By“Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob. For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.” — Genesis 36:6-8 NKJV
Esau and Jacob were brothers, according to the scriptures. But right from their mother’s womb, God prophesied that the elder would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). Later in the same Bible, God said, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Romans 9:13, Malachi 1:3).
Now you may say, God is exhibiting favoritism. But this isn’t about favoritism. God knows the end from the beginning. So when He declares something, it’s because He knows what’ll already happen in the future.
These two brothers grew up. By Esau marrying two Hittite women and one Ishmaelite (Genesis 26:34-35; 28:6-9), he fraternized with the cursed generations of Canaan (Ham’s cursed son – Genesis 9:25; 10:15-18). Moreover, he also showed his godless character by selling his birthright for one morsel of food (Genesis 25:34, Hebrews 12:16). All these things clarified the truth that God wasn’t mistaken when He loved Jacob and hated Esau right from their beginning of existence.
God knew that if Esau lived anywhere close to Jacob, his household members would intermarry with those in Jacob’s household, risking the corruption of the Holy Seed – Christ. So He intentionally increased Esau’s possessions. They became so plenty that Esau had to move away from Jacob to find a new settlement, which he did.
Esau may think his possessions were too much to settle near his brother. Meanwhile, God planned to deal with his harmful influence to protect the holy Seed (Christ) from getting corrupted.
Sometimes, God intentionally allows godless people near us to prosper so that they’ll leave our lives for us to remain concentrated on Him. Don’t be deceived. Not everything that glitters is gold. Stop envying a financially prosperous but worldly friend. Stop comparing your life to his. Instead, focus on following God. See eternal life like how God sees it. Allow God to get rid of bad influences in your life.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer
Father, I receive grace to concentrate on your mission in my life. I refuse to envy worldly people. I stick and remain committed to my walk with you. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD // 2022 – 142
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