Uncle Esau

Genesis 36

The family line described here does not make its presence felt in the Bible hereafter. Doesn’t that make it all the more remarkable that so much space is taken up here recording this family line? There is grace here. Throughout Genesis we have seen an inclusive view of humanity. Certain people are chosen for certain purposes, but that doesn’t mean the people who are not chosen for those certain purposes are therefore rejected. They’re just not part of that purpose. They are not like the ‘nobody’ crew member from the starship Enterprise who beamed down to the planet along with Kirk and Spock and Scotty, just so there would be someone to get killed without losing a main character. No, the characters in this rolling of credits are stars in their own right (at least in God's sight; a previous response to one of these posts well noted, when I made a similar comment, that not all characters, particularly the women, get exactly star treatment).

This chapter with all the lists of names may be one we are tempted to skip over. But we should not do so without at least knowing that this very chapter is special to Muslims (children of Esau) as well as to Jews and Christians (children of Jacob). It’s remarkable that, while we have witnessed all kinds of roguish behaviour on the part of Jacob, there has been nothing negative about Esau. We sympathized with him when he was deceived, and marveled at him in his ready forgiveness. Esau is Morgan Freeman. Jacob is more like Harvey Keitel. Jacob is our (Jews and Christians) faith-dad. Esau is more like an uncle. But it’s still all one family, with characters of all kinds.

Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, that you have a place for me in your great drama. What kind of role will I play? What kind of character will I be? As the song says, “Shape me, mould me, use me.” Through Christ. Amen.