So this prison in which Joseph was given charge was apparently a prison for (formerly) important people...near to the Pharaoh and his officials.
For some reason, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker both offended the Pharaoh for some reason...probably made fun of his eyeliner or something...and found themselves in prison with Joseph.
On the surface, I think...the cupbearer? The baker? Pointless. But these had to be very close people to someone as important as the Pharaoh. Plus, remember what it's like to bite into some freshly baked bread thats crusty on the outside, and warm and squishy on the inside? That's an art form to be able to bake that. The main function of these two was to keep potential poison as far from the Pharaoh as possible.
So anyway, as expected, the warden has Joseph keep an eye on them.
And wouldn't you know it, they both had a dream on the same night. Not just any dream. No. A prophetic dream. Would you expect any less from Genesis 40? I wouldn't. Anyway.
When Joseph, who deals in dreams himself, sees them all dejected in the morning and asks what the deal is.
"We're sad because we have no one to interpret our dreams." Well, boo hoo. No one interprets my dreams. But these guys came from a pretty pampered place where they could get a sorcerer if they wanted one to tell them what their dreams meant. So they were probably used to that sort of thing.
Joseph manages to do a little evangelizing, saying "Do not interpretations belong to God?" He asks about their dreams.
Cuppy-boy saw a vine with three branches. It budded, blossomed, and ripened into grapes. He squeezed the grapes into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand. I would interpret that as a work dream. You know, where you start a new job, and you spend all night sort of half awake/half asleep semi-dreaming that you are doing that job? (I hate those.)
Joseph has a different interpretation revealed to him. Apparently, the three branches were three days, and in three days, Pharaoh would restore Cuppy to his position, because that was his job. Then Joseph tells him that when things are OK again, to tell Pharaoh about him, because Joseph was sick of prison probably. I've never spent time in an Egyptian prison, but I don't imagine it was peaches and cream, in spite of Joseph's position.
The Fabulous Baker Boy was geeked, because Cuppy had a favorable interpretation. His dream went like, "I had three baskets of bread on my head. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds kept eating them." Joseph tells him that the baskets are three days. In three days Pharaoh will behead him, hang him on a tree...oh, and the birds will eat his flesh. Not so favorable.
In three days, it was Pharaoh's birthday! Yay! He gave a feast for all his officials, including Cuppy and the Fabulous Baker Boy. He restored the cupbearer, and everyone was like, "Wooooooo!" Then he beheads the baker, and people are like..."Ooh...this party really died. He baked the cake first right?"
So it all happened just like Joseph had said. Except the cupbearer did not remember Joseph to Pharaoh.
Weird.
Let's review
Gen. 21: The birth of Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael deported
Gen. 22: Abraham doesn't sacrifice Isaac
Gen. 23: Death of Sarah, deal for a burial plot
Gen. 24: Isaac and Rebekah hook up
Gen. 25: Death of Abraham, Jacob and Esau born
Gen. 26: Isaac and Abimelech
Gen. 27: Jacob steals the blessing, Esau freaks
Gen. 28: Jacob's stairway of angels dream
Gen. 29: Jacob meets Rachel, marries her and Leah
Gen. 30: Bilhah, mandrakes, genetic experiments
Gen. 31: Jacob flees, Laban chases
Gen. 32: Jacob readies to meet Esau, wrestles God
Gen. 33: Jacob meets Esau
Gen. 34: Dinah raped, Shechem pillaged
Gen. 35: Jacob returns to Bethel, deaths of Isaac and Rebekah
Gen. 36: Esau's descendants
Gen. 37: Joseph's dreams, sold by his brothers
Gen. 38: Judah and Tamar
Gen. 39: Potiphar's wife, Joseph imprisoned
Gen. 40: The cupbearer and the baker
Friday, November 30, 2007
Ge. 39: "Mrs. Potiphar, You're Trying to Seduce Me."
Joseph had to grow up in a hurry, and the story of him and Potiphar in chapter 39 is a pretty interesting one. Not only does it show that blessings come to those who trust in the God of Abraham, but it shows just how far God can take a person in spite of the situation they are facing.
What better example than Joseph?
He is sold by his brothers as property to the Midianite traders. I am sure that he brought good things to them before he was bought by Potiphar, the captain of the Pharaoh's guard. The LORD was with Joseph, and he prospered in Potiphar's home. Potiphar even recognized that it was the LORD that was the source of this prosperity. As Joseph cultivated this reputation of being an upstanding citizen, in spite of his being a slave, Potiphar put him in charge of everything in his household except for the food he ate. And why wouldn't he? With Joseph in charge, the LORD was in charge. Its a good life.
Joseph was a pretty studly guy, and Potiphar's wife knew it. She was pretty up-front with what she wanted with Joseph.
"Come to bed with me!"
I am assuming Potiphar's wife was a woman who was used to getting what she wanted, this coming from her place of privilege, marrying a high ranking official of the Pharaoh himself...who was essentially a god.
Joseph's response was essentially that he could not do such a wicked thing, considering the place of esteem in which Potiphar held him. Potiphar had given Joseph just about everything. Except his wife. Joseph had an amazing heart attitude in that he equated sinning against his master to sinning against God.
And this wasn't a one-time passing fancy with Pot's wife, it became an obsession. The Word says "day after day" she tried to seduce him. She didn't get the message.
Finally one day, he went into the house, and there was no one else around, except Mrs. Robins...uh...Potiphar. Solitude is often the cruelest test for one's integrity. She caught him by his cloak and demanded once more, as usual, "come to bed with me." But he left his cloak in her hand, and ran out of the house. He fled this sin. Flat-out refusal was not working. Joseph needed another approach, lest he give in, and that was to make his escape. To run away.
So Mrs. Potiphar is standing there in Joseph's dust...probably humiliated and angry. How could this slave boy not want to sleep with her...a trophy wife! Fa! So she calls all the servants, saying, "Look, this Hebrew boy has come to make sport of us. I screamed, and he left his cloak in my hand!"
And the servants probably looked at each other saying, under their breath, "I didn't hear a scream...you?...no...you?...uh uh...." They probably were accustomed to her behavior by then anyway, and I assume they probably knew the deal.
When Potiphar hears it, for some reason he believes his slutty wife over God's servant. Which is the way sometimes, right?
Anyway, Potiphar throws Joseph in prison. But God did not abandon him there. The warden recognized that the LORD was with this young man, and his reputation from Potiphar's household preceded him. So eventually, the warden gave Joseph charge over those held in the prison. So much so, that the warden didn't even give Joseph a second thought. Pretty amazing to have that kind of success from God.
I think what this passage tells me about God is that He will throw circumstances at you, or allow them to come to you, but still won't leave your side. And that's a blessing to me. It causes me not to fear adversity, because it will come, but God is never distant.
What better example than Joseph?
He is sold by his brothers as property to the Midianite traders. I am sure that he brought good things to them before he was bought by Potiphar, the captain of the Pharaoh's guard. The LORD was with Joseph, and he prospered in Potiphar's home. Potiphar even recognized that it was the LORD that was the source of this prosperity. As Joseph cultivated this reputation of being an upstanding citizen, in spite of his being a slave, Potiphar put him in charge of everything in his household except for the food he ate. And why wouldn't he? With Joseph in charge, the LORD was in charge. Its a good life.
Joseph was a pretty studly guy, and Potiphar's wife knew it. She was pretty up-front with what she wanted with Joseph.
"Come to bed with me!"
I am assuming Potiphar's wife was a woman who was used to getting what she wanted, this coming from her place of privilege, marrying a high ranking official of the Pharaoh himself...who was essentially a god.
Joseph's response was essentially that he could not do such a wicked thing, considering the place of esteem in which Potiphar held him. Potiphar had given Joseph just about everything. Except his wife. Joseph had an amazing heart attitude in that he equated sinning against his master to sinning against God.
And this wasn't a one-time passing fancy with Pot's wife, it became an obsession. The Word says "day after day" she tried to seduce him. She didn't get the message.
Finally one day, he went into the house, and there was no one else around, except Mrs. Robins...uh...Potiphar. Solitude is often the cruelest test for one's integrity. She caught him by his cloak and demanded once more, as usual, "come to bed with me." But he left his cloak in her hand, and ran out of the house. He fled this sin. Flat-out refusal was not working. Joseph needed another approach, lest he give in, and that was to make his escape. To run away.
So Mrs. Potiphar is standing there in Joseph's dust...probably humiliated and angry. How could this slave boy not want to sleep with her...a trophy wife! Fa! So she calls all the servants, saying, "Look, this Hebrew boy has come to make sport of us. I screamed, and he left his cloak in my hand!"
