One of the memories I have from middle school, 9th grade, was a friendly competition and serious spar between Mrs. S. in science and Mrs. H. in math. They talked about each other being tough – or warned us about each other – and surely were friends but never hesitated to make use of a good rivalry.  

In classic stories in scripture – we saw Jacob and Esau sparing with each other – a rivalry since before birth – a real legacy to hold onto with property rights and family heritage. These were life-determining struggles, not just fighting for fun like many of our known friendly sparring partners like Mrs. S. and Mrs. H. These were rivalries set up for life – with a good reconciliation in the middle mediated by God when they met many years later…  The switcheroo of family lines and fates had already been put into place however with a trickery by Jacob, and a scheming by mother Rachael too, deceiving father Isaac (remember he was the one son that Abraham was tested to potentially sacrifice, and saved by God)…  it made a difference immediately with an inheritance for Jacob over Esau – but forever God was planning to split two whole nations by their brotherly strife anyway. One quote from a genealogy of Abraham’s states “Esau took wives from neighboring nations who followed idolatry and pagan gods and was the father of the Edomites, a neighboring nation of Israel.” – Aha – that is a term I heard before – as Esau gave lineage to the Edomites. Neighboring to Israel, there were wars to be had years down the road.

Wikipedia states it this way for Abraham – that he was blessed so that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen 26:4). God would make of Ishmael a great nation because he was of the seed of Abraham. However, God told Hagar that her son would be living in conflict with his relatives” Ishmael was half brother to Issac and whereas conflicting nations would come from Issac, a whole nation of Islam would spring from the descendants of Ishmael. Wikipedia again states: “According to the Genesis account, he died at the age of 137 (Genesis 25:17). According to biblical tradition, he is the ancestor of the Arabs.Within Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and the ancestor of the Ishmaelites (Hagarenes or Adnanites) and patriarch of Qaydār (of northern Arabian lands).

My point for this devotion is that sparring tribes and peoples of today were already set in place – already sparing or living in static strife. These bubbled over then like today into wars.  The Edomites (from Esau) are mentioned in the 4th poem of Lamentations – the Israelites were bucketted with warring tribes forever – even now…  Israelites then were being carried to Babylon for some time – pre-described by God to Jeremiah – and the people had to mourn their fate but were told to praise their future – for their future generations…  Us too – we must stay strong for us and for our children and for our hope. They were to TRUST… Sparing rivalries will be here for our earthly time – no getting around it – set up in pre-prescribed ways. We best in all of this not lose our trust in God. Keep knowing (like those exiled to Babylon) that we will get out of this mess of today’s wars, someday…

Here is Lamentations 4 – much strife – but much HOPE. Edomites are mentioned at the end – for their strife with Israel (descendants of Jacob).

How the gold has lost its luster,
    the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
    at every street corner.

How the precious children of Zion,
    once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
    the work of a potter’s hands!

Even jackals offer their breasts
    to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
    like ostriches in the desert.

Because of thirst the infant’s tongue
    sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread,
    but no one gives it to them.

Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple
    now lie on ash heaps.

The punishment of my people
    is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment
    without a hand turned to help her.

Their princes were brighter than snow
    and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
    their appearance like lapis lazuli.

But now they are blacker than soot;
    they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
    it has become as dry as a stick.

Those killed by the sword are better off
    than those who die of famine;
racked with hunger, they waste away
    for lack of food from the field.

With their own hands compassionate women
    have cooked their own children,
who became their food
    when my people were destroyed.

The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;
    he has poured out his fierce anger.
He kindled a fire in Zion
    that consumed her foundations.

The kings of the earth did not believe,
    nor did any of the peoples of the world,
that enemies and foes could enter
    the gates of Jerusalem.

But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
    and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed within her
    the blood of the righteous.

Now they grope through the streets
    as if they were blind.
They are so defiled with blood
    that no one dares to touch their garments.

“Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.
    “Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”
When they flee and wander about,
    people among the nations say,
    “They can stay here no longer.”

The Lord himself has scattered them;
    he no longer watches over them.
The priests are shown no honor,
    the elders no favor.

Moreover, our eyes failed,
    looking in vain for help;
from our towers we watched
    for a nation that could not save us.

People stalked us at every step,
    so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
    for our end had come.

Our pursuers were swifter
    than eagles in the sky;
they chased us over the mountains
    and lay in wait for us in the desert.

The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath,
    was caught in their traps.
We thought that under his shadow
    we would live among the nations.

Rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz.
But to you also the cup will be passed;
    you will be drunk and stripped naked.

Your punishment will end, Daughter Zion;
    he will not prolong your exile.
But he will punish your sin, Daughter Edom,
    and expose your wickedness.