20151128 Saturday, November 28 2015
Ezekiel 35: The Land Of Esau And The Land Of Israel

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it"

Esau was the fraternal-twin brother of Jacob (see The Birth of Jacob and Esau). It was while Jacob was living in exile from Esau that the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) changed Jacob's name to Israel (see the Finder Question below).

While also known historically and prophetically as "Edom" (a name that he acquired from the famous incident involving the sale of his birthright; see A Biography Of Jacob: The Birthright), Esau too became the father of a multitude of people (see The Nations Of Esau).

"36:1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

36:2 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 36:3 And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

36:4 And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel; 36:5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan." (Genesis 36:1-5 KJV)

Esau chose to depart from the land of Canaan, away from Jacob, "For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle," so Esau settled in the area south of the Salt Sea / Dead Sea (see also The Salt Sea In History And Prophecy).

"36:6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. 36:7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle. 36:8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom." (Genesis 36:6-8 KJV)

The Word of God records Esau's family in detail, for the simple reason that, as another grandson of Abraham, Esau too had a part in fulfilling the "seed" prophecy of Abraham (see Abraham's Seed: From The Nile To The Euphrates). The people of Esau became a kingdom before the people of Israel did - the Israelites passed through the land of Edom on their way from Egypt to their promised land.

The people of Israel and Esau each had their LORD-given lands that were sovereign in and of themselves. The LORD never thereafter left it up to them to change what He had declared for them. When the Kingdom of Judah fell, they were nevertheless going to return after the prescribed seventy-years exile (see Israel In History and Prophecy: The Return Of Judah and How The Messianic Line Survived In Babylon). When the people of Esau decided that they were arrogantly going to seize Judah's territory for themselves, the LORD rebuked and stopped them.

"35:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

35:2 Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, 35:3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. 35:4 I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

35:5 Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: 35:6 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. 35:7 Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. 35:8 And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. 35:9 I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

35:10 Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: 35:11 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee. 35:12 And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume. 35:13 Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them. 35:14 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. 35:15 As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 35:1-15 KJV)

Fact Finder: When did Jacob become named "Israel"?
See A Biography Of Jacob: The Jacobites Of Syria, Jacob's Peace With Esau and The Origin Of Israel