Trouble in the Family   

   In just the second generation of the family that God would use to teach the world about himself and what he wants from us, somebody messed up. Abraham's son Isaac took Rebecca - a distant relative - to be his wife. Okay so far.

   She was barren, but God answered her prayer. Months later, she asked the Lord why her twins were "jostling" in her womb. He could have said, "Boys will be boys." 

   Instead, Two nations are in your womb and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. Esau was born first, but Jacob grabbed his ankle as they came out. Oh Oh.

   Esau was a hunter, while Jacob just hung around the tents. Isaac favored his adventurous son, but Rebecca wanted Jacob to receive Isaac's blessing. She plotted the trick; Jacob was wary, but went along with the deception. 

   Her scheme worked, but Jacob had to flee for his life, and Rebecca never saw her son again. Many years later, Jacob thought that his favorite son Joseph was dead. When the family fled to Egypt for survival, he admitted to Pharaoh: My years have been few and difficult... - Genesis 47:9.    

   Did the culture ever improve? We have the same human nature. Jacob and Esau eventually made peace, but their descendants did not. 

   Obadiah is one of three prophets critical of a nation other than Israel. Jacob's descendants lived in Judah, while Esau's lived across the Jordan in Edom, but subject to the Judeans. When they broke free, they never ceased hostility, aiding foreign armies in their attacks.

   Through Obadiah, God roundly scolded Edomites for rejoicing over their "brother's" misfortune. He would remove their pride, do to them whatever they had done to others, and return their deeds on their own heads. 

   After the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, Edomites were nearly destroyed, forced to live in Judah, and after AD 70 were never heard of again. 

   Pride leads to self deception. - Proverbs 16:17; 1 Peter 5:5; and James 4:6 (Proverbs 3:34).

   The good news: Israel (God's name for Jacob) and all God's faithful will inherit the earth and reign with Jesus the Messiah. He will return, defeat evil, and the Kingdom will be the Lord's for a thousand years.

          Jimmy