22 Sept 2012 - 1 Peter 2:1-10

1 Peter 2:1-10

Peter, in this passage, uses imagery of building. More specifically, he compares the followers of Christ to stones being built into a holy temple for a holy priesthood to offer sacrifices to a holy God. He's trying to make a point here, which is particularly evident from verses 1 & 2 which tell the readers to throw away malice, deceit, envy, hypocrisy, and slander and instead crave the Word of God that they may grow.

Peter then, playing off the comparison of men to stones, draws a comparison of Christ to a certain, honoured stone, a cornerstone. He also goes into some detail about what is in store for those who believe in Christ and those who do not: becoming a chosen people set aside for God's mercy and becoming subject to stumbling blocks, respectively.

The challenge in this passage, then, is to hold fast to Christ, crave that which is of the Holy Spirit, and allow yourself to be used by God according to His design & will.

8 Apr. 2012 - Yahweh Sabaoth

Yahweh Sabaoth

"The Lord of Hosts/Armies" David refers to God as such in Psalm 46:7. This passage in particular is referring to the Lord as a place of refuge in hard times. The previous verse describes what happens when God speaks, nations raging, kingdoms toppling, etc. and it shows God's strength. He then goes to describe Him as the Lord of Hosts and compare Him to a stronghold.

So, there is a definite idea of protection and refuge through God's power, but, accompanying the idea of a host or army, is the idea of offense. God is not merely defending His people, but pressing forward, making ground. Our God is an active God, reaching out and conquering. In this light we rejoice for we can see God winning the battles and, finally, the war.

7 Apr. 2012 - Yahweh Shalom

Yahweh Shalom

"The Lord is Peace". This name stems from an interesting event in the life of Gideon. God has called him to serve and he [Gideon] has just realized that he has been speaking face-to-face with the angel of the Lord. Needless to say, Gideon was completely terrified and afraid he was going to die. That's when God says to him, in verse 23, "Peace to you. Don't be afraid for you will not die." It is after this, in Judges 6:24, that we see this name used.

Well, what this means for us: we have the ability to know true peace for our God is peace. whatever the situation, we are able to have peace through Him.

6 Apr. 2012 - Yahweh Rapha

Yahweh Rapha

God himself identifies, in Exodus 15:26 as "The God Who Heals". This statement follows a purifying of a bitter spring and a statute and ordinance given - that if Israel obeyed God completely and explicitly, God would not inflict upon them what He did to the Egyptians.

Who is this being who claims power over sickness and health? Simply, it is God. After all, He created the entirety of the universe, so surely He has the power to cure or afflict His creation. Add to this the fact that this name is a name given to God not by man, but by God Himself. God is a healer God, providing for our needs.

5 Apr. 2012 - Yahweh Nissi

Yahweh Nissi

"The Lord is my Banner".
Tis name occurs after the Israelites were attacked by and victorious over the Amalekites in Exodus 17:15. I find this name interesting because of the use of a banner.

When I think of a banner, two main usages come to mind:

1. A rallying point. This banner was a standard, a symbol to which warriors in a battle could look and fins the rest of their troop, rally around it and press forward. It was also an emblem of hope and many superstitions arose surrounding various standards (particularly the eagle of the Roman legions).
2. A banner was a tapestry of sorts. It recounted the victories of a particular ruler or people for a set period of time. It remembered and commemorated the events of the past.

Both of these can apply to God. Firstly, in our war against sin and temptation, and against the powers and principalities present in this world, God is is the point around which we, as Christians, should be rallying. He is our source of hope and He is truly the bringer of victory. Secondly, when we look to the Lord, we should be reminded of His love for us, His sacrifice, and the recent impacts He has made on our lives.

4 Apr. 2012 - Yahweh Yireh

Yahweh Yireh

Yahweh is the personal name of God, I AM THAT I AM. This is the name given to Moses in Exodus 3 as a proof to the Israelites in Egypt.

Yahweh Yireh (some of you might know it as Jehovah Jireh, well Jehovah is a mistransliteration of the Hebrew - Hebrew, particularly Yahweh, is written as consonants and I believe the vowels are merely diacritics, but I could be wrong. So, YHWH = Yahweh, not Jehovah).
Anyway, this name means "The Lord Will Provide". We see this name occur in Genesis 22:14. In this passage, Abraham was told to give Isaac as a sacrifice to God. As Abraham is about to lay the fatal wound, God stops him and provides a sacrifice.

We can apply this in our own lives. God is a god who provides. After all, did He not make everything which we use or consume? Beyond that, He is a god who gives gifts of various kinds. I have seen spiritual gifts, monetary gifts, gifts of providence and more come into play because God gave them and they were a blessing.

3 Apr. 2012 - Elohei-Shammayim

Elohei-Shammayim

This name means "The Lord, The God of Heaven".

Now, unfortunately, the source from which I've been reading as provided a verse which brings no mention to God at all, let alone this name. Still we can look at this name and see it's imports.

The biggest thins is that here, God is named the God of heaven. Most cultures accepted that there was a god/pantheon of gods that existed in a supernatural location known as heaven (or by various different names, but the concept is the same). Since God is named God of heaven, he is automatically exalted above any other gods as he is the god of their realm. Again, we see God's primacy and superiority over the foreign, false gods.

2 Apr. 2012 - El Gibbor

El Gibbor

El Gibbor means "The Mighty God" and He is most definitely mighty. How many beings do you know that can create something from nothing, existence from word, or even man from dust? Our God is a God of strength, uplifting and protecting the weak and poor, yet punishing and destroying the sinful and immoral.

We can see in Isaiah 9:6 that God, specifically the saviour to come, Jesus, is called Mighty God. Why? For He shall destroy the link between sin and death and defeat sin and Satan. The former has already happened - Christ's sacrifice on the cross - and the latter will be finished at the end of time. This mighty God has has made it possible for us poor, broken sinners, to finally have a means to be restored to a right relationship with God.

We can see other instanced of God's might: Jesus calming the storm, Jesus casting a demon into a flock of pigs, or even the Holy spirit freeing Peter and John from prison. We serve a Holy, Mighty God

31 Mar. 2012 - El Olam

El Olam

El Olam means "The Everlasting God". This name is found in Genesis 21:33, in which Abraham makes a covenant with Abimelech, allowing him to live on the Philistines' land.

Being everlasting denotes that God is, was, and will be in existence forever. It also means that God will last forever. That is, His character and nature will last forever, showing God to be a God consistent and unchanging in this regard.

It is on this everlasting nature of God that Abraham was able to make a lasting oath. After all, if an oath were given on a capricious, fluid god, could that oath be trusted to hold its integrity? God the everlasting provides the solid foundation for oaths, but more importantly, for faith and belief.

30 Mar. 2012 - El Elyon

El Elyon

El Elyon means "The Most High God". This description of God appears in Genesis 14:18, in which Melchizedek, the priest blesses Abram. The use of this name, Most High God, served to elevate God above any other human gods (as He was the most high).

This name is particularly relevant throughout the Old Testament, especially in The Pentateuch, where God was introducing" Himself to Israel, and the prophets, where Israel was being called back to God from other gods.

Additionally, by elevating Himself above all other gods, He logically made all other gods pointless, useless, and unworthy of worship. Then, if God is truly the Most High God seated above the other "gods" and reigning over the spheres of these same gods, then all these other gods are rendered redundant and therefore mere hubris, They are not true gods, but concepts of man.

God, however, is truly the supreme ruler of the universe, everything inside it, and everything outside it.

28 Mar. 2012 - El Shaddai

El Shaddai

Okay, for the curious, I'm starting a short study on the names given to God as a way of describing Him. El Shaddai, is the first on the list. Enjoy!

El Shaddai is one name under the "Elohim Group" as I call it. El is a generic name for God and the plural form, Elohim, denotes a position of honour to the bearer, i.e. God.

El Shaddai means "God Almighty" one example of this name for God being used occurs in Genesis 17:1-2 in which God established His covenant with Abram, instituting circumcision as a sign of the covenant and changing Abram's name to Abraham.

El Shaddai could also be translated as "the sovereign God", reflecting the same idea as above, illustrating God's rulership (sovereignty) over everything, particularly His sovereignty over Canaan, Abraham, the land, time, and more.

Our God is almighty God worthy of worship and devotion!

Apologies

Hey all,
Sorry for the complete lack of posts this past week. While I  have still been having my "Quiet Time", I have been running very short on time and have not been able to post my Devo Notes/Musings.

