Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land away from his brother Jacob.
Genesis 36:6
There is a lot of rejection in our world for various reasons; it is always a matter of levels of perceived goodness or experience. Some are rejected because they are not good enough by someone else’s standards, and others are rejected because they are seen as being too good – they make for uncomfortable company for those who hate them. This is a common experience for Christians, who are often rejected by family or society at large. The witness of a child of God in a godless world is an uncomfortable experience for those who reject God.
As I read Genesis 36 this morning about Esau, his family, and his wealth, I could see the familiar reality of rejection at play in his life. He had rejected his birthright, and therefore the God of his father. His brother Jacob had come home showing all the signs of being a different man following God, and being blessed by God. This was very uncomfortable for Esau who always wanted to live by his terms and not by God’s guidance. It is no wonder that Esau wanted to leave the land of God’s Promise, Canaan so that he could do things his way elsewhere.
Dear Reader, we can learn from this part of Jacob and Eau’s story – the rejection we see played out in the Bible is being played out in our lives today. As God’s children, we share His love with those we meet; some will listen and be interested, but others will reject it, and therefore reject us too. The Good News of Jesus Christ that we live and share calls us to not reject those who reject us but to pray for them.
But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you. (Luke 6:27-28)
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
