Look first at the book of Ruth. Here are the most important verses:
Chapter 1 verse 6: "When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there."
Verse 12a: "Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband."
Verse 14: "At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her."
Verses 16-17: "But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Verse 19a: "So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
Move on now to chapter 4:1 - "Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down."
Verse 4: "I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said."
Verse 5-6: "Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
Verse 7: "(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalising transactions in Israel.)"
Verse 8: "So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal."
Verse 9-10: "Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimeleck, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
So, looking from a different perspective, Moab is the world. Naomi is Israel. She's returning from the diaspora at the end of the age. She returns with her two daughters-in-law. Ruth is the believing church that stands with Israel and helps her come home. Orpah goes so far then turns back. Is she a type of replacement theology? Where better to return than Bethlehem? The place where Jesus was born. Boaz is a type of Jesus. His fellow redeemer is a closer relative but doesn't have the character to redeem and take Ruth. Jesus does and will redeem Israel to make the church His bride too. To be this kinsman, lover and redeemer He most take off His shoe or sandal - a pledge of the transaction to those attending. We find this shoe in another passage: (Psalms 60:8.) "Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” This verse describes what happened in Ruth. It's the same situation. To take possession he has to give his shoe/sandal but he, in effect, tosses it at or over Edom to Israel.
Who is it first cursing Israel or Jacob? Genesis 27:41: "Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
Later on, in Moses time: Numbers 20:18,20: "But Edom answered: “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.” And:(20) "Again they answered: “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army."
Later again, in the book of Judges, when Israel are in the Land we read of opposing countries round about attacking. Edom was against (Judges 5:4) but also: Moab, the Ammonites and the Amalekites (Judges 3:12-13); Midianites in Judges 6:3-4. "Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys." Notice that they are all after the Land! When Israel were in Egypt no one cared less but as soon as they started returning Edom wouldn't let them pass through... Then the other nations round about joined in. It's a hatred which can first be seen through Esau. Same today, Palestinians want their own land but more importantly want it to take from Israel because they hate them.
Look what the Angel of the LORD says, (Judges 2:1-3.) "The Angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed Me. Why have you done this? And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”
Look also at 1 Kings 11:21. Hadad is the person in question here: “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.” He thinks Israel is his! He tries to take charge again. Can't do it! Then goes to Syria. Are there more battles here before he does an alliance? Also, when Edom threw the yoke off their shoulders (Isaac talking to Esau) was at the time of (first) Israel's then (second) Judah's exile to the Chaldeans/ Babylonians.
They are all trying to take the land for their own. Ruin the crops. Defeat Israel in battle. While Israel follows the LORD He protects them. When they don't He lets them suffer ruin and exile. The time of their trouble is coming. It's called the Tribulation. God brings this time for His Sovereign purposes to be fulfilled. Israel will be saved for His Holy Name's sake.
At the time of Jerusalem's exile to Babylon (587B.C.) the Edomites moved into Judah. (Ezekiel 36:5.) "Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "In the heat of my jealousy I speak against the other nations and all of Edom, since, rejoicing with all their heart, they have arrogated (given) my land to themselves as a possession and, with utter contempt, seized it as prey."'
So the "blessing" of throwing the yoke off the neck is short lived. Let's look at Isaac's prophecy again: (Genesis 27:39-40.) "His father Isaac answered him, “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” It's a curse! He moved away from Canaan with all his possessions eventually settling in Mount Seir. No doubt this is where he went because of who he married and made alliances with the relatives of who he married and those working for him. The reference to the sword will have meant tensions and feuds with those around him. Even so, by the time Jacob came back twenty years later, with all those alliances he had an army of four hundred.
So, we see who original sibling rivalry developed. The prophecy from Ezekiel adds a further future dimension during the times of the Holy Bible. Going on further from this, in the book of Obadiah, we see what causes it, that it has an end time application and how it is resolved.
(Obadiah 1:15,21.) “The day of the LORD is near for all nations. As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. (21)Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the Lord’s." Prior to the Day of the LORD and the LORD's millennial Kingdom and reign being established these forces will again reappear.
The confederacy spoken about in Ezekiel 36:5 is also mentioned earlier in verses 6 to 7 of Obadiah: "But see how Esau has been looted, their secret treasures searched out! Your allies went with you only to the border, those at peace with you deceived and defeated you, those who ate your food set a trap for you, and you couldn't discern it." Those who do an alliance with end time Edom will be ill at ease with him. This is their legacy. This looks like Rome. They are the dominant partner having been in power since the third century A.D. Look at this prophecy in Revelation. It shows the mistrust between the allies and that she is a city. Thus: (17:16-18.) "As for the ten horns that you saw and the beast, they will hate the whore, bring her to ruin, leave her naked, eat her flesh and consume her with fire. For God put it in their hearts to do what will fulfil His purpose, that is, to be of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast until God's words have accomplished their intent. And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
Obadiah 1:18. "The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame, setting aflame and consuming the stubble which is the house of Esau. None of the house of Esau will remain, for ADONAI has spoken." Amen.