Ancient history of Edomites and Israelites | History of God 15 (1of 5)
Channel: Christian Perspective
Date: 2021-06-01

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This is part 1 of a 5 part bible series on Edom. This first part covers ancient Edomite and Israelite history.

The history of Edom parallels Israels history. Edom was a nation located south of the Dead Sea and north of the Read sea, mainly centered around Mount Seir. 
   In episode 13 and 14 we learned a lot about the man Esau who was Jacob's twin brother. In episode 10 we learned of Abraham's dream of the smoking furnace which foretold the slavery of the children of Israel in Egypt for 400 years. We very briefly cover the history of Israel. 
   Edom comes into the picture when Moses is leading Israel into the promised land. God told Moses to pass through Edom but not to fight them or take anything from them because they are brothers to Israel. 
   Edom refused to allow Israel to pass. Israel had to go around Edom, it was a long journey and Israel grumbled against God and Moses. God sent fiery serpents to bite the ones who grumbled and many died. Moses made a copper serpent and put it up on a stick so that anyone who was bitten could look at the copper serpent and live. This was symbolic of Jesus Christ on the cross.
   The Israelite's then con quested the land of Canaan and were ruled over by judges for a period of time while God was their king. The people then asked for a king like the nations around them and God gave them King Saul, a tyrannical king.
   The Next king was King David, the greatest king of ancient Israel. For a time David was pursued by Saul who wanted him dead, David had many chances to kill Saul but would not kill the king appointed by God.
   David visited the city of Nob, a Levite city where he was given the sword of Goliath and some shew-bread for the temple. Jesus used this as an example of why he cures people on the Sabbath day. Doeg the Edomite was in Nob and told Saul what had taken place, Saul then had Doeg slay 85 priests and the entire city of Nob. When David became king he subjugated the nation of Edom. He put garrisons through the land and slaughtered every man in the country.
   David's son Solomon then became king. Solomon had an alliance with the Phoenician king of Tyre. They made a fleet of ships at Ezion-Geber, a port on the shore of the Red Sea in Edom. They brought 420 talents (13,860kg or 31,500lb) of Gold from Ophir, a lost city that is thought to be somewhere along the Ivory Coast of Africa. 
   Solomon then began to marry the daughters of the kingdoms around him as alliances. This was forbidden by God because as he said, "surely they will turn away your heart after their gods". Solomon married the daughters of Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and Hittites and others. 
  God then raised up adversaries to Solomon. One of them was Hadad the Edomite who had escaped to Egypt with his servants when Joab, the chief captain of David slew every male in Edom. He married the Pharaoh's sister in Egypt. When he found out that Joab and David were now dead he returned to Edom to fight against Solomon.
   God then divided the nation of Israel into two nations, Israel to the north and Judah to the south. God had promised David that he would have a son that would sit on the throne of Israel forever, therefore he did not take the kingdom from Solomon, he did however take a great portion of it.
  Ahab ruled over the northern kingdom of Israel (875-850BC) he married Jezebel, the daughter of the king of Tyre. She and Ahab brought Baal worship in as the national state religion of Israel. Baal worship is a pantheon of pagan gods with Baal at the top and lesser gods below him, it is based on idolatry which Jehovah is against. Ahab and Jezebel where the rulers who contended with the prophet Elijah in his day.
   At this time Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. His father Asa had purged Judah of all idolatry and returned Judah to serving Jehovah only. Jehoram the son of Ahab, king of Israel asked Jehosephat to join him in battle against Moab who had revolted. Jehoshaphat agreed to help him, they attacked from Edom but the army had no water. Jehoram said 'Jehovah has determined to deliver these 3 kings into the hand of Moab". Jehoshephat then brought then to Elisha the prophet who directed them through a minstrel to make ditches. They were to slay every city, stop up every well, fall every tree and cast stones over every good piece of land after Jehovah had given them victory. In the morning the ditches were full of water.