20 Mar. 2012 - Colossians 2:4-23

Colossians 2:4-23
"Christ Versus the Colossian Heresy"

Paul, here, is warning the Colossian church to avoid the world's arguments and philosophies. He does this in three steps:

1. Being aware of and not following the world's philosophies and beliefs.
2. Being aware of the salvation through the sacrifice of Christ.
3. Not allowing anyone to judge or discount you because of their false faith./beliefs

In this passage in its entirety, Paul goes into great depth about what Christ went through to bring you this salvation, laying down his own life in sacrifice for us. He goes even further, describing to us as having died with Christ, being washed free of sin, and receiving the righteousness given through the sacrifice of Christ.

17 Mar. 2012 - Colossians 1:1-8

Colossians 1:1-8
"Greetings" & "Thanksgiving"

Paul opens up this letter by giving thanks to God for the church at Colosse. What is the reason, however, that he is thankful?

Paul is thankful that the church has faith in God, shows love for one another, and stores hope in heaven. Paul is giving thanksgiving for faith, hope, and love. (side note: see 1 Cor 13:13) these three have appeared in numerous other accounts: fruit of the spirit, armor of God, the above verse.

Similarly, we need to be thankful for those around us who grow in their walk with Christ.
Plain and Simple

16 Mar 2012 - Genesis 59:1-26

Genesis 50:1-26

There are three main events that take place: Jacob's burial, the brothers' forgiveness, and Joseph's final requests.

Jacob's directions were followed to the letter - Pharaoh even gave Joseph time off to bury him.

The brothers began to realize that, with Jacob gone, there was nothing to prevent Joseph from exacting retribution. He didn't, though. He forgavethe brothers mercifully & kindly.

Lastly, Joseph asked that his body be taken to the promised land when the others and their descendants leave. He asked that he be dug up before they leave and later found.

15 Mar 2012 - Genesis 49:29-33

Genesis 49:29-33
"Jacob's Burial Instructions"

Here we see Jacob's last request: to be buried back in Canaan. The reason he gives is that his father, grandfather, wife (Leah - Rachel was buried elsewhere, earlier), mother, and grandmother are buried there.

There is, I think, another reason. I think another reason for this request would be a desire to be buried in the land promised to him and his descendants. He wanted to be in the centre of God's plan even after his death; that is how much he desired God towards the end of his life. As I mentioned before, though, this is only a speculative guess at another, unmentioned reason.

Still, we should be living looking towards God, seeking to be in the centre of His will and plans.

14 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 49:1-28

Genesis 49:1-28
"Jacob's Last Words"

Here, Jacob is blessing his sons with what verse 28 describes as a "suitable blessing". The odd thing is, each of these blessings or forecastings occurred. Weird, no? It goes to show how much God is outside of time and how much He works and directs our paths, even surrounding it.

He also spoke about their pasts when he gave the blessing and punished those necessary (Reuben, Simeon & Levi) with a fair punishment

13 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 48:13-22

Genesis 48:13-22
"Ephraim's Greater Blessing"

So, here we have an interesting, prophetic situation (well, I'm not sure whether to say prophetic or causative). Jacob is about to bless Manasseh & Ephraim (Manasseh is the elder of the two). Joseph lines them up such that Manasseh is on Jacob's right and Ephraim on his left. Then, Jacob goes and "messes things up", or at least in Joseph's eyes. Jacob crosses his arms and places his right hand on Ephraim and his left on Manasseh (The right hand is the hand of stronger blessing in this instance).

When asked why this was done, Jacob answered , saying that Ephraim would grow to be a greater, more populous nation. As to the prophetic/causative issue. I am not sure whether Jacob was foretelling Ephraim's future or whether he caused the more blessed future of Ephraim over Manasseh. Regardless, It is evident that God's hand was in play, guiding Jacob to say what he did in the manner he did.

12 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 48:1-12

Genesis 48:1-12
"Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh"

Jacob is relaying an important piece of information to Joseph in this passage. While at Luz, God had spoken to Jacob/Israel. Basically what was told to Jacob was that Joseph's two sons, Ephraim & Manasseh, were to be counted as Jacob's own sons with regard to the promise and Jacob's blessing. From this, as will be seen later on, we have the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh among the Israelites, despite the fact that they were Israel's grandsons, not his sons.

We see here an aspect of God's planning nature, His foreknowledge of what is to happen and what is the best way to enact that happening. We also see His provision and grace, blessing these two boys to a high honor.

11 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 47:27-31

Genesis 47:27-31
"Israel Settles in Goshen"

Israel has now settled into the land given them and Jacob makes a request of Joseph: He desires that when (not if) his descendants reach the promised land, that they would bury him there.

Jacob shows a large amount of trust in God and God's plan here. He remembers the promises of God and knows that He will follow through on His word. A fitting near-ending for one of the great patriarchs.

10 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 47:13-26

Genesis 47:13-26
"The Land Becomes Pharaoh's"

Okay, this passage is interesting. It is a historical account of how Joseph strengthened the office of Pharaoh in Egypt. Over the course of the famine years, the Egyptians use all their money buying food, then all their livestock, and then, finally, their land (with themselves as slaves). Joseph collects this for Pharaoh and essentially gives Pharaoh ownership of the entire land as well as the tax profit therefrom.

What relevance, however, does this have? Well, considering tat in the last passage, Pharaoh gave Jacob & Sons the land of Goshen, we must be wondering who owned the land he so glibly gave. well, Pharaoh did. Pharaoh owned the land and could therefore give it as he pleased withough compensating the evicted.

Isn't it interesting how God pulls strings to protect and provide for His people?

9 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 47:1-12

Genesis 47:1-12
"Pharaoh Welcomes Jacob"

Joseph introduced his father and some of his brothers to his boss, Pharaoh. Upon finding out that they were all herders, Pharaoh gave them some of the best grazing land, i.e. Goshen, and even requested that they look after his own flocks (the Egyptians were none too fond of shepherds or shepherding). So, Jacob and his sons received from Pharaoh the best land in the entirety of Egypt.

Additionally, when Jacob was meeting Pharaoh, the first thing he did was to bless Pharaoh. This probably set an interesting tone to the rest of their meeting, but there's something we could learn here. Jacob did not know Pharaoh, yet he knew that he [Pharaoh] had blessed Joseph through this job and position he had given him. We can give thanks to others and probably should give thanks to others by blessing and asking God to bless them. It doesn't matter if we know the person or even if we hate them, we should be blessing others, and I would say not just those who bless you, your family, or your friends either, but everyone.

After all, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matt 5:44

8 Mar. 2012 - Psalm 23

Psalm 23
"Shepherd's Psalm"

The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not be in want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters
He leads me in the path of righteousness
For His name's sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil for Thou art with me.
Thy rod and staff, they comfort me.

Thou hast prepared a table for me
In the presence of my enemies
Thou anoint my head with oil
My cup overflows
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

I just felt like spontaneously moving to a different passage for the day and this Psalm popped into my head. God, here, is both the protecting shepherd and the providing, blessing host. We see how much He loves His creation and how willing He is to bring us to follow Him. If everyone understood that, why are they not standing with us? So, we need to be spreading this message of the great shepherd, saviour, king.

7 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 46:28-34

Genesis 46:28-34
"Jacob Arrives in Egypt"

Firstly, sorry for the infrequent posts - I've had a lot of studying to do and not enough time to type out my devo notes.

Secondly, i'm not going to play catch up on the missed posts.

So, here we have Jacob and his sons all arriving in Egypt to live with Joseph. Now, there's a bit of a problem: where will they live? Joseph has a plan. He brings them into Goshen (the Nile Delta), which is some of the best land and tells them he is going to bring Pharaoh for them to meet. In the process, he also tells them, when Pharaoh asks about their occupations, to say they're shepherds and herdsmen (Egyptians found shepherds and herdsmen abhorrent). The plan is to repulse Pharaoh enough such that he will give them the land on which they're currently standing. If hat occurs, the soon-to-be Israelites would have just acquired, with Pharaoh's blessing, some of the best land in Egypt.

God wants the best for his people. We can see this in the reuniting of Joseph and Jacob as well as in the planning for the best land. God isn't going to settle for second best for His people. As Christians, Paul mentions in Romans that we have inherited the covenant of Abraham in our righteousness through faith in Christ (Romans 4). We, as Christians, are God's people, too. God wants to bless His people, so why don't we let Him?

5 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 46:1-7

Genesis 46:1-7
"Jacob Leaves for Egypt"

God reassures Jacob that He has the best plans in mind and that He'll be watching over and preparing Israel. He is planning on blessing and multiplying in their lives and the lives of their descendants.

