Esau's Reward vs. Israel's Reward

'To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. (Joshua 24:4)

The LORD gave Esau Mt. Seir, but sent Israel into Egypt, where they remained for 400 years. God’s people may be tempted to envy the wicked (see Psalm 73), and to wonder why God gives them hardship while worldly people enjoy the comfort and pleasures of this world. The LORD is good and gracious even to unbelievers (Matthew 5:45), but since they do not value spiritual, eternal treasures, their reward is limited to this life. “Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full” (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). 

But God is working to prepare His people for something infinitely better than what this fallen world can offer. And He is reserving the wicked for judgment (Psalm 1:5; 2 Thess. 1:5-6), as He demonstrated in Egypt.