Who's Family?
Genesis 36:1 (ESV) These are the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).
Genesis 37:2 (ESV) These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.
What's the story in your family?
Genesis 36 is all about Esau's family and descendants. It's an impressive list. It has many lineages and many kings. If you were Jacob's family reading this for the first time you may be intimidated by it all. Especially verse 26 mentioning the kings of Edom before there were any kings of Israel. Verse 40 tells us they had "dwelling places" and "Chiefs." It's a very succinct chapter in which all the history of Edom is outlined for us. There is listed in this chapter no record of family strife or conflict, no wars, no betrayals, no sad moments of death and passing. Just a record of all the names of all the families, clans and kings from the loins of Esau.
Now note the extreme contrast about to be introduced by Genesis 37:2 where the phrase appears: "These are the generations of Jacob." Can you get any more different? I don't think so. The story is going to start with a favored and hated son. Then comes betray and attempted murder, a short slave trade, a terrible story about Judah and his progeny followed by an unjust imprisonment of a godly man. We see Jacob's family with all their warts and bumps and bruises. Reading the last part of Genesis is like reading our family's history. For on the outside, detached from intimate relations, every other family looks composed and put together - like Esau's heritage. But we know our family's issues intimately.
Here's what the Bible is showing us here in this unusual list of faceless names coming from Esau. God's people are not a list of names without character or interest. No, God's people have a story of warts and sins that would make any member of such a family blush.
But this is the best part. God's family's story is not just any story. If you look at the life of Joseph, there is no other story in the Bible that so clearly depicts the narrative of Jesus in the Gospels - God's ultimate story of redemption: The beloved son, Joseph is rejected by his brothers and ultimately saves the world by providing bread while being seated at the right hand of the "king".
While the world may have impressive names and titles...
Now note the extreme contrast about to be introduced by Genesis 37:2 where the phrase appears: "These are the generations of Jacob." Can you get any more different? I don't think so. The story is going to start with a favored and hated son. Then comes betray and attempted murder, a short slave trade, a terrible story about Judah and his progeny followed by an unjust imprisonment of a godly man. We see Jacob's family with all their warts and bumps and bruises. Reading the last part of Genesis is like reading our family's history. For on the outside, detached from intimate relations, every other family looks composed and put together - like Esau's heritage. But we know our family's issues intimately.
Here's what the Bible is showing us here in this unusual list of faceless names coming from Esau. God's people are not a list of names without character or interest. No, God's people have a story of warts and sins that would make any member of such a family blush.
But this is the best part. God's family's story is not just any story. If you look at the life of Joseph, there is no other story in the Bible that so clearly depicts the narrative of Jesus in the Gospels - God's ultimate story of redemption: The beloved son, Joseph is rejected by his brothers and ultimately saves the world by providing bread while being seated at the right hand of the "king".
While the world may have impressive names and titles...
God's people have a story and indeed, the greatest story ever told.
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