And the servants probably looked at each other saying, under their breath, "I didn't hear a scream...you?...no...you?...uh uh...." They probably were accustomed to her behavior by then anyway, and I assume they probably knew the deal.
When Potiphar hears it, for some reason he believes his slutty wife over God's servant. Which is the way sometimes, right?
Anyway, Potiphar throws Joseph in prison. But God did not abandon him there. The warden recognized that the LORD was with this young man, and his reputation from Potiphar's household preceded him. So eventually, the warden gave Joseph charge over those held in the prison. So much so, that the warden didn't even give Joseph a second thought. Pretty amazing to have that kind of success from God.
I think what this passage tells me about God is that He will throw circumstances at you, or allow them to come to you, but still won't leave your side. And that's a blessing to me. It causes me not to fear adversity, because it will come, but God is never distant.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Ge. 38: Hey, Go Get Your Dead Brother's Wife Pregnant. OK, Fine, I'll Do It.
The account of Judah in Chapter 38 is a rather sordid one. It is crammed with selfishness and sin. The sin, as in previous chapters is neither glamorized nor condemned. Rather, it is simply reported. These are the people with whom God made a covenant, and there were stipulations, conditions to this covenant. The people God chooses (outside of Noah) are clearly were not chosen for being good people. This is a blessing to me. Pretty sweet.
Anyway, Judah, who had the idea to sell Joseph to the Midianites, moves away from his brothers and down to Adullam. There, he got hitched up to a Canaanite daughter of a man named Shua. She gave him three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah. Judah got a wife for his oldest son, Tamar. But Er was wicked, so God put him to death. Turns out, he should have been named Err. God can just put people to death like that. Wicked people.
Here Judah tells the next in line, Onan, to go fulfill his brotherly-in-law duty, and produce offspring for the departed Er. Onan wasn't too thrilled with the proposition, because he knew that Tamar's baby wouldn't be his. The Bible records that he ejaculated on the ground during sex with Tamar, to keep her from conceiving. God considered this wicked as well, so he sent Onan to join Err in the hereafter. Judah then told Tamar to live as a widow until Shelah was old enough to be her husband.
A while later, Judah's wife died. Then finally he gets over it, goes up to Timnah, where some dudes were shearing his sheep, to keep an eye on them or whatever, and he brings his Adullamite friend Hirah with him. Pretty soon, Tamar, who had not been given as a wife to Shelah yet, she changed out of widow's clothes (not sure what those are) and into a veil, and goes up to Timnah. Possibly with the intention of seducing her father-in-law Judah. But that's what happens. Judah sought her out, thinking she was a prostitute, and sleeps with her. As payment, Judah offers a goat from his flock. Tamar asked for some other pledge as collateral until Judah sends the goat, Judah's seal and its cord, and his staff. She becomes pregnant by her father-in-law.
Later, Judah sends the goat to his friend, the Adullamite, to give to the prostitute. Who obviously isn't there. Because it's Tamar. Who's not a prostitute. Judah, concerned about his image for some reason, doesn't want to be a laughingstock, so he says, let her keep what she has.
Three months later, Judah is told that Tamar is guilty of prostitution (apparently a crime back then...go figure). Judah, not interested in protecting her, wants her burned to death. Nice guy. She reveals that it was by Judah she was pregnant, bringing out his staff and seal. He slaps himself in the forehead, and admits his sin in not giving Shelah to her. He did not sleep with Tamar after that. Yay. Why was it so important that Onan be given to Tamar, but not Shelah? Did Judah just forget? I think not, if this was such an important custom. It was just neglect.
Turns out, Tamar was pregnant with twins. During birth, one of the boys shoved his hand out, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around his wrist to denote him as the oldest. But then he pulled his arm back in, and his brother came out. This was a big surprise! Kind of weird. Despite all supporting evidence, I am not an obstetrician. I don't know how often this happens.
The one who pushed past and didn't get the thread was named Perez, while thread-boy was monikered Zerah.
Kind of a ... ew chapter. But this is what happens.
Anyway, Judah, who had the idea to sell Joseph to the Midianites, moves away from his brothers and down to Adullam. There, he got hitched up to a Canaanite daughter of a man named Shua. She gave him three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah. Judah got a wife for his oldest son, Tamar. But Er was wicked, so God put him to death. Turns out, he should have been named Err. God can just put people to death like that. Wicked people.
Here Judah tells the next in line, Onan, to go fulfill his brotherly-in-law duty, and produce offspring for the departed Er. Onan wasn't too thrilled with the proposition, because he knew that Tamar's baby wouldn't be his. The Bible records that he ejaculated on the ground during sex with Tamar, to keep her from conceiving. God considered this wicked as well, so he sent Onan to join Err in the hereafter. Judah then told Tamar to live as a widow until Shelah was old enough to be her husband.
A while later, Judah's wife died. Then finally he gets over it, goes up to Timnah, where some dudes were shearing his sheep, to keep an eye on them or whatever, and he brings his Adullamite friend Hirah with him. Pretty soon, Tamar, who had not been given as a wife to Shelah yet, she changed out of widow's clothes (not sure what those are) and into a veil, and goes up to Timnah. Possibly with the intention of seducing her father-in-law Judah. But that's what happens. Judah sought her out, thinking she was a prostitute, and sleeps with her. As payment, Judah offers a goat from his flock. Tamar asked for some other pledge as collateral until Judah sends the goat, Judah's seal and its cord, and his staff. She becomes pregnant by her father-in-law.
Later, Judah sends the goat to his friend, the Adullamite, to give to the prostitute. Who obviously isn't there. Because it's Tamar. Who's not a prostitute. Judah, concerned about his image for some reason, doesn't want to be a laughingstock, so he says, let her keep what she has.
Three months later, Judah is told that Tamar is guilty of prostitution (apparently a crime back then...go figure). Judah, not interested in protecting her, wants her burned to death. Nice guy. She reveals that it was by Judah she was pregnant, bringing out his staff and seal. He slaps himself in the forehead, and admits his sin in not giving Shelah to her. He did not sleep with Tamar after that. Yay. Why was it so important that Onan be given to Tamar, but not Shelah? Did Judah just forget? I think not, if this was such an important custom. It was just neglect.
Turns out, Tamar was pregnant with twins. During birth, one of the boys shoved his hand out, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around his wrist to denote him as the oldest. But then he pulled his arm back in, and his brother came out. This was a big surprise! Kind of weird. Despite all supporting evidence, I am not an obstetrician. I don't know how often this happens.
The one who pushed past and didn't get the thread was named Perez, while thread-boy was monikered Zerah.
Kind of a ... ew chapter. But this is what happens.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Ge. 37: They May Say He's A Dreamer
Chapter 37 is our first real introduction to Joseph. He has a rather inauspicious debut, mentioned like the rest of his brothers at his birth in Gen. 30:24, and protected by bringing up the rear of Jacob's clan as they meet Esau in Gen. 33:2. This is the place where we learn a lot about him.
Apparently, he was quite the tattler, and would go and tell Jacob if his brothers goofed off or were mean. This earned him no respect among his brothers. Joseph was already at a deficit because of Jacob's clear favoritism, the most obvious example being the richly ornamented robe that Jacob made for him. This in a time where a change of clothes was one of the finest luxuries, and little Joey gets the phat hook up. His brothers definitely resented him because of this.
One day, Joseph had a dream, and could not wait to tell his brothers. In the dream, they were binding sheaves of grain, and Joseph's sheaf stood up, while those of his brothers bowed down it. There's nothing a big brother wants less than a younger sibling to be in charge of him. See this hilarious example. "Will you actually reign over us?" his brothers angrily retorted.
OK, Joseph, there's a little thing called tact. And you're young, you're only seventeen (seventeen), so you'll learn. But when people already hate you. It makes no sense to imply that someday you may rule over them. Dream or no dream.
Then he wastes no time telling them about a second dream in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow down to him.
Joe. You aren't listening. Eh, you're on your own.
I don't know if Joseph is so naive that he doesn't realize his brothers hate him, or whether he thought he might earn their respect by telling them his dreams...The simple fact of the matter is that he did have the dreams, and more than likely, the accepted interpretation was likely to come true in some way.
And I have trouble picture a star bowing. And on top of that, Rachel, Joseph's mother, died while giving birth to his little bro, Benjamin. Is she going to come back to life?