So, we have many of you sitting still and people not fully understanding. God was going to protect the fledgling nation of Ishmael; it was stopped, though. God had plans and he mentioned the plans to Jacob, giving him peace and encouraging him to follow along God's way.

2 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 44:18-34

Genesis 44:18-34
"Judah's Plea for Benjamin"

Judah pleads with Joseph to allow him [Judah] to take Benjamin's place.

Here we can see that the brothers, or at least Judah, have matured. They're thinking selflessly, considering their father and the effect of their actions above their own desires. This is the model of selfless we need to follow, but, aside from that, It was very evident to Joseph that his brothers have grown and matured. Remember, Judah, the brother offering to trade himself, was the brother who sold Joseph into slavery to begin with. There is a remarkable growth and Joseph would have to be blind to see it.

There also seems to be, from Judah's part, a sense of remorse for selling Joseph and lying to Jacob, another indicator of maturity.

1 Mar. 2012 - Genesis 44:1-17

Genesis 44:1-17
"Joseph's Final Test"

Alright, so Joseph is setting up a final test to see if his brothers have truly changed. He creates a situation in which Benjamin is found guilty of theft and sentenced to serve Joseph as his slave (or killed). None of the others, though, "stole", so none of them need be his slave.

Joseph knows that Ben is the only other son from Rachel, the wife Jacob loved best. He also knew, therefore, that his father would be heartbroken should anything happen to him. So, he is testing his brothers to see if they have begun to put others before themselves. Think back to Genesis 37. The brothers were jealous of Joseph's attention, which is why they had him sold. Jealousy is a very self-centred action. Now, the brothers are in a situation, once again, where they have the opportunity to act selflessly and prove to Joseph that they have, indeed, changed.

29 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 43:15-34

Genesis 43:15-34
<caption not given - I'm reading from e-Sword>

Here we have Joseph playing a few more mind games. First, though, the brothers offer the money they found. Joseph refuses, saying He had received the money in full, it must have been a gift from God. After that, seeing that Benjamin was with them, Joseph released Simeon. they were then to eat with Joseph at his house (after Joseph composed himself - after seeing Benjamin and hearing of his father, he had to rush out and cry in his chambers). At the meal, the brothers were confused (this is what I meant by mind games). Joseph sat, as was Egyptian custom, apart from the Hebrew brothers. Despite that, he had arranged the brothers such that they were in order according to age and birthright - this is what confused and bewildered the brothers.

Joseph kept his word to the brothers. He really, truly wanted to see his brothers and hear word of his father. Also, Joseph didn't reveal himself yet because he had one last test for the brothers, this time involving Benjamin.

28 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 43:1-14

Genesis 43:1-14
"Decision to Return to Egypt"

The famine continues and Israel's family is forced to have to go back to Egypt to buy more grain. Unfortunately, in order for Joseph to see them (and thereby administer grain to them), they needed to bring Benjamin, the youngest and Rachel's only "living" son. Israel fights this, but caves in to necessity when Judah takes personal responsibility for his well being. They then bring extra money and gifts for Joseph.

You can see here another change in the brothers', especially Judah's, attitude. Judah was one of the ones to suggest killing Joseph and the instigator of the motion to sell him. Now, Judah is assuring his father of personal responsibility for Benjamin. Judah has grown up. He is more mature and he is wiser. Joseph will see this shortly as he tests the brothers this next time in Egypt.

27 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 42:27-38

Genesis 42:27-38
"The Brothers Return Home"

We have here the brothers returning home and Jacob's response to Joseph's request. We see the brothers' shock at seeing their money returned to them, but we also see Jacob's sorrow at the possible loss of Rachel's other son to this strange Egyptian. Coupled with the latter, we can see hoe the brothers have matured since Joseph's "death". They are now men, mature men who feel great remorse towards their actions. However, I want to say that their contrition is more out of recognition of what they put their father through, not so much conviction over their own sins. Tis, however, is not a theological fact, but a mere observation from a student.

The brothers' actions had consequences, some bad and others goof.

26 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 42:1-26

Genesis 42:1-26
"Joseph's Brothers in Egypt"

And now, the first [not-quite-so-happy] reunion. Joseph's brothers (the 10 older ones) are sent to buy grain from Egypt (and, unbeknownst to them, Joseph). Joseph recognizes them, but it's not reciprocated, so Joseph takes this opportunity to test and see if his brothers have changes during the years he'd been gone.

Joseph accuses them of being spies and requests the presence of the youngest brother (Benjamin, Rachel's other son). He asks for Ben as he knows that Ben would be the new favorite of his father and he is testing the other brothers to see if they feel remorse for what they did to him and what they did to their father.

Notice, though, that Joseph showed a fair degree of mercy towards his brothers. He allowed all but one to go back (conditions of the test) and he slipped the brothers' money into their grain bags.

What we see here is some possible mistrust and we see how the brothers have been affected by their rash actions. God had this all planned, though, to bring Joseph to provide for his family and eventually do something even more drastic for them.

25 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 41:46-57

Genesis 41:46-57
"Joseph's Administration"

We see right here the best example in resource management - stock up and save large amounts when it's plentiful so that when hard times come, you've got a comfortable buffer to last quite a while. That aside, though, we see how God used Joseph to be a blessing to Egypt as well as the surrounding lands.

God had crafted Joseph into a reliable tool, an individual wholly sold out to serving God and it was trough this tool that God worked, saving Egypt and, eventually, Joseph's father and brothers (i.e. the Israelites' forebears). God had a plan, one which He was revealing slowly to the one faithful to him and, because Joseph was faithful, God blessed him in his endeavours.

24 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 41:37-45

Genesis 41:37-45
"Joseph Exalted"

As the heading says, Joseph is exalted into a place of high authority - second only to Pharaoh. Why, though, did this happen?

Pharaoh, after hearing Joseph speak God's interpretation of his dreams, Pharaoh asked specifically for a man in whom God's spirit resided to run, plan and administer the plan Joseph had suggested in verses 33-36. Pharaoh then acknowledges God and the fact that God is present with Joseph as he appoints Joseph to this position.

God worked for Joseph's benefit, blessing him greatly. He also worked for His own benefit and, as you'll notice later, Israel's benefit. Still, I cannot get over the face that Pharao acknowledged God. Pretty cool, huh?

23 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 41:1-36

Genesis 41:1-36
"Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams"

Joseph was forgotten by the cupbearer until two years later when the Pharaoh had a dream no-one could interpret. the cupbearer remembered Joseph and Pharaoh sent for him.

In this passage, we can see two things:

1. God shows Himself as greater than the Egyptian magicians and gods.
2. Joseph acknowledges God before Pharaoh as the only one able to interpret dreams.

Looking at the second, first, we see Joseph's humility. He does not let the fact that he is before Pharaoh, the ruler, but he remains fixed upon the truth - that God, not Joseph, is able to interpret the dreams.

Second, looking at the first, We see God's sovereignty over all and His overarching Goal of introducing Himself to all peoples. We see God's sovereignty because no-one other than God, through Joseph, is able to interpret it (He sent it after all). We see God introduciing Himself through Joseph's acknowledgement and His actions.

22 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 40:1-23

Genesis 40:1-23
"Joseph Interprets Two Prisoners' Dreams"

So, Joseph interprets the dreams of two fellow inmates - the pharaoh's chief baker and chief cupbearer. Now, I actually don't want to spend time on the dreams and their meanings, but instead, I wish to look at the precluding conversation.

In Genesis 40:6-8, we see the setup for the issue at hand. Both officials realize that their dreams have meaning, but they're looking in the wrong place for an answer. Joseph, however, acknowledges God as the source of the dream & meaning and proceeds, through God, to give the meanings.

Okay, so how can  I apply this? Have you ever had a question or goal which you were unsure of its answer or outcome? God is the source of the answer. God is omniscient - He knows everything. It's a piece of cake for God to interpret a dream and have it come true. Likewise, it's as easy as child's play for God to give you an answer or confirm a goal. God even works through revelations, dreams, and visions on occasion. God is limitless and is therefore the perfect source for answers. (and strength, but that's another time)

21 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 39:21-23

Genesis 39:21-23
"Joseph in Prison"

Once again, Joseph has been thrown a curve ball. He is now a resident of the local prison. Interestingly enough, God blesses him in that situation such that he rises to a point of authority under the warden during his stay there. He oversaw the prisoners and the warden was left able to  relax while Joseph took care of everything. This is the second time God has turned a curse into a blessing for Joseph. Why? "The Lord was with him." Also, Joseph sought to honor God with his actions.

