Genesis 36
Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

V.1 “Esau”- Father of the Edomites

1. Edomites refused Israel passage

Num 20:20 Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.

Deut 23:7 Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother.

2. Edom was made subject to Israel (1 Sam 14:47),

3. Herod the Great - Edomite (Idumean)

4. Obadiah prophesies Edom’s destruction

V.2-3
Good looking wives

Adah- (“ornament,” “the adorned one”),
Oholibamah- (“tent height,” i.e., “tall, stately”)
Basemath- (“the perfumed one”)
Canaanites

Gen 26:34 When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Gen 27:46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living."

Extremely wealthy

Gen 32:13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

Gen 33:8 Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?" "To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said. 9 But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself."


Blessed with children and grandchildren

· 5 sons and ? daughters (V.6)
· 13 male grand children ? grand-daughters
· Chiefs and kings



If our kids fail with God everything else is meaningless

Mark 8:36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Let’s not forget…

Heb 12:16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

“I have a problem with this!”

Eccl 7:15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

Eccl 8:14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve.

Common Grace-

Matt 5:45 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous
I. God’s care in ______________

II. God’s restraint of __________ through:

Conscience: Rom 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Government: Rom 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God…4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
III. God’s blessings to mankind through human _________________________
Witnessing Tool

Acts 14:17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

Let’s not mistake Common Grace for Saving Grace

Matt 13:47 "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.