Jacob, at least verbally, had a similar reaction to that of his sons. "Will your mother and I and your brothers bow down to you?" Jacob, who has proven himself to not be one to overreact, simply "keeps it in mind." Maybe Jacob was still hurting for Rachel at this time.
One morning, Jacob wants to know how things are going with his flocks that his sons were grazing near Shechem. He sent Joseph out to see, and come back with a full report.
Verse 15 is kinda weird, some random dude is out passing by, and sees Joseph "wandering" around in the field. Maybe Joseph was just goofing around, but the guy asks him what he's looking for.
"My brothers."
"Oh, bro...they moved onto Dothan."
So, I don't know who this guy is, maybe an angel?
It took only the sight of him in the distance for his brothers to plot his death. They would go to any length to see his wildest dreams not come true, whether he voted for Pedro or not.
Reuben has ... something resembling a heart. He doesn't want to kill him, rather he suggests they toss him in an empty well and see what happens. He wanted in actuality to be able to bring Joseph back to Jacob in one piece. So, they swipe his robe and toss him in the well, as Reuben suggested, and sit down for some lunch.
But then they see a caravan of Midianites headed to Egypt. They figured, "Hey, he's our brother. Let's not kill him. Let's sell him. Good idea." So they get 20 shekels of silver for him.
Reuben comes back to the cistern after having been gone who knows where, he sees Joseph not there, and freaks out. He was going to return Joseph to Jacob unharmed, but his brothers changed the plan. Then they take his robe, dip it in the blood of a slaughtered goat, and bring it back to Jacob, you know, to see if it was his. I don't know if Reuben is told about the plan, or sees what happens...the Bible doesn't say yet. Maybe his brothers just let him believe he is dead, like they do with Jacob. Jacob, tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and mourns for his son for many days, uncomfortable by his sons or daughters. Rather, he said he would go down to the grave to his son. He'd rather die than be comforted? That's pretty darn sad.
At that time, the Midianites had sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials...the captain of his army, even.
Apparently, he was quite the tattler, and would go and tell Jacob if his brothers goofed off or were mean. This earned him no respect among his brothers. Joseph was already at a deficit because of Jacob's clear favoritism, the most obvious example being the richly ornamented robe that Jacob made for him. This in a time where a change of clothes was one of the finest luxuries, and little Joey gets the phat hook up. His brothers definitely resented him because of this.
One day, Joseph had a dream, and could not wait to tell his brothers. In the dream, they were binding sheaves of grain, and Joseph's sheaf stood up, while those of his brothers bowed down it. There's nothing a big brother wants less than a younger sibling to be in charge of him. See this hilarious example. "Will you actually reign over us?" his brothers angrily retorted.
OK, Joseph, there's a little thing called tact. And you're young, you're only seventeen (seventeen), so you'll learn. But when people already hate you. It makes no sense to imply that someday you may rule over them. Dream or no dream.
Then he wastes no time telling them about a second dream in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow down to him.
Joe. You aren't listening. Eh, you're on your own.
I don't know if Joseph is so naive that he doesn't realize his brothers hate him, or whether he thought he might earn their respect by telling them his dreams...The simple fact of the matter is that he did have the dreams, and more than likely, the accepted interpretation was likely to come true in some way.
And I have trouble picture a star bowing. And on top of that, Rachel, Joseph's mother, died while giving birth to his little bro, Benjamin. Is she going to come back to life?
Jacob, at least verbally, had a similar reaction to that of his sons. "Will your mother and I and your brothers bow down to you?" Jacob, who has proven himself to not be one to overreact, simply "keeps it in mind." Maybe Jacob was still hurting for Rachel at this time.
One morning, Jacob wants to know how things are going with his flocks that his sons were grazing near Shechem. He sent Joseph out to see, and come back with a full report.
Verse 15 is kinda weird, some random dude is out passing by, and sees Joseph "wandering" around in the field. Maybe Joseph was just goofing around, but the guy asks him what he's looking for.
"My brothers."
"Oh, bro...they moved onto Dothan."
So, I don't know who this guy is, maybe an angel?
It took only the sight of him in the distance for his brothers to plot his death. They would go to any length to see his wildest dreams not come true, whether he voted for Pedro or not.
Reuben has ... something resembling a heart. He doesn't want to kill him, rather he suggests they toss him in an empty well and see what happens. He wanted in actuality to be able to bring Joseph back to Jacob in one piece. So, they swipe his robe and toss him in the well, as Reuben suggested, and sit down for some lunch.
But then they see a caravan of Midianites headed to Egypt. They figured, "Hey, he's our brother. Let's not kill him. Let's sell him. Good idea." So they get 20 shekels of silver for him.
Reuben comes back to the cistern after having been gone who knows where, he sees Joseph not there, and freaks out. He was going to return Joseph to Jacob unharmed, but his brothers changed the plan. Then they take his robe, dip it in the blood of a slaughtered goat, and bring it back to Jacob, you know, to see if it was his. I don't know if Reuben is told about the plan, or sees what happens...the Bible doesn't say yet. Maybe his brothers just let him believe he is dead, like they do with Jacob. Jacob, tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and mourns for his son for many days, uncomfortable by his sons or daughters. Rather, he said he would go down to the grave to his son. He'd rather die than be comforted? That's pretty darn sad.
At that time, the Midianites had sold Joseph to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials...the captain of his army, even.
Ge. 36: Esau! What have you been up to!
Chapter 36 is the account of Esau, and all the goings on with him.
I'm a visual learner, so I made this sweet chart to see how it works out.
Click to enlarge.
I'm a visual learner, so I made this sweet chart to see how it works out.
Click to enlarge.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Ge. 35: Jacob's Refuge; Birth in Bethlehem
In spite of Jacob's fear, God yet again proves His faithfulness and His covenant in chapter 35. Still reeling from his sons' devastating Shechem offensive, Jacob is visited by God and told to go back to Bethel, the place where he had that weird Angel Stairway Dream back in Gen. 28:12. Why would God tell Jacob to go back there?
I believe because Bethel was established as a place of refuge. Jacob found a place to rest there in fleeing Esau. He had a meaningful encounter with God there, in which God grabbed a hold of Jacob's attention by conferring upon him the covenant He had made with Jacob's forefathers. This was a new chance for Jacob's family to go back to that place after many years, and sort of recenter, refocus, and refresh themselves. It would be a time of purging, of cleanliness.
They changed their clothes, rid themselves of any foreign Gods or charms they may have been taking with them, and set out for Bethel.
Verse 5 is amazing. Can you imagine being in that caravan, making your way to Bethel, and as verse 5 says, "The terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them." What deliverance! The towns? No one came after Jacob out of fear. I wonder if this is similar to the fear that God put into the animal kingdom in regard to man waaay back in Gen. 9:2. God has certainly established Himself as the protector of those who fear him. Lets not forget that these towns may have had an interest in exacting vengeance on Jacob (Gen. 34:30). When you know without a doubt you can have no fear, what amazing opportunities open up to you, and you can focus on the beautiful things of life, and what God has planned.
Jacob arrived there, and built another altar to God, calling it El Bethel, or God of Bethel, in a display of humility and rededication.
Verse 8 mentions the death of Rebekah's nurse, and that she was buried under the old oak tree in Bethel...not sure what that's all about. Maybe this was in time past...and they remembered Deborah. Or maybe she was traveling with the posse. Not sure. If I had to guess, I'd say this is a current (for the time of the story) event.
God appears to Jacob again, and reiterates the covenant, and the name Israel. God repeats the covenant. When I see repetition in the Bible, it seems to be either important, a challenge or both. I don't remember precisely, but I think Isaac got a review. I know Abraham did.
Verse 11, where God says, "I am God Almighty..." Wow. If that sends my spine a-quiver, then I can't fathom being there at that time with God saying it directly into my ear. Whether God was yelling it, or whispering it, I imagine there would be no difference in awe.
Hmm.
Anyway, God blesses Him, and tells him to be fruitful and multiply. And Jacob set up another pillar, oiled it up real nice, and called it Bethel. Again.
While Israel was traveling from Bethel to Ephratah, a very pregnant Rachel went into labor. And there was great difficulty in childbirth for Israel's offspring. Birth pains, big time. "Don't be afraid, you have another son," the midwife said to Rachel. Rachel called her son Ben-Oni because she was dying. Israel renamed him Benjamin. So the child's name goes from meaning "son of my trouble" to meaning "son of my right hand." So, a pretty important son is born with trouble in Bethlehem, where Rachel is buried.