20 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 39:1-20

Genesis 39:1-20
"Joseph in Potiphar's House"

In the first half of this section, we see Joseph rising to prominence in the house of his master, Potiphar. We must note, though, that every time the Bible mentions Joseph's success or blessings, the Lord is I\in the same verse as the blesser or success-giver.

With promotions and responsibility come greater & stronger temptations to fall away. Joseph, when he was head over the whole household (under Potiphar, of course). While Potiphar was away, his wife began tempting Joseph, trying to seduce him. Eventually, his refusals were too much and she framed him, landing him in prison.

I'm sure Joseph was thinking something along the lines of "Why, God?"He had everything going for him (except slavery) and his master's wife had to go and ruin it. Great! Well, Joseph's actions were in accordance with God's word; plus, check out what Simon Peter has to say (1 Pet 2:12, 19-20).

My encouragement, then is do the Godly action, despite what may be thrown at you from out of nowhere.

19 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 38:1-30

Genesis 38:1-30
"Judah and Tamar"

Right here, we have the dysfunctional family atmosphere of Judah. Now, quickly, everything in this chapter occurs over the same period of time as does the rest of the Joseph story until the brothers meet again.

Judah's two older sons were married to Tamar and then killed by God for their evil (older first, then younger). After seeing this correlation, Judah dismisses her until his remaining son is older. A number of years pass and she realizes that Judah's not going to uphold his side of the deal, so she dresses as a prostitute, sleeps with Judah, and gets pregnant with twins.

We can see here the moral degeneration of Abraham's descendants. My Bible professor is of the mind that it is largely due to the corruptive influence of his Canaanite spouse. What can be pulled from the passage, though, I have no clue. It serves almost as a caution when choosing your or your son's wife - a caution to pick a woman who will respect and love God if she does not already.

16 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 37:12-36

Genesis 37:12-36
"Joseph Sold into Slavery"

Basically we have a plot by the lesser-favored sons to kill the favored son. One of the brothers, Reuben, (thinking to rescue him later) debates with the others, convincing them to abandon Joseph in a pit. Meanwhile, Judah convinces them, except the non-present Reuben, to sell Joseph to some traders and deceive their father. When Reuben returns, he is distraught and when they return home, Jacob is distraught.

Most people spend their time looking at Joseph, but I want to take a look at Reuben. While he may have been fed up with Joseph and his antics, Reuben realized that killing him would serve no good; it would pain his father greatly. Therefore, Reuben took action and, with the intent to rescue Joseph, convinces them to lessen the action. Reuben acted to save his brother's life. Not because he was enamored with Joseph or his dreams. In fact, we find, in the previous section, that all the brothers found his dreams irritating. Reuben did it for his father.

In a similar manner, we need to be like Reuben. We need to be saving lives, not from their brothers, but from the clutches of the demons and not for our earthly fathers, but for our heavenly father.

17 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 37:1-11

Genesis 37:1-11
"Joseph's Dreams"

Here, we have young Joseph. I'd have to agree with my OT professor in that at his age (~17), he was a bit of a schmuck. Firstly, he was the favored son (and that went to the head, I'm sure), he played the snitch n his brothers, and he spoke about visions he had in which his parents and brothers were bowing to him. (The last would prove true, but the manner in which it was announced was not endearing.)

That being said, Joseph's dreams, both the wheat one and the sun, moon, and stars one, would eventually come true. It is evident, then, that God had a plan lined up for Joseph - and Joseph was still a teenager! This passage overall, though is basically an introduction to Joseph, gives us an insight to his starting character and some of the plans God has for Joseph.

16 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 31-43

Genesis 36:31-43
"Rulers of Edom"

This, here, is not a genealogy so much as a list of rulers. From what I read, the author links these men to Esau's descendants at the end of the passage. Although, there is mention of a Temanite (Teman is one of the descendants of Esau and a clan chief of Edom). Right there, we have a link tying all three together. Not quite what I was expecting, but I surmise that the point of these last three passages is not to name or list, but to establish the origins of Edom as stemming from the same root as Israel while showing them as distinct difference between the two and using them as an evangelistic opportunity.

15 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 36:20-30

Genesis 36:20-30
"Seir's Family"

We see here the family tree of Esau's wife Oholibamah. We are shown, then, the relation of Esau's line (Edom) with that of the Horites. These people lived around Mt. Seir, which is where Esau and his family was settling and would eventually overrun as Edom. Like last night, this is also a mass amount of genealogies and so, I have very little clue where this passage is going and to what point it is leading us, but hopefully tomorrow will provide the answer.

14 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 36:1-19

Genesis 36:1-19
"Esau's Family"

Here, God spends a good deal of time delving into Esau's descendants. It is, after all, probably the last time we'll see Esau in Genesis, so this is a sort of closing postscript for him. We can see in the genealogies the beginnings of a clan/tribal nation (Edom) forming. It could be that certain descendants become critical or it might not be. What I do know is that God does not do anything for no reason. Therefore, there is a reason to this family tree being shown.

My [limited] insight? God is preparing for a larger point.

13 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 35:27-29

Genesis 35:27-29
"Isaac's Death"

After Jacob made it all the way home and after a number of years, Isaac passed away at 180 years old. All it says of him is that he took his last breath, passed and died. For a patriarch, that's pretty stark, but then let's look at his life.

Isaac didn't really display much of the rock-hard faith of his father, not did he have the amazing experiences of his son and grandson. Isaac was, for much of his story, a background character. This I find a pity. Here we have one of the Jewish patriarchs living and passing nondescriptly. He saw God work in his father's testimony, he spoke to God, he probably even had the chance to hear of the miraculous occurrences surrounding Jacob, yet he fades into relative anonymity. Why?

That leads me to a very good question; how deep, how firm was his relationship with God? That, after all, makes the difference. God can do the greatest with the smallest, but a life lived in a lukewarm state is anything but conducive to a good relationship with God. So, let's learn from Isaac and step up..

12 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 35:21-26

Genesis 35:21-26
"Israel's Sons"

Here, we have two things happening, the first is a story of Reuben sleeping with his father's concubine, Bilhah (mother of two of his brothers). The second is a list of all the sons of Israel.

For the first, I think that we're told this sin in advance to help our understanding of what is possibly to come to Reuben.

For the second, once again can we see God as a creator, infinitely perfect and able to craft many beautiful things. It is not, however, the intent of the list, I believe, to show this, but rather to show another characteristic of god, His orderliness and attention to details.

10 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 35:16-20

Genesis 35:16-20
"Rachel's Death"

Rachel has now died in childbirth, bearing Jacob/Israel's last son. She named him, with her dying breath, Ben-oni (Son of my sorrow), but Jacob then renamed him Benjamin (Son of my right hand). In this renaming as well as marking and memorializing her tomb near what would become Bethlehem, we see Jacob honoring his now deceased wife.

We aren't given much detail on how Jacob handled his grief, but we do see his methods by which he honored his wife. We will also see, later, how Jacob treated the sons of his dead wife. Most important, though, is the lack of apparent diverging from God's plans. Jacob realized that God had a bigger plan and put his trust in Him, despite the emotional trials he had just withstood.

9 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 35:1-15

Genesis 35:1-15
"Return to Bethel"

Here, we have Jacob returning to the place at which God had originally spoken to him. He prepares himself and prepares his family for this part of the journey through getting rid of any idols and purifying himself and themselves. They honored God and God protected them. God came and renewed the covenant to Jacob's forefathers with Jacob and promising it for his descendants.

What struck me about this passage, though, is the degree to which everyone prepares to meet God. I look at this and I look at Christians today and I see so many Christians taking God for granted; after all, God is their buddy on speed dial, right? Jacob had a deep reverence for God. He respected and revered Him and thus he wanted to give to God the best offering he could - a pure heart, not distracted by any thing, solely focused on God. Not just did he offer his heart, bu Jacob had the entire family purify themselves for God's presence. He presented the whole family as an offering, not just his own life.

Let us not take God for granted. Let us not forget that despite our relationship with him, God is still God and he is deserving of our respect, humility, worship, fear, adoration and the list continues. So, here's my challenge: approach God not as one meets a friend, but as one meets a king... over all other kings.

8 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 34:1-31

Genesis 34:1-31
"Dinah Defiled"

Here, we have a lesson in anger, anger management, and making decisions while angered. Dinah, the daughter of Leah, was raped by a young man from a nearby town. The young man became infatuatedly obsessed (or perhaps, obsessively infatuated) and offered, no, forced his father to offer for him to marry Dinah.

