Encyclopedia Britannica
Logos Christian History Interactive
Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament
S. Lewis Johnson
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