THE EDOMITES

 

Many of our Hebrew Israelite brothers believe that so-called whites are Edomites - the descendants of Esau. They base this on Genesis 24:25 - "And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau." Many of us believe the word 'red' was used here to describe Esau as a "white man." But the Hebrew word translated 'red' in this verse is admowniy, which means copper-toned or "ruddy." This is the same word used to describe David in I Samuel 16:12 - "...Now he was 'ruddy', and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to… ." Our father David sprang from the tribe of Judah, and is obviously not an Anglo-Saxon/Caucasian.

 
The word red/ruddy was never used in Biblical times to describe a man with white skin. Esau was not white - and even if he were, the women whom he married and had children with were not. They were the Hamitic daughters of the Canaanites. It is written, "And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hitite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hitite." (Genesis 26:34); "Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hitite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth." (Gen. 36:2-3).

There IS a Hebrew word to describe a man with white skin. The word is 'laben'. It was used for example, to describe the condition of Naaman in II Kings 5:27 - "The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white (laben) as snow." It was also used to describe Moshe's sister Miriam’s condition in Numbers 12:10 - "And the cloud from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white [laben] as snow: and Aharone looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous."

According to scripture, there were many different symptoms that could indicate the disease of leprosy - including scabs, bright spots, a rising in the skin, raw flesh, etc. Anyone with these symptoms was pronounced unclean and removed from the camp until they were cleansed. There was one condition however, that was different. It was spoken about in Leviticus 13:12-13 - "And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean."

There is simply no biblical indication - nor historical or archeological for that matter - that all "white people" are descendants of Naaman, or other descendants of ancient Israelites who were cleansed lepers. This does show however, that there is a definite description of someone in the scriptures with white skin - and it isn’t Esau.

 

In truth, the overwhelming majority of people classified as 'white' are descendants of Noah's son Japheth - "The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." (Gen. 10:2-5).

The Hebrew word for Gentile is 'goy,' which is also translated as 'heathen.' The Edomites, according to scripture, are relatively small in number in comparison to the HEATHEN nations they would dwell AMONG. The prophet Obadiah said, "Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised." (Obadiah 2).

In the book of Acts, Ya'aqob (James) said, "…Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how Elohim at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after YHWH, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith YHWH, who doeth all these things." (Acts 15:16-17).

James was referring to scripture from the prophet Amos - "In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith YHWH that doeth this." (Amos 9:11-12).

There is also a place in scripture where we as Hebrew Israelites are instructed not to hate the Edomites! It is written, "Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of YHWH in their third generation." (Deut. 23:7-8).

 

It is written in Deuteronomy 28:48 "Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which YHWH shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee." Here we see that the Most High used a nation of people, cast in the role of our enemies, in order to chastise us. The role of the enemy however, is not limited to that nation in Deuteronomy 28.

The devil is the arch-enemy of the people who belong to YHWH. Kefa (Peter) said, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (I Pet. 5:8). The apostle Paul said, "Put on the whole armour of YAH, that ye may be able to stand against the whiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. 6:11-12).

The devil will use anyone he can, no matter what nation they're from - and he especially delights in using corrupt Israelites. The apostle Paul admonished, "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things)." (Phil. 3:17-19).

In the apostle Kefa's (Peter's) second epistle, he prophesied, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Master that brought them, and bring upon themselves quick destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of..." (II Pet. 2:1).

Both Peter and Paul were speaking to Hebrew Israelites about other Hebrew Israelites who had gone astray. Peter went on to say, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." (II Pet. 2:21&22).

The enemies that Messiah Himself focused on were those among His own people! When confronting certain hypocritical Hebrew Israelites, He reproved them, saying "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44).

The wicked are numbered among every nation, just as there are remnants of the righteous from every nation. The Hebrew Israelite nation is no exception. And even as there are those among the Israelites who defect and submit to the way of the wicked; there are those among the Gentiles who convert, and submit to the way of the just.

If we continue to focus on an entire group of people (rather than false doctrine) and label them as 'the enemy,' we'll continue to suffer from at least two very costly strategic errors: a self-destructive tolerating of enemies from our own camp, and the rejecting of righteous brethren (potential allies) from among the Gentiles - unfairly labeled as enemies; who are in Spirit and in truth the adopted sons of YHWH, and joint heirs with us as brothers in the inheritance of all things.