Needless to say, this did not go down well with her brothers, who made a deal they did not intend to keep. They agreed on the condition that the young man, his father, and the townsfolk become circumcised. They agreed and, after a few days, when the entirety of the town was laid out from pain, Simeon and Levi massacred the town.

So, were the brothers right to be angry? Of course. If I found out someone had raped my sister, I'd be scrounging up money for the first flight home just so I could deal with the blighter.

Were the brothers right in how they dealt with the issue? No. That being said, I have no clue what the correct course of action would have been. I can guess at prayer and refusal of the marriage being two key components of the correct response, but I cannot say for sure. What we do have, though, is Abraham giving his sons a verbal lashing afterwards, after all, Simeon and Levi did bring trouble on him, making him a less attractive prospect to the surrounding, more numerous peoples.

Where does this leave us? something we can glean from this passage is advice against angered decision-making. The brothers were rash in their decision-making because they were angry. They did not pray not did they sit and think wisely about plans and repercussions. They acted impulsively out of anger, which led them to murdering a whole town - not exactly righteous behaviour. So, if you are in an Irate state, take time to calm down and pray before making decisions. Otherwise, you might just find yourself with a massacre on your hands.

7 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 33:1-20

Genesis 33:1-20
"Jacob Meets Esau"

Remember the meeting about which Jacob had been furiously worrying? That's this one.
Interestingly enough, Esau was, to Jacob's, er, Israel's, astonishment, not angry with him; in fact, Esau accepted him.

In this image, we have a presentation of the nature of forgiveness, setting behind what was of the past and focusing on what is and will be. (forgiveness is more than simply this, I know).

6 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 32:24-32

Genesis 32:24-32
"Jacob Wrestles with God"

Here, we have Jacob's renaming after he wrestled with a mysterious man. It's interesting how this renaming comes right after he's left Laban and before he's about to face Esau and enter again the land promised to him.

It is at this moment, before Jacob re-enters the land promised to his descendants, that the Lord comes and meets with him. He changed his name from one meaning "deceiver" to one meaning "struggles with God" and, if you think about it, the name is slightly prophetic and very descriptive of the Israelites, showing God's wisdom and foreknowledge as well as his mercy and grace in being willing to deal with them despite their disposition.

4 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 32:1-23

Genesis 32:1-23
"Preparing to Meet  Esau"

Here, we have a very nervous Jacob seeking to make right with his brother. He sends a runner ahead to meet Esau (who then returns Saying Esau is on his way, accompanied by 400 men), he split the party to keep them safe, he prayed, and he prepared a gift for Esau.

In this passage, we see a mixture of fear and contrition from Jacob towards Esau. He is afraid because of Esau's last reaction to him and the fact that he is accompanied by 400 men. He is also stricken with contrition for putting Esau through pain and denying him both birthright and blessing.

Looking at Jacob's reactions, though,, one could reach the conclusion that Jacob's walk with God wasn't as strong as, say, Abraham. Abraham would very likely have put seeking god highest on the list with the rest following afterwords. I can't say what I'd do, not having been in the same situation, but I can say with whom you should be spending quality time and I can give instructions as to how it must be done. With godly people/council and by spending time daily in the word of God.

3 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 31:36-55

Genesis 31:36-55
"Jacob's Covenant with Laban"

Here, we have Jacob and Laban resolving their differences. Laban, having found no substance to his charges, is now facing the returning declaration from Jacob, proclaiming and protesting his faithfulness in work and in conduct.

Having aired their differences, the two men maturely decided to resolve the conflict with a covenant towards each other. Laban holding Jacob to care for his daughters and both holding each other to their respective lands. They then shared a meal (a sign of peace) and Laban left after greeting his grandchildren.

Here, we have a marvelous example of conflict resolution. Now, it may seem a slightly childish shouting match at first, with accusations from the previous sections flying, but looking at the way the two men resolved the issue is the goal. Both men aired their differences, set up a witness, and made a covenant keeping each other accountable for their respective issues. That is a model for us, as Christians, to follow in conflict resolution.

2 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 31:22-35

Genesis 31:22-35
"Laban Overtakes Jacob"

So, you could say that Laban was a little ticked at Jacob's sudden disappearance. After all, Laban had not a chance to send his daughters and grandchildren off. Also, he was a bit peeved that Jacob had presumably stolen his household idols (It was actually Rachel).

God came to Laban right before he caught up with Jacob and told him not to speak good or ill to Jacob, so Laban refrained from giving Jacob some stern punishment.

When the issue of the idols arises, Jacob swears that no one had stolen them and that whoever had them would be terminally punished (i.e. killed). Well, unbeknownst to him, Rachel had them. When Laban came, she put them in a camel's saddlebags and sat on them, claiming "that time of the month" as a reason for her to not get up and let him search the bags.

So, we have the plot thickening. Exactly what will happen between Jacob and Laban? God has already intervened in warning Laban not to harm Jacob, how will He next provide for Jacob? Yes, God loves and cares for Jacob, but, at this point, Jacob is in the thick of a royal mess and there seems to be no upcoming intervention.

I guess we can take away ffrom this passage a warning against deceit. We have two different deceptions that have taken place. One has been exposed, but the other just got buried deeper. The best way to avoid this type of trouble is to be honest and truthful in your dealings.

1 Feb. 2012 - Genesis 31:1-21

Genesis 31:1-21
"Jacob Separates from Laban"

Things have begun to turn sour. The wages Laban has promised to pay Jacob are looking better than the sheep with which he is left. Rumors had begun to spread regarding Jacob, that he was essentially stealing from Laban.

It was at this point that the Lord appeared to Jacob, telling him to go back home (i.e. the land of the promise). We also find out, in Jacob's retelling of prior events, that God has been blessing Jacob with the flocks, bringing together a large, strong, healthy flock for him to take (his wage was all the speckled/spotted/dark-colored sheep). In the same retelling, God revealed himself to Jacob as the God to whom he had made the vow at Bethel (Gen. 28:20-22). Essentially, God was gathering him back into the lands for his descendants.

Jacob, however, makes two mistakes as he leaves:

• He sneaks out, not telling Laban he's gone.
• He doesn't pay attention to Rachel, who then steals Laban's household idols.

God will provide and God will hold you to your promises. that being said, when following God's instruction, do not sin or offend others in the process. As we will see soon, there are repercussions.

31 Jan. 2012 Genesis 30:25-43

Genesis 30:25-43
"Jacob's Flocks Multiply"

Jacob is now itching to be home again and so he asks Laban to allow him to leave. Laban agrees and offers him payment due for the work he'd done as Laban's shepherd. While at first Jacob refuses, he eventually gives in to pressure and he and Laban set a price -a specific group of Laban's sheep. The initial group isn't large, but, over time, Jacob takes that flock and breeds it stronger than Laban's.

Par of the reason Laban wanted to pay Jacob was because he could see that God was blessing Jacob and, by extension, Laban. Later in the passage, we see Jacob having a stronger flock than Laban's. God was with him and He blessed his work.

God blesses those who serve and obey Him

30 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 29:31-30:24

Genesis 29:31-30:24
"Jacob's Sons"

Here we have an accounting of the sons of Jacob. I find it interesting some of the dynamics between Rachel and Leah. Quickly, the tallies (in this passage) are:

• Leah: 4 (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah)
• Bilhah (Rachel's slave): 2 (Dan, Naphtali)
• Zilpah (Leah's slave): 2 (Gad, Asher)
• Leah: 2 (Issachar, Zebulun)
• Rachel: 1 (Joseph)

Firstly, you'll notice that Jacob had children with his wife's slaves. In those times, from my understanding, if a woman could not conceive, she would offer her slave as a surrogate.

Secondly, which wife did Jacob love most?
Rachel.

Then why does Leah have more children?
Because Rachel was loved more than Leah, God closed Rachel's womb and allowed Leah to have more children. For Leah, having children was a way by which she sought attention from her husband. Rachel was not to be outdone, hence the offering of her slave and Leah then followed suit.

Leah's second set of children, interestingly enough, developed from an arrangement worked out by Rachel and Leah regarding Rachel wanting some food that Reuben, Leah's son, had harvested.

God eventually opened Rachel's womb again so she could have a son for Jacob. It seems as if God were saying to her "all right, you've dealt enough with this".