Israel moves on to Midgal Eder. While they were there, Leah's oldest, Reuben goes in a sleeps with Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Israel, cool as ever, heard about it, as the Bible says, but the Bible doesn't report anything further.
Rather there is a genealogy of Jacob.
With Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
With Rachel: Joseph, Benjamin
With Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali
With Zilpah: Gad, Asher
Finally, Jacob makes it home to his father Isaac in Mamre. Isaac live to be 180 years old. And Jacob must have reconciled with Esau and explained his little detour in chapter 33, because they both bury their father.
Isaac: 2038 - 2218
I believe because Bethel was established as a place of refuge. Jacob found a place to rest there in fleeing Esau. He had a meaningful encounter with God there, in which God grabbed a hold of Jacob's attention by conferring upon him the covenant He had made with Jacob's forefathers. This was a new chance for Jacob's family to go back to that place after many years, and sort of recenter, refocus, and refresh themselves. It would be a time of purging, of cleanliness.
They changed their clothes, rid themselves of any foreign Gods or charms they may have been taking with them, and set out for Bethel.
Verse 5 is amazing. Can you imagine being in that caravan, making your way to Bethel, and as verse 5 says, "The terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them." What deliverance! The towns? No one came after Jacob out of fear. I wonder if this is similar to the fear that God put into the animal kingdom in regard to man waaay back in Gen. 9:2. God has certainly established Himself as the protector of those who fear him. Lets not forget that these towns may have had an interest in exacting vengeance on Jacob (Gen. 34:30). When you know without a doubt you can have no fear, what amazing opportunities open up to you, and you can focus on the beautiful things of life, and what God has planned.
Jacob arrived there, and built another altar to God, calling it El Bethel, or God of Bethel, in a display of humility and rededication.
Verse 8 mentions the death of Rebekah's nurse, and that she was buried under the old oak tree in Bethel...not sure what that's all about. Maybe this was in time past...and they remembered Deborah. Or maybe she was traveling with the posse. Not sure. If I had to guess, I'd say this is a current (for the time of the story) event.
God appears to Jacob again, and reiterates the covenant, and the name Israel. God repeats the covenant. When I see repetition in the Bible, it seems to be either important, a challenge or both. I don't remember precisely, but I think Isaac got a review. I know Abraham did.
Verse 11, where God says, "I am God Almighty..." Wow. If that sends my spine a-quiver, then I can't fathom being there at that time with God saying it directly into my ear. Whether God was yelling it, or whispering it, I imagine there would be no difference in awe.
Hmm.
Anyway, God blesses Him, and tells him to be fruitful and multiply. And Jacob set up another pillar, oiled it up real nice, and called it Bethel. Again.
While Israel was traveling from Bethel to Ephratah, a very pregnant Rachel went into labor. And there was great difficulty in childbirth for Israel's offspring. Birth pains, big time. "Don't be afraid, you have another son," the midwife said to Rachel. Rachel called her son Ben-Oni because she was dying. Israel renamed him Benjamin. So the child's name goes from meaning "son of my trouble" to meaning "son of my right hand." So, a pretty important son is born with trouble in Bethlehem, where Rachel is buried.
Israel moves on to Midgal Eder. While they were there, Leah's oldest, Reuben goes in a sleeps with Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Israel, cool as ever, heard about it, as the Bible says, but the Bible doesn't report anything further.
Rather there is a genealogy of Jacob.
With Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun
With Rachel: Joseph, Benjamin
With Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali
With Zilpah: Gad, Asher
Finally, Jacob makes it home to his father Isaac in Mamre. Isaac live to be 180 years old. And Jacob must have reconciled with Esau and explained his little detour in chapter 33, because they both bury their father.
Isaac: 2038 - 2218
Monday, November 26, 2007
Ge. 34: Rape and Pillage. You rape. I pillage, deal?
Chapter 34 is like, dang. Mass hysteria and rowdiness comparable only to Abram going all Leonidas against the valley kings.
Here's how it goes down.
Basically, Dinah, whom we met back in Gen. 30:21, only remarkable because female births aren't
getting the press coverage in the Bible that male births are, goes out to visit the women of the land...maybe she had some Canaanite friends that she hung out with, had a sewing circle, went rock climbing, whatever. The point is, the king's son Shechem saw her and thought..."Oh snap, she's tasty." And proceeded to rape her. He took a sort of executive privilege, if you will. Then he goes and tells his dad, Hamor (descendent of the cursed Hamites from Gen. 10:17, you remember) that he wants Dinah to be his wife. Nice guy, to want to marry his victim. That marriage would be off on the right foot.
Jacob finds out about the rape through the grapevine, and wisely chooses not to go and run and tell his sons about it out in the field. He waited until they got home. When they heard, it was like anyone who finds out that little sister got raped. Grief and fury. To say the least, they all agreed that a disgraceful thing such as an outsider bumping uglies with their sister was something that should not be done. It went beyond rape. Hamor and Shechem stop by that evening to ... I guess, be as diplomatic about the whole ordeal as possible.
I amazed by this brazenness...as if it happens all the time. That these two would just go to a rape victim's father's home, and ask for her to be given over as a daughter. Token gestures, such as marrying the city of Shechem's women or buying its land, are offered in exchange. L-A-M-E. Basically then Shechem offers to pay anything.
The brothers aren't buying it, ok? They've probably all had plenty of time to come up with what they are going to do. I suggest you read it for yourself. It's just too genius. Or horrifying. At the very least, well thought-out.
Pretty amazing that they cite adhering to their custom and covenant as the only way Shechem could marry Dinah. Then while the entire male population of the city is...recovering, Simeon and Levi, Leah's second and third oldest, go in and do some Van Dammage?
They took this defiling very seriously. And I wonder if the goings on in this passage served to unite the brothers together. After all, they were from four different mothers, and it wasn't exactly all shiny-happy. Isaac and Ishmael split up. Jacob and Esau went their separate ways.
Jacob wasn't too pleased with the situation. It was already a touchy situation with Esau, and now two of his boys go and loot and pillage an entire city. The Canaanites and Perizzites would soon know about this, and they outnumbered Jacob and his clan hardcore.
Simeon and Levi, thinking only about the immediate future (like Uncle Esau), could only reply, "He shouldn't have treated out sister like a prostitute." I'm sure they thought what they did was just. Time will tell.
This is another example of Ham's descendants dealing with a curse. God's curses can be carried out by men.
Here's how it goes down.
Basically, Dinah, whom we met back in Gen. 30:21, only remarkable because female births aren't
getting the press coverage in the Bible that male births are, goes out to visit the women of the land...maybe she had some Canaanite friends that she hung out with, had a sewing circle, went rock climbing, whatever. The point is, the king's son Shechem saw her and thought..."Oh snap, she's tasty." And proceeded to rape her. He took a sort of executive privilege, if you will. Then he goes and tells his dad, Hamor (descendent of the cursed Hamites from Gen. 10:17, you remember) that he wants Dinah to be his wife. Nice guy, to want to marry his victim. That marriage would be off on the right foot.
Jacob finds out about the rape through the grapevine, and wisely chooses not to go and run and tell his sons about it out in the field. He waited until they got home. When they heard, it was like anyone who finds out that little sister got raped. Grief and fury. To say the least, they all agreed that a disgraceful thing such as an outsider bumping uglies with their sister was something that should not be done. It went beyond rape. Hamor and Shechem stop by that evening to ... I guess, be as diplomatic about the whole ordeal as possible.
I amazed by this brazenness...as if it happens all the time. That these two would just go to a rape victim's father's home, and ask for her to be given over as a daughter. Token gestures, such as marrying the city of Shechem's women or buying its land, are offered in exchange. L-A-M-E. Basically then Shechem offers to pay anything.
The brothers aren't buying it, ok? They've probably all had plenty of time to come up with what they are going to do. I suggest you read it for yourself. It's just too genius. Or horrifying. At the very least, well thought-out.
Pretty amazing that they cite adhering to their custom and covenant as the only way Shechem could marry Dinah. Then while the entire male population of the city is...recovering, Simeon and Levi, Leah's second and third oldest, go in and do some Van Dammage?
They took this defiling very seriously. And I wonder if the goings on in this passage served to unite the brothers together. After all, they were from four different mothers, and it wasn't exactly all shiny-happy. Isaac and Ishmael split up. Jacob and Esau went their separate ways.
Jacob wasn't too pleased with the situation. It was already a touchy situation with Esau, and now two of his boys go and loot and pillage an entire city. The Canaanites and Perizzites would soon know about this, and they outnumbered Jacob and his clan hardcore.
