Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Genesis chapter 36, verse 1.

These are the generations of Esau.

That is Edom.

Now, as I read that verse, I think about Edom and the Edomites that came from the line of Esau.

And if you do a little research, you find that the ancient kingdom of Edom is located today,

and most scholars believe modern day Jordan.

And this is one of the places in Bible reading where it's

helpful for us to, one, remember, the Bible is a historical book. It's a book of real history.

It's not just writings and teachings that someone made up. This is real history, verifiable history at that.

It's one of the things that sets the Bible apart from many religious texts or books.

And to realize also that when we pray for the spread of the gospel to the nations,

those nations, those people groups that we're

praying for go all the way back. I mean, ultimately to the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis

1 and 2, but to stories like we read about Jacob and Esau. And then the other direction my mind goes

is all the way to the end of the Bible

when we read. Revelation chapter 21, verse 24, talks about by the light of the Lord God

Almighty, the nations will walk and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into this

picture of heaven. And Genesis chapter 22 talks about how the tree of life

has leaves that will be healing for all the nations. So when we read about different nations

and people groups, including the Edomites here in Genesis, let's connect that with God's ultimate purposes in the world from the beginning

of history. Let's pray, yes, for nations and people groups in the world today. And then now we

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