What can we take away from this? Well, if anything, we can easily see the degree to which polygamy is unwise. Just look at the competition between the two sisters. They grew envious of each other, one for the attention and one for the children. Additionally, imagine Jacob being caught in the midst of this. God initially sanctioned marriage as monogamous in Genesis 2. Here  He shows why we should stick with it.

29 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 29:13-30

Genesis 29:13-30
"Jacob Deceived"

Well, Jacob had the table of his own game turn on him. Where, in the past, Jacob was the one who deceived, now he is the one deceived. Jacob, in love with Laban's daughter Rachel, offers to work for 7 years for her. At the end of the 7 years, Laban, unbeknownst to Jacob, actually gives his elder daughter, Leah, to Jacob. Peeved, Jacob then works another 7 years to marry Rachel.

Now, Laban gave as an excuse the local custom of marrying off the elder daughter before the younger. This having of two wives (and their slaves) was a major contributing factor to the 12 tribes of Israel.

Additionally, my OT textbook (Hill & Walton, A Brief Survey of the Old Testament) uses this incident as punishment for Jacob's earlier deceptions. It's a possibility and I don't know enough to say "right" or "wrong".

28 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 29:1-12

Genesis 29:1-12
"Jacob Meets Rachel"

This seems to be following the "Well Story" format. I don't know if you've noticed, but many ancient biblical figures (Isaac [by proxy] and Moses, to name two. Jesus' meeting with the Samaritan woman, in John 4, also follows a similar pattern, but with a twist) met their wives at a well. There'd be a well, the man would approach, solve a problem or ask a question, the woman would respond.

Here, we have Jacob coming upon a well with a large stone over it. Nearby the well were shepherds. They were in the process of watering the sheep, but they needed to gather the sheep and move the stone. Well, Jacob spies Rachel (who was a shepherdess) in the distance and quickly moves the stone.

The reason I mentioned the whole "Well Story" thing is to show, not that there's some fictional, cultural pattern going on, but that sometimes God works in similar ways to make a point (eg: the creation story [light, sea/air, land/plants; and sun/moon/stars, fish/birds, animals/man]). Sometimes, He does the opposite, but for exactly the same reason (eg: Jesus' different healings of blind men). The point I'm trying to make, though, is that God's putting Jacob in a select group of individuals who would be significant to the Israelites and this is His way of showing us that.

27 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 28:10-22

Genesis 28:10-22
"Jacob at Bethel"

In a nutshell, God appeared to Jacob.

In a more expanded version, God appeared to Jacob in a dream during his [Jacob's] trip to Laban's house. God announced Himself and made to Jacob the same promises He made to Isaac before him and Abraham before him.

• That God will give his descendants "this land"
• That God will make his descendants numerous
• That all people forever and where on earth would be blessed through his descendants

God also made an additional promise to Jacob: that He would bring Jacob back to what would be the promised land and would watch over him until He had done what was promised.

Jacob, in response, built a marker, renamed the area in which he was sleeping, and made a vow to God that if He would be with, watch over, provide for, and ensure a safe return for Jacob, then would Jacob accept God as his Lord.

Here we have again, to no lack of significance, the repetition of the Abrahamic covenant, marking each of the three as key figures to whom the promise was made and would be fulfilled, not through Lot, not through Ishmael, not through Esau, but through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

26 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 28:1-9

Genesis 28:1-9
"Jacob's Departure"

Here we have Jacob's sending-off, but there's more going on here than just the farewells and blessings.

Isaac sends Jacob off with advice, a command and a blessing. He suggests that Jacob visit his uncle Laban's house (which is where Rebekah also told him to go). The command is tied to this action, as Isaac tells Jacob to marry within the family, particularly one of Laban's daughters. The blessing he gives, then, is for the continuation of God's promise to rest on Jacob.

Additionally, we have Esau listening and internalizing everything. He noticed that Isaac explicitly told Jacob not to marry a Canaanite. Rightly discerning that his father did not approve of his wives, he also married family; he married one of Ishmael's daughters, one of his half-cousins.

I find it interesting how, once again, Abraham's descendant's wife comes from his homeland and family. What extra purpose or meaning might be there, I don't know. I do feel, though, that there was a reason, aside from distaste, for Jacob being dissuaded from marrying a Canaanite (after all, Abraham made the same wish regarding Isaac's wife). I think this aversion stems from the worship of the Canaanites of other gods. Additionally, the Israelites, when returning to the promised land, are commanded not to marry a Canaanite woman, too.

25 Jan 2012 - Genesis 27:41-46

Genesis 27:41-46
"Esau's Anger"

Esau, understandably irate, was threatening to kill Jacob. Upon hearing this, Rebekah, his mother began to make plans for Jacob to leave and stay with her brother, Laban. Rebekah also makes a side remark to Isaac, hoping he [Jacob] does not marry a Hittite woman (Esau was married to two, but as was previously stated, they made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah)

Jacob is reaping the consequences of his actions. He stole his brother's birthright, which got to Esau, sparking him into a rage. Note that later on, we'll see just how long it took before Jacob would come near Esau again. Also, we have mom unwittingly playing a matchmaker.

24 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 27:30-40

Genesis 27:30-40
"The Stolen Blessing" (pt. 2)

Here we have Esau come on to the scene (for pt. 1, click here). It is at this point when both Isaac and Esau realize they have been tricked by Jacob. Now, Jacob had stolen both Esau's birthright AND his blessing.

Just to clarify things a little bit, if you read further along in the passage, you will see some of the implications of Jacob receiving the blessing. Jacob will inherit the family "home" and, due to the blessing itself, Jacob would have his relatives subservient to him.

In response, Esau cried out for a blessing. So, Isaac gave him all he could. The blessing was a rough one, promising hardships, servitude and quarrel, but it also promised that one day that yoke of servitude would be broken and Esau would be free of Jacob.

23 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 27:1-29

Genesis 27:1-29
"The Stolen Blessing" (pt. 1)

okay, so this segment (both parts) serves to fulfill the prophecy given to Rachel in Genesis 25:23. In the past, (I'd always wondered why it was that Rebekah helped Jacob in his deception, even prompting it.) Add to this the fact that Esau had sold his birthright, Jacob was supposed to be the one receiving, anyway. Conversely, Isaac had no knowledge of the prophecy and birthright trade and Esau conveniently forgot about the trade.

As we read in the passage, we can see that Jacob effectively stole the blessing due Esau, which, in a sense, belonged to Jacob anyway. So, this brings me to my final point: the end goal for Jacob was achieved, but it was achieved through somewhat questionable means. There could have been many better ways in which this could have been replicated differently, avoiding later conflict.

22 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:34-35

Genesis 26:34-35
"Esau's Wives"

In case you're wondering "Why only two verses?", I will explain. I do my devotionals per heading, so sometimes I have a massive passage, which I might split up, or sometimes (i.e Genesis 24 pt. 1 & pt. 2) I might have a really short passage, like today.

Essentially, this passage names the two wives of Esau and how they made life difficult for his parents. Why, it doesn't say. It could be because they were not from the homeland of Esau's grandfather, Abraham; it could be that they were two remarkably pleasant young ladies; or it could be due to a completely different reason.

I looked back in the Bible, at earlier chapters, and found nothing that might indicate a reason for such a poor in-law relationship.

There are still, though, some morsels that may be gleaned:

• When marrying someone, it helps greatly if your fiancé/fianceé gets along well with your family.
• Don't marry more than one spouse. The way the passage is written it seems to suggest that that may be a factor in the conflict.

21 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:26-33

Genesis 26:26-33
"Covenant with Abimelech"

Here, Abimelech, again, acknowledges God. He remarks on the blessings God has bestowed on Isaac and (partly out of fear of annihilation) proposes a peace treaty between them. Note that Abimelech also takes some credit for the change in amount of blessings poured out on Isaac. He claimed that his sending-out of Isaac allowed him to come closer to God.

Nevertheless, Abimelech and Isaac formed their peace treaty of of non-aggression after which God blessed Isaac yet again by pointing out to them a new well. God's blessing was with them and Isaac then named the well, a reminder of the peace treaty.

20 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:23-25

Genesis 26:23-25
"The Lord Appears to Isaac"

This passage is a fairly straightforward passage. Here we have God coming to Isaac and reaffirming the covenant He had with Abraham with Isaac. Note that in v. 24, after God has told Isaac of the blessings that will be brought to him, that all of this is due to his father. God is blessing Isaac because of the covenant made to Abraham (after all, Isaac is the son of Abraham through which God's grace would come.

Then, look at v. 25 for Isaac's response: he built an altar and worshiped God. He set the place as a reminder of the covenant which God renewed to him.

