Genesis 35:22-36:43

The reason life is hard is because there is a war within us and a war around us.

Outline

First, Our lives are hard because there is a war within us (35:23-29)
- We must face the war within us that is caused by our temptations (35:22)
- We must face the war within us that is caused by our trials (35:29)
Second, Our lives are hard because there is a war around us (36:1-43)
- Genesis 36 presents a fulfillment (36:1-8)
- Genesis 36 presents a foe (36:9-19)
- Genesis 36 presents a failure (36:20-30)
- Genesis 36 presents a future (36:31-43)

Jacob’s three oldest sons have squandered their blessing through sin, what we will see later on is that God now chooses Jacob’s fourth son, Judah, to be the one to carry forward the promise. Our help and hope now comes from Jesus, the seed of the woman, the offspring of Jacob, the lion of Judah.
Obadiah shows us the prophecy of the future judgment on Esau’s seed, Edom. In Obadiah 1:21 there is a promise of future victory over the enemies of God that war around us. Apromise of a future savior, a promise of a future kingdom, a promise that the line of the savior will defeat the line of the serpent. We find that fulfilled in Jesus Christ who comes as the savior to bring the rule of Mount Zion over Mount Esau and to usher in the kingdom of God.

Nothing steals, kills, and destroys our gratitude quite like our sin and our suffering. Maybe some of you find yourself living in sin like Reuben, the temptation of the moment warred against your soul until you found yourself doing things you could have never imagined. Now, you feel condemned in your shame, imprisoned by your desires. That helpless feeling wages war against your soul, but God offers freedom from it through faith in his Son and repentance.
We have an enemy all around us who is seeking to destroy us. Will we treat the war around us that comes from our spiritual enemies as just a threat to manage like Saul or an enemy to eliminate like David? Lasting victory only comes through the way of David.