As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.Romans 9:13

The Big Question

Why had God judged Esau so harshly in comparison to his brother Jacob even from the womb where God declared that the older would serve the younger?

The Name Adam

An important key to answer this question is found in the beginning of the bible in the book of Genesis. The word of God tells us that the Lord made Adam out of the dust of the earth. The word Adam in the Hebrew language means dust and the root word is for the color red. This may reflect the red soil from which Adam was made.

Now some time later, the patriarch Isaac prayed to the Lord because his wife was barren, and Rebekah became pregnant. Genesis 25:24-25 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was a hairy garment; (or cloak made of hair in Hebrew) so they named him Esau. Esau comes from the root word in Hebrew meaning to press or to squeeze.

In Genesis 25:33 Esau sells his birthright for a bowl of red stew from his younger brother Jacob. So, from that time on he was called Edom, meaning red (Adam). His name Esau and Edom are used interchangeably throughout the bible.

The Two Nations

The bible tells us he despised his birthright and he became the father of the Edomite’s and the nation of Edom. Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He hated him. Genesis 27:41 He said to himself, “the days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Not only did he want to kill his brother, but he made sure that he dishonored his father Isaac by marrying a Canaanite women, the daughter of Ishmael . He knew this would be very displeasing to his father. Following the traditions of his father and worshiping his father’s God was not what he had in mind. As a matter of fact he did everything he could to dishonor the God of his father. Esau prostituted his name by taking wives from the women of Canaan. Esau managed to rebel directly against the command of God to not marry a foreigner .

While still in the womb, the brothers representing two nations jostled within Rebekah. The conflict remaining in Israel today originates from that same struggle. The spirit of Esau still hates his brother and wants to destroy him because of the fathers’ blessing. Esau was one who claimed to love God and yet hate his brother. This has been what the enemies of Israel have done and continue to do to try to squeeze Israel from its inheritance.

This spirit which claims to love God yet hate his brother has been around from the beginning of time. Even Cain despised his brother because God accepted his brothers’ offering. He killed him and spilled his blood on the ground. That spilled blood cried out for vengeance which is why the blood of Jesus speaks of a better word which is forgiveness and reconciliation to the father (Heb. 12:24 ).  Hatred for a brother masks the true issue which is rebellion towards the father. Esau hated his brother but the truth is that he hated the father more. His rebellion was towards the father’s household. He causes division and dissension among the brothers to bring revenge on the father for the blessing of one son over the other. The same spirit in Esau remains today in those who rebel against the command of God to love your bother and instead choose “in the name of God” to kill him, just as the Pharisees did to Jesus Christ of Nazareth, their brother.

The Two Spirits

This spirit of division and hatred still continues today. The nation of Israel finds itself with enemies who want to destroy it but they will find that just as God protected Jacob and changed his name to Israel; He will defend him and his nation from his enemies. God has a word for those who come against Israel. “In that day,” declares the Lord, “will I not destroy the wise men of Edom, those of understanding in the mountains of Esau? Your warriors, Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever” Obadiah 8-10.

It is hatred for the brothers that causes these wars but Jesus is the answer to the conflict in the Middle East, and Jesus is the answer for every gentile nation. The spirit of Esau was very evident in the death of Jesus. His brothers being jealous, hated him for the favor of God in his life, and they nailed him to the cross in the most violent and hateful way. After his death they believed it was over, but the spilled blood of Jesus on the ground made way for those who believe in Him to be reconciled back to the Father. Jesus’ blood speaks a word of forgiveness toward the Father for all those who receive Him.

Rebellion and defiance to the father is the underlying root of all Esau’s bitterness and hatred for his brother. The ultimate objective is to divide the father’s house by killing his brother. Many still would like to say that its only hatred toward a brother, but it is the fruit of being a hater of God.

Present Day Divisions

Still today, many rise up in the name of God to destroy churches, reputations and bring divisions to the church or the house of God. They have exalted themselves above the law of God. They try to take on a role of God and they execute judgement and bring in their vengeance calling themselves godly yet bypass God’s authority, His word, and His power. Phil. 3:19 their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things .Titus 1:16 they claim to know god, but by their actions they deny him. This is the first Adam, the red man, the man of earth and not the man of spirit. This is the spirit of Esau who hated his brother; this is also the same spirit on Cain who killed his brother. Today, this is the spirit of the antichrist who killed the man Jesus but could not kill the spirit of the Father in him.

The blood of Jesus has been shed and every man will be judged for every word and deed done in the name of God. 1John 2:9-10 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness. 1 John 3:12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother And why did he murder him: because his own actions were evil and his brother‘s were righteous. 1 John 3:15 anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

Revelations – The Future

The fate of Edom is revealed in the final book of Revelations who is depicted as a red horse. This horse appears bringing with him much shedding of blood and will be used to bring judgment on all those who are have not been covered by the blood of Jesus. It is similar to when the angel of death passed through Egypt and did not touch the houses whose doors were covered in blood. However, in end it will be Almighty God who will stop him and shed his blood and put an end to his rebellion.

Jesus will save all those who by the blood of Jesus have reconciled to the father. Rev. 6:12-17 “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth the princes, the generals the rich and mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called the mountains and the rocks, “fall on us and hide us from the face him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand?”
This passage tell us of a terrible day when those who are covered with sackcloth made of goat hair will invade much of the earth. The darkness that they bring will seem as if the sun has turned black and the moon turned blood red. The red color represents the man Edom (the earthly man, the man of rebellion) whose skin is red and his coat hairy black.

Rev. 19:11-16 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, who’s rider is called Faithful and True. With justice, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a cloak dipped in blood and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “ he will rule them with an iron scepter:. He treads the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his cloak and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Jesus is the rider of the white horse. He will tread the wine press. This is a reflection of the word Esau (red) which its root word is to press. Jesus is coming back and will separate those who will inherit eternal life and those who will experience his fury and his wrath. On this day he will separate the sheep from the goats.

Esau was red when he was born and had a dark coat of hair covering his red skin. His coat was similar to the dark hairy goats that are raised in Israel. Jesus comes with a sackcloth white as snow like the coat of a sheep. This was the lamb that was slain in the beginning. It was symbolically the animal skins that were used to clothe Adam and Eve. This act spoke of the Lamb of God who would come to clothe all those who received him with white coats. (The Transfiguration) Though your sins be as red as crimson they shall be as white as snow. Esau or Edom is the earthly man the man of sin. The man who refuses God’s grace the one who rebels against the Father.

Today, there still exists a people who come against the Father and his commands. The spirit of Edom continues to divide and destroy. Its objective is to taint the true worship of the Father by slander, hatred of the brethren, and destruction of the church and bring division of the brothers. They infiltrate the sheep’s pen and they defy god’s laws, speak a form of godliness and yet deny its power. However, it is clear that the Father says “my sheep here my voice.” The goats hear only their voices, their desires and their god is their stomach. They do as they please and have sold their birthright for lack of discipline to the word of God.

The Father will come back and will deal harshly with Edom.  He will in the end gather all the sheep and bring them back into the pen where they will dwell in safety.

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