19 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:12-22

Genesis 26:12-22
"Conflicts over Wells"

God blessed Isaac. In fact, He blessed him so much that the Philistines, and even their king, were getting a little envious. So, they filled in all the wells Abraham had dug, forcing Isaac to move elsewhere in search for water in the Valley of Gerar, where he was fought away from two of his father's wells before settling at the third well.

What exactly is there to learn from this story? (aside from envy makes good people do dumb things)
Well. we can see God's hand at work. Isaac needed large tracts of land for his livestock and he would have preferred one that was peaceful. Well, I'd say, the way everything worked out for Isaac, God had definitely provided for him, giving him land he needs and a source of fresh water).

It is interesting to note, though, that Isaac did not pray throughout the situation, praying only when the new well was found.

After that, Isaac says of his new land that they would be fruitful in the new land.

18 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:7-11

Genesis 26:7-11
"Isaac's Deception"

Well, like father, like son. Isaac has just repeated the same my-wife-is-my-sister routine that Abraham often used. It's funny, you'd think any of them would have realized this after the first time Abraham tried it.

This time, it's king Abimelech, who remembers what God had told him regarding Abraham's wife and is now in the same boat. It can be said, though, that both he [Abimelech] and Isaac had a good attitudes towards each other, which could be seen in Abimelech's more moderate reaction to Rebekah being Isaac's wife. Abimelech's reaction also shows that he still acknowledges the majesty of God and His sovereignty.

What is it, though with Abraham and Isaac's convention that we could discourage? Well, the big problem is trust. This deception says to God, "You're not enough". They acted out of fear, not faith and that is where they began hitting trouble.

17 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 26:1-6

Genesis 26:1-6
"The Promise Reaffirmed to Isaac"

Once again in the midst of a famine, Isaac decided to go towards Egypt, like his father did. God, however, had him stay in Canaan where He [God] reaffirmed Abraham's covenant to Isaac, making mention of the large number of nations coming from his bloodline.

What does the reaffirmation show? Could it be showing Isaac that God keeps his word and has an overarching plan in store for His people-to-be? would even go so far as to say that God was mildly, if no wholly, excited to have picked the lineage through which the savior would be traced.

Again, another reminder that God keeps His work, yet works at hisown pace.

16 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 25:27-34

Genesis 25:27-34
"Esau Sells His Birthright"

Alright, yesterday, we saw God saying, regarding Jacob and Esau, that the older, Esau, would serve the younger. Today's passage illustrates the vehicle by which the word of God is affirmed and all but realized.

In this passage, we have the older selling his birthright to the younger. Now birthright was a big deal. It encompassed much of the family estate and the assuming the power of family head after the current head passed away. Esau, then was in line for the birthright of Isaac and that which Isaac had received was the birthright of Abraham. Now, I may be stretching this a bit, but, part of the birthright was the covenant god made to Abraham.

Notice, then that Esau, and thus Edom, would have received God's promise. Therefore, a little intervention would be needed to fulfill God's word and to start the foundations of a faithful, chosen people. To do this, Jacob had to be greater. He had to receive the birthright. No birthright,  no full force of the promise. Yes, Edom did develop into a fairly large power, but it was not through Esau's line that Christ came, but Jacob's. So, Jacob had to be made heir to receive the promise.

15 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 25:19-26

Genesis 25:19-26
"The Birth of Jacob and Esau"

Introducing Jacob and Esau! Something I hadn't noticed before was that Rebekah, like Sarah, was childless (some translations say "barren") and Isaac prayed to God asking for children. we seem to have here a sense of parallelism. What that symbolises, if anything, I don't know.

Additionally, we have a forecasting of Edom and Israel's future conflicts through the intrauterine fighting of the two nations' progenitors. God even mentions to Rebekah when she asks about it that two nations will descend and that the older (Esau -> Edom) would serve the younger (Jacob -> Israel). Cool thing is, though, if you look later on in the Bible, you can see this play out in history.

14 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 25:12-18

Genesis 25:12-18
"Ishmael's Family Records"

Here we have a seemingly random account of Ishmael's family. The only thing is, it's not random. In fact, it serves to show God's faithfulness and trustworthiness.

The first showing of God's faithfulness is the size of Ishmael's descendants - he had 12 sons who then went on to father and found 12 villages with each descended from one of the sons. This was in accordance with God's word to Abraham (Genesis 21:13). God made Ishmael into a nation as He promised.

The second showing is the manner by which Ishmael lived. This passage, in v. 18 says that Ishmael lived "in opposition" with his brothers. Funny that, God mentioned to Hagar that this would be the case (Genesis 16:12).

God kept His word, even when it concerned a side-son who would never be the heir to His plans and whose descendants would antagonize those of Isaac. God kept His word because He is perfect, He is righteous, and He is holy. There's more to the reason than that, but suffice it to say that God id God.

13 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 25:7-11

Genesis 25:7-11
"Abraham's Death"

Here we are at the concluding passages of Abraham's story. It says that Abraham died old and contented. What was it, though, that made him content?

It was God.

Abraham walked with God. He followed God wherever He told him to go. God made a covenant with him and his descendants. God brought contentment into Abraham's life.

How does God bring contentment? Well, let's look at the meaning of "content" (Defn. 2). Two sub definitions that stand out are "Desiring no more than what one man has," and "Ready to accept or acquiesce." If you were to look at Abraham's life, you would see that these definitions are displayed on multiple occasions.

Back to God bringing contentment, God brings contentment (in the first manner) through the fullness of His character and the reality of His relationship with Abraham. God also brings contentment through us obeying Him and His direction. After all, an omniscient, -potent, and -present God would surely know and have planned the specific direction and plan prepared for each of us. So it's fairly obvious that only God can provide that "perfect fit" that brings contentment with possessions and direction.

10 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 24:28-67

Genesis 24:28-67
"A Wife for Isaac" (pt. 2)

Here, Abraham's servant formally asks the permission of Rebekah's family for her to be married. He does this by accurately retelling the events leading up to and the details of their meeting. Note the respectful manner and honesty given to Rebekah's family. It is that type of respect, trustworthiness and honor that, I am sure, most fathers would like to see in their daughter's suitors.

Additionally, the servant made constant mention of how the Lord directed his search (I would not recommend lying about God's direction, before anyone gets any ideas); he mentioned the Lord 5 times during his recounting of events (v. 40-49). He showed his faith in God during the search in his reliance on Him, his manner of turning to Him for assistance, and his worshiping of Him after finding Rebekah. Rebekah's family, in seeing that God had picked her out for Isaac, then allowed her to be married, which, when they arrived back at Abraham's site, they did.

This passage, then is a lesson of two (these are not the only two, but merely the two that have been highlighted here) facets. The first is more obvious, how talk to your prospective wife's family. A greater, deeper meaning, though would be the servant's remembrance and praising of God.

9 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 24:1-27

Genesis 24:1-27
"A Wife for Isaac" (pt. 1)

Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Abraham, but he was rather particular: she must be from his homeland, not Canaan, and she must be a relative. Abraham then made his servant take an oath to fulfill his will.

The servant then went to Abraham's homeland and began to search for the right girl. The first two things he did were to find himself a good position and pray. He prayed for a specific sign from God that would show him which girl was the one whom Isaac was to marry. He had barely finished praying when a girl appeared near him, at the well. He went to speak to her, according to the sign he asked God to provide, waiting for the other half of the sign, which God provided. Immediately, he gave her gifts and asked if there was room in her father's house for him to stay for the night before returning to Abraham. In affirming that, she gave her father's name, which the servant recognized as the son of his master's brother.

Right here, God provided and answered 3 requests:

1. From Abraham's homeland
2. From Abraham's family
3. Giving a sign that she would be the one

It is very easy to see God's hand working here, bringing all the requests together to highlight this one girl, Rebekah. God is not aloof from His creation. He cares for us and for our needs and burdens, so offer them up yo God.

8 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 23:1-20

Genesis 23:1-20
(no title, E-Sword gives no subtitles)

Here we see an example of the effect of one's testimony. Abraham has a reputation of Godliness amongst the neighbouring Hittites. Thus, when Sarah died and it came tie to bury her, the Hittites were more than willing not only to sell, but to give Abraham a plot of land on which to bury Sarah. Now, I'm not saying that a godly testimony will mean everything will go your way, but when you stand with that sort of godliness and integrity, you'll find that you'll gain the respect of others around you.