Simeon and Levi, thinking only about the immediate future (like Uncle Esau), could only reply, "He shouldn't have treated out sister like a prostitute." I'm sure they thought what they did was just. Time will tell.
This is another example of Ham's descendants dealing with a curse. God's curses can be carried out by men.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Ge. 33: The Meeting and the Reconciliation...?
After wrestling God, and now beset with a limp, looking up and seeing Esau and his posse rolling up was probably the last thing Jacob needed. After putting his group in order, Jacob hobbles up to the front, and begins bowing before Esau, still not knowing how he was going to react.
I know the feeling. I am not a fan of confrontation. It is agonizing to me. And there is nothing worse for me than letting something simmer for a long time, and when I was growing up, there was nothing I wanted to hear less than, "Wait till your father gets home." That was not pleasant. That's how I imagine Jacob felt, with the knots in his stomach, and the shortness of breath...just can't wait for it to be over.
But he could breathe easy. Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him. What a relief. Have you ever been so relieved about something that you just wept?
Esau sees the entourage Jacob brought with him, and like a long-lost uncle, wants to meet the wife...wives. And the nephews. The family he hadn't met.
After 20 years, Esau more or less accepted the idea that his younger twin received his birthright. Esau had to go out and make it happen for himself, and it sounds like he did pretty good for himself, in how he responded to Jacob telling him all these animals were gifts for him. He flatly refuses to accept them, but eventually does when Jacob insists, citing that it was God who was the source of his wealth.
Esau is excited to be with his brother again, so he wants to travel with him. Jacob tells him the little ones...human and non...need to go slow, so he tells Esau to go ahead of him, and Jacob will catch up to him in Seir. Esau wants to leave some of his men with Jacob...probably to aid him in protection. Jacob will have nothing of it, saying he wants to find favor in the Lord. Either Jacob is plotting something, or he wants to be like his grandfather back in chapter 14, not accepting help or assistance from anyone but God. Clearly, he does not want to have Esau with him. I do not know why this is...this is a sudden change of pace, from wanting only to find favor in Esau's eyes, to know doing his best to get rid of him.
So Esau heads to Seir like he said, while Jacob heads somewhere else. He builds shelters for his camels and calls it Succoth. Then he goes and camps by the city of Shechem in Canaan. He buys the plot of land where he camps from Hamor, and builds an altar, calling it El Elohe Israel...God is the God of Israel.
Jacob still must not be trusting of Esau. Maybe he had good reason. Esau probably didn't hold ill will in his heart toward Jacob, but Jacob had no way of knowing that, and it's too bad. It didn't have to be this way. Esau didn't have to be all over dramatic and shortsighted, and Jacob didn't have be deceptive to someone in the worst way. It's easy for me to like Esau more than Jacob here, but God chooses who He chooses, apparently, regardless of their likability. Which is good for me.
I know the feeling. I am not a fan of confrontation. It is agonizing to me. And there is nothing worse for me than letting something simmer for a long time, and when I was growing up, there was nothing I wanted to hear less than, "Wait till your father gets home." That was not pleasant. That's how I imagine Jacob felt, with the knots in his stomach, and the shortness of breath...just can't wait for it to be over.
But he could breathe easy. Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him. What a relief. Have you ever been so relieved about something that you just wept?
Esau sees the entourage Jacob brought with him, and like a long-lost uncle, wants to meet the wife...wives. And the nephews. The family he hadn't met.
After 20 years, Esau more or less accepted the idea that his younger twin received his birthright. Esau had to go out and make it happen for himself, and it sounds like he did pretty good for himself, in how he responded to Jacob telling him all these animals were gifts for him. He flatly refuses to accept them, but eventually does when Jacob insists, citing that it was God who was the source of his wealth.
Esau is excited to be with his brother again, so he wants to travel with him. Jacob tells him the little ones...human and non...need to go slow, so he tells Esau to go ahead of him, and Jacob will catch up to him in Seir. Esau wants to leave some of his men with Jacob...probably to aid him in protection. Jacob will have nothing of it, saying he wants to find favor in the Lord. Either Jacob is plotting something, or he wants to be like his grandfather back in chapter 14, not accepting help or assistance from anyone but God. Clearly, he does not want to have Esau with him. I do not know why this is...this is a sudden change of pace, from wanting only to find favor in Esau's eyes, to know doing his best to get rid of him.
So Esau heads to Seir like he said, while Jacob heads somewhere else. He builds shelters for his camels and calls it Succoth. Then he goes and camps by the city of Shechem in Canaan. He buys the plot of land where he camps from Hamor, and builds an altar, calling it El Elohe Israel...God is the God of Israel.
Jacob still must not be trusting of Esau. Maybe he had good reason. Esau probably didn't hold ill will in his heart toward Jacob, but Jacob had no way of knowing that, and it's too bad. It didn't have to be this way. Esau didn't have to be all over dramatic and shortsighted, and Jacob didn't have be deceptive to someone in the worst way. It's easy for me to like Esau more than Jacob here, but God chooses who He chooses, apparently, regardless of their likability. Which is good for me.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Ge. 32: Jacob vs. God RAW
As Jacob went his separate way from Laban, he ran into the angels of God. He named the place where he met these angels "Mahanaim." I wonder why we don't still do that. There are cities of course, but I would name 7-11 "Place where I bought Cherry Slurpee." Or some other modern equivalent. "Place where gas is $2.90." Anyway...
Since Jacob was going back to the land of his family, that also meant a potential confrontation with his estranged, and probably still seething, brother Esau. To get an idea how Esau was feeling, he sent messengers ahead to tell Esau that Jacob was coming, and bring back Esau's reaction.
Esau gathers 400 men. I don't know if that's just his entourage, and he rolls 400 deep, or if this was an army of aggression or protection. I guess I have to keep reading.
Jacob divides his family and possessions into two groups, so in case of attack, the most he loses is half of it.
Jacob's afraid, and in verse 9, Jacob finally calls on God regarding the promise God made to him and his forefathers. "You told me to go, and you told me I would prosper." I kept waiting for Abraham and Isaac to do the same when they were in danger, but they didn't. If they did, it wasn't recorded. Jacob lays bare his soul before God, not caring about his fears or insecurities. He completely puts his trust in God to deliver him and protect him from what he fears may be coming from Esau.
He probably couldn't sleep at night, so he spends the night preparing a gift of goats, ewes, sheep, camels, bulls, donkeys...pretty much every biblical animal you could think of, and lots of 'em. He sends them out with his servants in waves, so that every few hours or so, Esau's gift will be compounded.
Jacob then got up, took his wives and eleven kids, and possessions, and sent them over the Jabbok, and was left alone. There, a man wrestled with him till daybreak. In spite of his exhaustion from walking all day, the fear of Esau killing him, and selecting a bunch of gifts for his potential murderer, Jacob would not relent. The way the Bible puts it, it sounds like Jacob pretty much imposes his will during the wrestling match. So...God comes down, physically manifests himself in the flesh, and allows man to overcome Him. Submits, as it were. Anyway, the man touched Jacob's hip socket, and wrenched his hip out of place. Then the man said, "Let me go, it is daybreak."
Jacob, sensing this was either God or his messenger, said "Not without a blessing."
The man changed Jacob's name to Israel, meaning struggles with God. No longer grasping the heel, now struggles with God. This presumably will signal some sort of a turning point in Jacob's life. It happened with Abram/Abraham. Jacob asked the man's name, but the man refused, and blessed him. The Bible continues to refer to Jacob as Israel even after this name change, unlike Abraham.
Jacob called the place Peniel or Penuel, because he saw God face to face and survived. I wonder why God wouldn't allow man to see His face. I have my theories, none of which are satisfactory me, probably because I don't completely understand God. I have what He reveals, which is enough for short periods of time.
Finally the sun rose, and Jacob had a new name and a limp. I'm not sure if it was permanent. Apparently at the time of the writing of this chapter, Israelites did not eat the tendon attached to the hip because of this wrestling match.
The next chapter, I can hardly wait to dig into, because Jacob finally meets Esau.
Since Jacob was going back to the land of his family, that also meant a potential confrontation with his estranged, and probably still seething, brother Esau. To get an idea how Esau was feeling, he sent messengers ahead to tell Esau that Jacob was coming, and bring back Esau's reaction.
Esau gathers 400 men. I don't know if that's just his entourage, and he rolls 400 deep, or if this was an army of aggression or protection. I guess I have to keep reading.
Jacob divides his family and possessions into two groups, so in case of attack, the most he loses is half of it.
