Monday, November 02, 2020

2020.11.02 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 35:16–36:43

Read Genesis 35:16–36:43

Questions from the Scripture text: Where do they go in Genesis 35:16? Where are they about to arrive? But what happens to whom? What does the midwife say in Genesis 35:17? What was departing (Genesis 35:18)? Why? What did she call his name? What did his father call him? What happened to Rachel (Genesis 35:19)? By where? Who does what in Genesis 35:20? What does Genesis 35:21-22 call him? Where does he go? What happens in Genesis 35:22? Whom does Genesis 35:22-26 describe? To whom does Jacob come, where, in Genesis 35:27? How old was Isaac (Genesis 35:28)? What four things happen to Isaac in Genesis 35:29? Who buried him? Whose genealogy does chapter 36 give us? Whom does Genesis 36:2-3 describe? Who bore whom where, in Genesis 36:4-5? Then where did Esau go, with whom, in Genesis 36:6-8? Whom does Genesis 36:9-14 list? In what way is this list organized? What are they now called in Genesis 36:15-19? What nation inhabited Seir before the Edomites (Genesis 36:20)? What are their sons called in the list in Genesis 36:20-30? What kings begin to be listed from Genesis 36:31? What time period does this list of kings cover (verse 31b)? What are the names in Genesis 36:40-43 called (cf. 1 Chronicles 1:51–54)? How is the land described in Genesis 36:43? Who is the last person mentioned in the chapter?

One of the things that 2020 has taught us is that we are a people woefully unprepared for the one thing that will assuredly come to all of us: death. Dear reader, you will die. And you do not know when. The Lord, in His mercy, holds that reality before you in this passage.

Rachel died (Genesis 35:19). Her soul was departing (Genesis 35:18). It left this life, this world. It appeared in another. Suddenly, the most important thing—the only important thing—in her life was the condition of her soul. Had she been made right with God by Jesus Christ? Had He become hers, and had she become His, by faith?

Isaac died (Genesis 35:29). It’s an interesting statement: “and was gathered to his people.” Esau and Jacob buried their father, but Isaac had been gathered to his people. Those who had gone before him, and had died believing in the promised Seed of the woman, the promised Seed of Abraham—those were his people.

The kings of Edom died (Genesis 36:31–39). There are eight kings in this list “who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel” (Genesis 36:31). Israel foolishly thought that not having a king was a disadvantage to them (1 Samuel 8:19–20). But, as each of these Edomite kings learned, kings die. Their plans fail (cf. Psalm 146:3–4). Kings die. Do not be over-afraid of them. They can kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul. Their own soul, they cannot save. Kings die. Do not put your hope in them. Your hope will almost certainly die younger than they do, and even if not, your hope will then die with them.

Unbelievers die. The OT focuses primarily upon Israel, so we are sometimes unmindful of how many from the other nations have justly perished in their sins from the nations. It is sobering that all of these sons of Esau, all of these clans, perished outside of Christ. And that’s one, small, ancient-near-eastern country. Let us pray for the spread of the gospel, and send others with the gospel in our behalf, and ourselves be quick with the gospel to those around us. Unbelievers die!

We die because the wages of sin is death. In Adam, all sinned and all died. But there is another Adam, the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. By His obedience, all who believe in Him are righteous. By His death and resurrection, all who believe in Him have eternal life. Christ has died! And this must make the difference in your own death.

What difference has Christ’s death made for your own death? What difference has death made in your life?

Suggested songs: ARP146 “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” or TPH159 “Abide with Me”


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