A HAIRY TALE (43 OF 54)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: Genesis 36:1, Genesis 37:1
This content is part of a series.
A Hairy Tale (43 of 54)
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 36:1-37:1
What is one of the most fascinating things to do in your spare time? Study your genealogy, of course! While it may not seem like your idea of an evening well spent, there is a growing interest among many people to trace their family lineage, to have a better sense of their own identity, to discover how they fit into the larger picture of human history. For many people, researching their family genealogy is a hobby. For others it is an obsession! In fact, some of the most frequented sites on the Internet today are sites that help people research their family history.
Now I am willing to grant the possibility that studying one's own genealogy might be an enlightening experience, but studying someone else's genealogy can be terribly dull and lifeless. Yet, the Bible is full of genealogies. Not only are these genealogies particularly challenging to teach, it is rather tricky just to read them because of all the difficult names. Nevertheless, we are going to study Esau's genealogy in Genesis 36. Now even if you read your Bible, I'll bet that Genesis 36 is a chapter you don't spend much time thinking about. It's one of those chapters that makes you wonder, if you're honest, why it's in the Bible. There are a bunch of names which mean nothing to us and about whom we can learn very little. They lived and died almost 4,000 years ago, linked together with the common thread of being Esau's descendants. It's like reading a telephone book in a foreign language. For these reasons, Genesis 36 is one of those texts that most Christians flip past and most pastors refuse to teach. But the fact remains that God considered the genealogy of Esau important enough to include in the canon of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17). The question is, ''Why?'' I would suggest at least four reasons:
- To record the fulfillment of God's promises to Esau. Despite the fact that Esau forfeited his birthright and ...
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 36:1-37:1
What is one of the most fascinating things to do in your spare time? Study your genealogy, of course! While it may not seem like your idea of an evening well spent, there is a growing interest among many people to trace their family lineage, to have a better sense of their own identity, to discover how they fit into the larger picture of human history. For many people, researching their family genealogy is a hobby. For others it is an obsession! In fact, some of the most frequented sites on the Internet today are sites that help people research their family history.
Now I am willing to grant the possibility that studying one's own genealogy might be an enlightening experience, but studying someone else's genealogy can be terribly dull and lifeless. Yet, the Bible is full of genealogies. Not only are these genealogies particularly challenging to teach, it is rather tricky just to read them because of all the difficult names. Nevertheless, we are going to study Esau's genealogy in Genesis 36. Now even if you read your Bible, I'll bet that Genesis 36 is a chapter you don't spend much time thinking about. It's one of those chapters that makes you wonder, if you're honest, why it's in the Bible. There are a bunch of names which mean nothing to us and about whom we can learn very little. They lived and died almost 4,000 years ago, linked together with the common thread of being Esau's descendants. It's like reading a telephone book in a foreign language. For these reasons, Genesis 36 is one of those texts that most Christians flip past and most pastors refuse to teach. But the fact remains that God considered the genealogy of Esau important enough to include in the canon of Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17). The question is, ''Why?'' I would suggest at least four reasons:
- To record the fulfillment of God's promises to Esau. Despite the fact that Esau forfeited his birthright and ...
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