Jacob's afraid, and in verse 9, Jacob finally calls on God regarding the promise God made to him and his forefathers. "You told me to go, and you told me I would prosper." I kept waiting for Abraham and Isaac to do the same when they were in danger, but they didn't. If they did, it wasn't recorded. Jacob lays bare his soul before God, not caring about his fears or insecurities. He completely puts his trust in God to deliver him and protect him from what he fears may be coming from Esau.
He probably couldn't sleep at night, so he spends the night preparing a gift of goats, ewes, sheep, camels, bulls, donkeys...pretty much every biblical animal you could think of, and lots of 'em. He sends them out with his servants in waves, so that every few hours or so, Esau's gift will be compounded.
Jacob then got up, took his wives and eleven kids, and possessions, and sent them over the Jabbok, and was left alone. There, a man wrestled with him till daybreak. In spite of his exhaustion from walking all day, the fear of Esau killing him, and selecting a bunch of gifts for his potential murderer, Jacob would not relent. The way the Bible puts it, it sounds like Jacob pretty much imposes his will during the wrestling match. So...God comes down, physically manifests himself in the flesh, and allows man to overcome Him. Submits, as it were. Anyway, the man touched Jacob's hip socket, and wrenched his hip out of place. Then the man said, "Let me go, it is daybreak."
Jacob, sensing this was either God or his messenger, said "Not without a blessing."
The man changed Jacob's name to Israel, meaning struggles with God. No longer grasping the heel, now struggles with God. This presumably will signal some sort of a turning point in Jacob's life. It happened with Abram/Abraham. Jacob asked the man's name, but the man refused, and blessed him. The Bible continues to refer to Jacob as Israel even after this name change, unlike Abraham.
Jacob called the place Peniel or Penuel, because he saw God face to face and survived. I wonder why God wouldn't allow man to see His face. I have my theories, none of which are satisfactory me, probably because I don't completely understand God. I have what He reveals, which is enough for short periods of time.
Finally the sun rose, and Jacob had a new name and a limp. I'm not sure if it was permanent. Apparently at the time of the writing of this chapter, Israelites did not eat the tendon attached to the hip because of this wrestling match.
The next chapter, I can hardly wait to dig into, because Jacob finally meets Esau.
Ge. 31: Jacob Bails, Laban Freaks
So Jacob finds out he's being falsely accused of stealing all Laban owned, and getting rich off of Laban. And surprise, surprise, Jacob notices that maybe Laban isn't as fond of him as he once was. Then God appears to Jacob and tells him to go back the land of Isaac. So Jacob rounds up the posse. He explains to Rachel and Leah that in spite of the constant of his work, Laban has changed his wages ten times. In spite of the oft-changing Laban, it has been the LORD who has been constant.
Of special interest to me is that God doesn't make Jacob stick around and face down this conflict with his uncle. He doesn't cram Jacob and Laban together in some sort of emotional octagon and settle their differences and come to some sort of a reconciliation. Rather, the LORD tells Jacob to go back home, to flee this danger. This is the opposite of how God tells Hagar to deal with Sarah. Perhaps this is because Jacob worked will his strength to please his uncle, to earn his wages, and still Laban never fully appreciated it or showed Jacob the love he needed...as a worker or a nephew/son-in-law.
What do Rachel and Leah say upon hearing this?
"What about our inheritance?"
Reeeeeeeeeeeal niiiiiiiiiice. But in a roundabout way, their line of thought leads them to understand that Laban has used and abused his wealth anyway, so they go along with what the LORD has been telling Jacob.
Its nice to get that confirmation from people when you tell them how God is working in your life. Though it may be hard for others to hear, and tainted by their own cynicism, what a great relief it had to be for Jacob to hear "do whatever God has told you."
So they load up and leave Paddan Aram, and hit the road to Canaan, without a word to Laban. I probably would have wanted to at least give my two weeks notice, but this was different. They crossed the Euphrates and headed for Gilead.
Three days later, Laban finds out that Jacob left. This guy must be kind of disconnected, or he has being enough property where someone as important and controversial as Jacob can leave without anyone knowing. He cuts out after Jacob, and catches up to him in Gilead. Then God appeared to Laban this time, telling him not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad. A warning mayhaps to leave him alone? Something tells me this won't end well.
Sure enough, first thing Laban does when he sets up camp is to confront Jacob. Like someone who is blinded by arrogance in not realizing what they have done wrong, Laban recounts what Jacob did to him. "Why didn't you tell me, I could have sent you off with tambourines and harps, and I could have kissed my grandchildren. I have the power to harm you, but God told me not to say anything to you, good or bad. Besides, someone took my household gods."
At least Laban didn't lie about what God told him. But this was no bargaining chip either. God was going to protect Jacob no matter what, and I think Jacob knew it.
Jacob didn't know Rachel took the gods, so he tells Laban he was afraid to tell him...fearing that Laban would take away Leah and Rachel and li'l Reuben and the rest. But he was not a thief, so anyone who would have taken the Gods would be a dead man. "Search me," he tells Laban.
In the course of rummaging through Jacob's and his family's belongings, Laban doesn't find the gods. He searches everything except Rachel's saddlebags. She cited a visit from her Aunt Flow as the reason she didn't stand up and let Laban go through her stuff.
Jacob has had it with the rummaging and the accusations by now, and lets Laban have it in a pretty fair rant. Laban's answer is that still everything is his. His daughters (Jacob's wives), his grandchildren (Jacob's children), and his flocks (per agreement, Jacob's flocks). All "his."
So anyway, they make a covenant at the witness heap, that neither side will cross over it. God was a witness here, in that if there was any wrongdoing, and the other side didn't know about it, God would. This is a snapshot of people realizing God's omniscience. Then they sacrifice, have a feast, Laban kisses his grandchildren good bye, and all is well. Right?
Of special interest to me is that God doesn't make Jacob stick around and face down this conflict with his uncle. He doesn't cram Jacob and Laban together in some sort of emotional octagon and settle their differences and come to some sort of a reconciliation. Rather, the LORD tells Jacob to go back home, to flee this danger. This is the opposite of how God tells Hagar to deal with Sarah. Perhaps this is because Jacob worked will his strength to please his uncle, to earn his wages, and still Laban never fully appreciated it or showed Jacob the love he needed...as a worker or a nephew/son-in-law.
What do Rachel and Leah say upon hearing this?
"What about our inheritance?"
Reeeeeeeeeeeal niiiiiiiiiice. But in a roundabout way, their line of thought leads them to understand that Laban has used and abused his wealth anyway, so they go along with what the LORD has been telling Jacob.
Its nice to get that confirmation from people when you tell them how God is working in your life. Though it may be hard for others to hear, and tainted by their own cynicism, what a great relief it had to be for Jacob to hear "do whatever God has told you."
So they load up and leave Paddan Aram, and hit the road to Canaan, without a word to Laban. I probably would have wanted to at least give my two weeks notice, but this was different. They crossed the Euphrates and headed for Gilead.
Three days later, Laban finds out that Jacob left. This guy must be kind of disconnected, or he has being enough property where someone as important and controversial as Jacob can leave without anyone knowing. He cuts out after Jacob, and catches up to him in Gilead. Then God appeared to Laban this time, telling him not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad. A warning mayhaps to leave him alone? Something tells me this won't end well.
Sure enough, first thing Laban does when he sets up camp is to confront Jacob. Like someone who is blinded by arrogance in not realizing what they have done wrong, Laban recounts what Jacob did to him. "Why didn't you tell me, I could have sent you off with tambourines and harps, and I could have kissed my grandchildren. I have the power to harm you, but God told me not to say anything to you, good or bad. Besides, someone took my household gods."
At least Laban didn't lie about what God told him. But this was no bargaining chip either. God was going to protect Jacob no matter what, and I think Jacob knew it.
Jacob didn't know Rachel took the gods, so he tells Laban he was afraid to tell him...fearing that Laban would take away Leah and Rachel and li'l Reuben and the rest. But he was not a thief, so anyone who would have taken the Gods would be a dead man. "Search me," he tells Laban.
In the course of rummaging through Jacob's and his family's belongings, Laban doesn't find the gods. He searches everything except Rachel's saddlebags. She cited a visit from her Aunt Flow as the reason she didn't stand up and let Laban go through her stuff.
Jacob has had it with the rummaging and the accusations by now, and lets Laban have it in a pretty fair rant. Laban's answer is that still everything is his. His daughters (Jacob's wives), his grandchildren (Jacob's children), and his flocks (per agreement, Jacob's flocks). All "his."