Notice also how Abraham, when offered the field for free still insisted on paying the full price. This is an example to follow in conducting yourself in a godly manner. Even though his reputation was bearing fruit and paying off, Abraham insisted on maintaining the same witness he had displayed up through that point. Abraham did not compromise his testimony in any way through how he handled the gifts given to him.

Lastly, you can see a good model for making agreements - have many witnesses to hold you to your word and to give assurance of your actions.

7 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 22:20-24

Genesis 22:20-24
"Rebekah's Family"

Here, we have a foreshadowing of what is to come. We are told of Abraham's brother to whom was born 6 sons and 2 grandchildren of note: Aram and Rebekah. What is the foreshadowing? This very same Rebekah would become the wife of Isaac (Gen. 24:15).

From what I can see here, our God is a God who pays attention to details. God had a woman in mind for Isaac, so He began preparing for her before Isaac was born. I find it significant, in this manner, that the details of Rebekah's family come before the marriage of Isaac, even to the point of having another part of the story in between them.

Kinda gives some extra credence to the "God has a plan for your life" statements in the Bible.

6 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 22:1-19

Genesis 22:1-19
"The Sacrifice of Isaac"

For most Christians, this is a familiar story they've heard many times, especially of they went to "Sunday School" at a church, but for everyone's sake, I'll briefly recap the story:

1. God tells Abraham to take Isaac, his only son, and make of him a sacrifice to God.
2. Abraham gathers his servants, wood, and his son.
3. Abraham leaves to a specific mountain in Moriah.
4. Abraham prepares the altar and ties Isaac down.
5. Just before Abraham sacrifices Isaac, an Angel stops him.
6. God provides a ram for the sacrifice.
7. God blesses Abraham.

Something interesting, though, is that despite God telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham has faith that God will provide a different sacrifice (v. 7-8). Despite what he had been told by God, Abraham knew God well enough to have faith that another sacrifice would be provided. Think about that. How well do you have to know someone to obey an out-of-character command and have faith that good will come out of it?

As I read this passage, I begin to think that maybe this test, as it were, was not so much for God's benefit (He already knew Abraham's faith) nor for Abraham's benefit (largely, there was, however, a degree of self-realization with priorities, though), but for Isaac. During the course of this test, Abraham showed tremendous faith in God and God showed mercy, provision, protection and blessing towards Abraham and Isaac. For a young man such as Isaac, this could very easily have been a moment in which he saw God personally and learned how to respond to Him. Therefore, I am of the mind to say to every parent, and to myself as I will one day hopefully be a parent, "Wear your faith on your sleeve. Wear it honestly, but remember, your children will learn from your example. Don't hide it, though, for kids can easily see through such deceptions."

5 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 21:22-34

Genesis 21:22-34
"Abraham's Covenant with Abimelech"

Abimelech came to Abraham acknowledging God. He acknowledged God's power as displayed through Abraham's life. I think, though, that Abimelech was becoming fearful of Abraham, then because of the request he had. Abimelech asked Abraham to swear to not break agreements with Abimelech or his descendants.

Wisely, Abraham did not let that request be the only tie. Abraham made a counter-request, asking a favor of Abimelech. The two of them then settled the agreement and made a formal covenant with a witness.

Right here, we see an example for relationships whether they be family, romantic, work, or other relationships. Relationships are not meant to be all give-take, but rather give/take-give/take. Abraham turned a one-sided request into a mutual agreement. They ended up facing each other as equals, not one higher than the other due to owed obligations. In the same manner, keep your debts and obligations balanced, not one-sided.

We can even apply this to our relationship with God. We should not have a relationship of asking and asking God for stuff, but one of serving Him in response to that with which He has already blessed us: life, salvation, our possessions, etc.

4 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 21:8-21

Genesis 21:8-21
"Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away"

Sarah, essentially and to my speculations, was jealous for Isaac of Ishmael with regard to the promise from God of inheritance. She went to Abraham and asked him to throw Hagar and Ishmael out.

It was in the midst of this dilemma that God revealed two things to Abraham:

1. Isaac was the son through whom the promise would be fulfilled
2. Ishmael and his descendants would prosper by virtue of him being Abraham's son.

Therefore, with very little qualms, Abraham provisioned Hagar and Ishmael then sent them off.

God had an immediate chance to prove His word when the two ran out of food and water. Hagar had all but given up when an angel came to her bearing a message that God had heard them and that God would make a great nation from him. God then revealed water to Hagar and was present with them as Ishmael grew.

Right here we can see how God cares for the marginalized, the hungry, and the hopeless. God provided for Ishmael despite not being the child of the promise. Hagar had no food or hope and God came and restored both to her. God cared and provided for both Hagar and Ishmael even though they were not of apparent (as I can see) significant import to the greater plan of salvation.  

Why? Why didn't God leave them to die? Part of it boils down to the promise he had made to Abraham, then Abram, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars and that he would make of them a great nation. While the promise was wholly fulfilled through Isaac, God kept His word even with Ishmael, making a large and impactful nation from his descendants, the Arabs. 

3 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 21:1-7

Genesis 21:1-7
"The Birth of Isaac"

Here, we see God keeping His word. Right here we have the birth of the son through whom God would fulfill His promises to Abraham. This child, Isaac, was the first step towards Abraham being the father of many nations. God has kept His word with regard to this half of the promise. The other half will only be fulfilled much later.

Nonetheless, we have here an example of God's trustworthiness. What He says He will do, He does. We can rely on God in every situation. After all, he gave a child to a 100 year old man and his not-much-younger wife as He promised, within the time period He declared (1 year [from when the messengers told Abraham]).

2 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 20:1-18

Genesis 20:1-18
"Sarah Rescued from Abimelech"

Abraham, it seems, doesn't learn. Once again, when staying in a foreign country, he and Sarah pose as siblings. In a repeat of the last time (see Gen. 12:10-20), the king, Abimelech, takes Sarah as his wife, but doesn't consummate it (God kept him from sinning, thus). Nevertheless, God came to Abimelech and confronted him of his sin adding the consequence of death if he did not make right with Abraham.

Now you're probably thinking "It wasn't Abimelech's fault!" So was Abimelech. Note that this reason (that he was unaware and married Sarah out of a clean conscience) was enough for God to keep Abimelech from further sinning (i.e. consummation of the "marriage").

Here we have a description, an account of God showing mercy as a response to sin. The sin was still punished, but the punishment was lessened due to Abraham's misinformation and Abimelech's ignorance thereof. God showed mercy to Abimelech because his sin was largely caused by another. This mercy is the first depiction of mercy by lessening the punishment of sin. Here we have a prelude, albeit incomplete, to Christ's actions. Here we see God's will to save man from sin. 16 pages into the Bible (by my Bible's pagination) we can already see God's heart.

Again, I'm not saying Abimelech received no punishment, but that God, in His mercy, kept Abimelech from greater sin and gave him the chance for reparations and restitution. Sin still had its punishment, but it was not as great a mess, thanks to God, that it could have been.

1 Jan. 2012 - Genesis 19:30-38

Genesis 19:30-38
"The Origin of Moab and Ammon"

Here we have two counts of incest which begin two races against whom Israel spent many battles waging war - Moab and Ammon.

Lot was living with his two daughters (all that remained of his family) in a cave outside of Zoar (the town to which he previously asked to be able to flee). The Bible says that Lot was afraid to live in Zoar. I'm going out on a limb, but that could be partly due to the recent fracas with Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot's daughters, however, were less than pleased with this affair, especially since their husbands-to-be were dead and there were no menfolk in the area. They then hatch a plan to get Lot smoordronk [an Afrikaans infinitive form for drunk; it was the most appropriate word on hand] and sleep with him while he was passed out. Both daughters, on consecutive nights, did this and succeeded.

Like the contrast of Lot with Abraham, in the previous passage, we can compare Lot's daughters with the descriptions of Abraham's son that had not yet come, Isaac. This comparison truly falls down to what they [Lot's daughters and Isaac] learned from their respective parents.
From Lot and Lot's lifestyle, his daughters grew up unashamed to commit depravities like incest as a response to personal fears, particularly ones related to security, in this case of the family lineage.
From Abraham, Isaac learned to rely on God's wisdom, strength and provision when faced with similar issues (though I would say being tied up on an altar is more stressful and grave than being unable to progress the family line).

Here we see, yet again, a contrast between Lot and Abraham. Where Abraham taught his son to honor and fear the Lord, Lot taught nothing, well, not directly. Indirectly, Lot taught his daughters to seek after worldly possessions and perceptions.

This brings to mind Proverbs 22:6, which says:

"Train up a child in the way he should grow
and when he is old he will not depart from it."