So anyway, they make a covenant at the witness heap, that neither side will cross over it. God was a witness here, in that if there was any wrongdoing, and the other side didn't know about it, God would. This is a snapshot of people realizing God's omniscience. Then they sacrifice, have a feast, Laban kisses his grandchildren good bye, and all is well. Right?
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Ge. 30: Rachel goes Nuts; Jacob's Genetic Experiments
After seeing how ... fertile, I guess is the only word that comes to mind, Leah is in chapter 29, Rachel seems to become a total head case in chapter 30. Some bizarre behavior by that woman.
She pulls Jacob aside and gets all dramatic..."Give me children or I shall die." Obviously there is no such thing as being terminally barren. So Jacob rolls his eyes and retorts, "Am I in God's place that I've corked your uterus?"
In desperation, as her grandmother-in-law had done, she offers her husband her maidservant, Billhah, to sort of get things kick-started for Rachel to have a family. I'm sure there was little argument from Jacob. When Billhah conceives, Rachel for some reason reads this as vindication from God, and names Jacob and Billhah's son accordingly: Dan. Oh yeah, real vindicated. Leah actually gave birth to her sons. Billhah conceives again, and gives birth to Jacob's number six, Naphtali. Rachel, further down the spiral into craziness, sees this as victory in a great struggle with her big sis.
I am reminded of a similar situation in high school, when Jenison used to win. We'd be demolishing a lesser school such as Grandville or Hudsonville, and at some point the other team would finally score. We would over power their mild celebrations with roaring chants of "SCORE-BOARD...SCORE-BOARD..." In this case, the scoreboard was Leah 4, Rachel 2. In reality, Leah 4, Billhah 2, Rachel 0. But Rachel claims "victory" with the birth of Naphtali.
Leah, as a typical older sister, fights fire with fire and offers her maidservant, Zilpah to Jacob. Zilpah gives Leah "good fortune," so number 7 is named Gad. Number 8 is Asher, because of how "happy" he made Leah. Can you imagine being named "Happy?" That's essentially what Asher went through. He had no license to be a sourpuss. Whatsoever.
In the midst of all the son-jockeying, there is a story about Reuben finding some mandrakes in a wheat field. I had to go google what mandrakes were. Not Mandrake. Mandrake. Reuben presents these mandrakes to Leah. Rachel asked her for some. Leah protests, telling Rachel she took away her husband, and now she wants to take away her son's mandrakes too? (The nerve of this woman!) Rachel's like, "Fine, Jacob can sleep with you in return for mandrakes. The first Indecent Proposal and it's all here in the Bible.
So, Leah gets back at it, and Issachar is the result. God "rewarded" Leah. Then God "Honors" Leah again with Zebulun.
Then she has a daughter named Dinah.
Finally God opens Rachel's womb, and she gives birth to a son...Joseph.
It's interesting that these women perceive God honoring them, giving them victory, etc (and naming their sons accordingly) for not doing what God had originally intended: husband and wife are married and have kids. God made a promise to one person in every generation beginning with Abraham that their ancestors would be like sand on the shore. Did Jacob not share his dream? Especially with Rachel? Instead of taking God at His word, they take matters into their own hands, whether ignoring God's promise completely, or assuming that it was their behavior that was going to bring God's promise to fruition. Its been disaster as a result every time since then.
In previous generations, Isaac and Abraham were recorded as faithful, Godly men, stopping wherever they were, building altars and worshipping God. Not so with Jacob and his wives. It's not all that surprising, as Jacob's marriages were built on deception, and prayerlessness.
Anyway, Jacob wants to head back to the land of his family, so he asks Laban to let him go, citing the work he had done for him over the years. God's promise of being a blessing wherever Abraham's people go certainly was true in this case, as Laban's flocks increased and he was brought wealth he didn't have before Jacob showed up. Laban says that God even revealed this to him.
So the two deceivers make a deal with each other. And you know it will end with both sides being very satisfied.
Jacob tells Laban the wages he will take will be all the spotted or speckled sheep and goats.
They agree, and what does Laban do? He removes all the spotted or speckled sheep and goats, and puts them in the flocks of his sons. Then he runs off, taking a three day head start, while Jacob tends the rest of the flocks.
Then Jacob pulls some genetic manipulation stunt that is still kind of outside of my grasp.
He cuts branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and cuts away some bark, leaving white stripes of the inner wood. Then he put the branches in the watering troughs, so they would be seen by the thirsty flocks. When in heat, the thirsty flocks would mare in front of the striped branches and give birth to spotted and speckled young. He placed the stronger females in front of the branches so they would have strong, spotted young. The weak ones, he made them avoid the striped branches.
Uh, I can only think that it was through God that the striped branches "caused" the sheep and goats to have spotted young to become the property of Jacob. Unless almond and poplar are some kind of animal aphrodisiac that I don't know about.
She pulls Jacob aside and gets all dramatic..."Give me children or I shall die." Obviously there is no such thing as being terminally barren. So Jacob rolls his eyes and retorts, "Am I in God's place that I've corked your uterus?"
In desperation, as her grandmother-in-law had done, she offers her husband her maidservant, Billhah, to sort of get things kick-started for Rachel to have a family. I'm sure there was little argument from Jacob. When Billhah conceives, Rachel for some reason reads this as vindication from God, and names Jacob and Billhah's son accordingly: Dan. Oh yeah, real vindicated. Leah actually gave birth to her sons. Billhah conceives again, and gives birth to Jacob's number six, Naphtali. Rachel, further down the spiral into craziness, sees this as victory in a great struggle with her big sis.
I am reminded of a similar situation in high school, when Jenison used to win. We'd be demolishing a lesser school such as Grandville or Hudsonville, and at some point the other team would finally score. We would over power their mild celebrations with roaring chants of "SCORE-BOARD...SCORE-BOARD..." In this case, the scoreboard was Leah 4, Rachel 2. In reality, Leah 4, Billhah 2, Rachel 0. But Rachel claims "victory" with the birth of Naphtali.
Leah, as a typical older sister, fights fire with fire and offers her maidservant, Zilpah to Jacob. Zilpah gives Leah "good fortune," so number 7 is named Gad. Number 8 is Asher, because of how "happy" he made Leah. Can you imagine being named "Happy?" That's essentially what Asher went through. He had no license to be a sourpuss. Whatsoever.
In the midst of all the son-jockeying, there is a story about Reuben finding some mandrakes in a wheat field. I had to go google what mandrakes were. Not Mandrake. Mandrake. Reuben presents these mandrakes to Leah. Rachel asked her for some. Leah protests, telling Rachel she took away her husband, and now she wants to take away her son's mandrakes too? (The nerve of this woman!) Rachel's like, "Fine, Jacob can sleep with you in return for mandrakes. The first Indecent Proposal and it's all here in the Bible.
So, Leah gets back at it, and Issachar is the result. God "rewarded" Leah. Then God "Honors" Leah again with Zebulun.
Then she has a daughter named Dinah.
Finally God opens Rachel's womb, and she gives birth to a son...Joseph.
It's interesting that these women perceive God honoring them, giving them victory, etc (and naming their sons accordingly) for not doing what God had originally intended: husband and wife are married and have kids. God made a promise to one person in every generation beginning with Abraham that their ancestors would be like sand on the shore. Did Jacob not share his dream? Especially with Rachel? Instead of taking God at His word, they take matters into their own hands, whether ignoring God's promise completely, or assuming that it was their behavior that was going to bring God's promise to fruition. Its been disaster as a result every time since then.
In previous generations, Isaac and Abraham were recorded as faithful, Godly men, stopping wherever they were, building altars and worshipping God. Not so with Jacob and his wives. It's not all that surprising, as Jacob's marriages were built on deception, and prayerlessness.
Anyway, Jacob wants to head back to the land of his family, so he asks Laban to let him go, citing the work he had done for him over the years. God's promise of being a blessing wherever Abraham's people go certainly was true in this case, as Laban's flocks increased and he was brought wealth he didn't have before Jacob showed up. Laban says that God even revealed this to him.
So the two deceivers make a deal with each other. And you know it will end with both sides being very satisfied.
Jacob tells Laban the wages he will take will be all the spotted or speckled sheep and goats.
They agree, and what does Laban do? He removes all the spotted or speckled sheep and goats, and puts them in the flocks of his sons. Then he runs off, taking a three day head start, while Jacob tends the rest of the flocks.
Then Jacob pulls some genetic manipulation stunt that is still kind of outside of my grasp.
He cuts branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and cuts away some bark, leaving white stripes of the inner wood. Then he put the branches in the watering troughs, so they would be seen by the thirsty flocks. When in heat, the thirsty flocks would mare in front of the striped branches and give birth to spotted and speckled young. He placed the stronger females in front of the branches so they would have strong, spotted young. The weak ones, he made them avoid the striped branches.
Uh, I can only think that it was through God that the striped branches "caused" the sheep and goats to have spotted young to become the property of Jacob. Unless almond and poplar are some kind of animal aphrodisiac that I don't know about.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Ge. 29: Jacob Earns a Wife. And another.
After Jacob's dream and refreshment in the LORD, he continues on his way east in chapter 29. He spies a well that has some sheep around it because...I guess, sheep like water. Apparently this well was so huge, it took multiple shepherds to hoist it off. Then, as you would expect, they would water their sheep. Then, after that, the shepherds would put the cap back on. The Bible is very precise, very specific here in how this well is used, and I thought, "Duh...thanks for explaining it, Captain Obvious. I know how to work an ancient well."
But then, I took some time to think about what I had read, and the significance of this drawn out explanation of something so pedestrian may just be that the practicality of "There's a place for everything, and everything in it's place" is an important concept even here. Lets not clutter the place up.
Anyway.
Jacob meets the shepherds, and asks where they are from. "Haran." Yessss...
"Do you know Laban?"
"Yes."
Awesome.
"Is he well?"
"Yes, and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
Its kinda funny how the story changes when Jacob sees Rachel coming. The first thing he tries to do is get rid of the shepherds. "It's still afternoon, water the sheep and uh...take them back to pasture or something."
Of course this wouldn't work. The shepherds probably know what's going on. "We can't water the sheep until the stone is rolled away." Hm...
By that time, Rachel had shown up, and the shepherds had blown Jacob's chance to be alone with Rachel and work his game. So he does what any guy would do. He lifts the huge stone off the well himself and watered his uncle's sheep. Check that out Rachel!
Then, it gets kinda weird, he kisses Rachel and begins weeping out loud. It must have been overwhelming to be kissing this hot babe, and to finally know you've reached the end of your journey...or...this leg of the journey.
It was a good thing for Laban to meet Jacob, and there was a lot of joy in their meeting. Laban said that Jacob was like his son.
Jacob was there a month, and was apparently working for Laban. For free. Laban, after a month of free labor, finally asks Jacob what he thinks he should be paid. This was always a difficult question for me in job interviews. I wanted to be honest, but I didn't want to queer the deal by asking for too much. I figured I was an above average worker, so I thought I deserved an above average wage. The word says that Leah had weak (delicate in NKJV) eyes, so I don't know if she just looked like a freak, was kinda pretty, or was blind or what.
But it didn't matter, because Rachel was all hot. That was the dealmaker for Jacob. He would work seven years for her. Jacob must be the type of guy that makes the ladies swoon. Verse 20 says that the seven years were like a few days because of his love for her. What an amazing love. What would seem like forever only felt like a few days for true love. I want to be able to love my wife like that always. My 8 hours away from her at work...I want those to fly by because soon I will see my wife again after that.
After the seven years of labor, Jacob makes no..er...bones about what he expects, saying to Laban, "Times up, give me my wife, I want to have sex with her." Now, I can't imagine saying that to my father-in-law...Mr. Prickett would...be disappointed to say the very least.
So, marriage night fun...fast forward, and...Jacob wakes up and discovers Leah in bed with him.
It must have been mighty dark, or Jacob must have been mighty drunk. I wonder who was all in on the scam, and for how long? Laban and Leah for sure, but did Rachel know? And it was a taste of Jacob's own medicine to finally have one pulled over on him. I wonder if he was able to be empathetic at all to his dad or brother.
Jacob's like, "What the...why?" Laban broke the deal, citing the local custom as the reason he pulled the wifeswap. Being the shrewd dealmaker he was, he offered Rachel for another seven years. He said, "Finish the bridal week, then you get Rachel." It was an offer Jacob couldn't refuse. So then Laban gives Rachel to him, and then Jacob works another seven years. I always thought Jacob had to put 14 years of work in before he got Rachel. The word doesn't dumb it down, it says Jake loved Rach more than Leah.
God looked down on this situation, and gave Leah the gift of children, while the favored Rachel was barren. Leah gave birth to Reuben, which means "corned-beef-with-cole-slaw-on-pumpernickel." Apparently. After Reuben, Simeon. Then Levi. The fourth was Judah. Then the Bible said she stopped having children.
God showed an amazing amount of mercy on Leah. While she was part of her father's deception, she probably had little choice in the matter. Traditiooooooooooon! The older gets married off before the younger. Sounds like a great work of literature...whats it called...10 Things I Hate About You. God lavished the blessing of child-bearing on her in a way she may not have asked for, but certainly desired.
The arc of how she names her sons reveals a bit of a spiritual journey: Reuben actually means "Misery." Simeon: "Hears." Levi: "Attached." Judah: "Praise." Out of Leah's misery, God hears. Leah became more attached to God, because of the continued emotional separation from Jacob. Finally, she praises God for who He is.
Levi is kind of a heartbreaker, because in this naming, and with the third son, Leah expected that Jacob would finally become attached to her. May finally love her. With Rachel still barren, and probably going out of her mind, I'm not confident that's at all true.
With Leah's unrequested blessings in mind, why wouldn't I ask God for the things I desire? What would stop me? And I wonder what ways God has blessed me without me asking for them? I'm sure there's something....
But then, I took some time to think about what I had read, and the significance of this drawn out explanation of something so pedestrian may just be that the practicality of "There's a place for everything, and everything in it's place" is an important concept even here. Lets not clutter the place up.
Anyway.
Jacob meets the shepherds, and asks where they are from. "Haran." Yessss...
"Do you know Laban?"
"Yes."
Awesome.
"Is he well?"
"Yes, and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
Its kinda funny how the story changes when Jacob sees Rachel coming. The first thing he tries to do is get rid of the shepherds. "It's still afternoon, water the sheep and uh...take them back to pasture or something."
Of course this wouldn't work. The shepherds probably know what's going on. "We can't water the sheep until the stone is rolled away." Hm...
By that time, Rachel had shown up, and the shepherds had blown Jacob's chance to be alone with Rachel and work his game. So he does what any guy would do. He lifts the huge stone off the well himself and watered his uncle's sheep. Check that out Rachel!
Then, it gets kinda weird, he kisses Rachel and begins weeping out loud. It must have been overwhelming to be kissing this hot babe, and to finally know you've reached the end of your journey...or...this leg of the journey.
It was a good thing for Laban to meet Jacob, and there was a lot of joy in their meeting. Laban said that Jacob was like his son.
Jacob was there a month, and was apparently working for Laban. For free. Laban, after a month of free labor, finally asks Jacob what he thinks he should be paid. This was always a difficult question for me in job interviews. I wanted to be honest, but I didn't want to queer the deal by asking for too much. I figured I was an above average worker, so I thought I deserved an above average wage. The word says that Leah had weak (delicate in NKJV) eyes, so I don't know if she just looked like a freak, was kinda pretty, or was blind or what.
But it didn't matter, because Rachel was all hot. That was the dealmaker for Jacob. He would work seven years for her. Jacob must be the type of guy that makes the ladies swoon. Verse 20 says that the seven years were like a few days because of his love for her. What an amazing love. What would seem like forever only felt like a few days for true love. I want to be able to love my wife like that always. My 8 hours away from her at work...I want those to fly by because soon I will see my wife again after that.
After the seven years of labor, Jacob makes no..er...bones about what he expects, saying to Laban, "Times up, give me my wife, I want to have sex with her." Now, I can't imagine saying that to my father-in-law...Mr. Prickett would...be disappointed to say the very least.
So, marriage night fun...fast forward, and...Jacob wakes up and discovers Leah in bed with him.
It must have been mighty dark, or Jacob must have been mighty drunk. I wonder who was all in on the scam, and for how long? Laban and Leah for sure, but did Rachel know? And it was a taste of Jacob's own medicine to finally have one pulled over on him. I wonder if he was able to be empathetic at all to his dad or brother.
Jacob's like, "What the...why?" Laban broke the deal, citing the local custom as the reason he pulled the wifeswap. Being the shrewd dealmaker he was, he offered Rachel for another seven years. He said, "Finish the bridal week, then you get Rachel." It was an offer Jacob couldn't refuse. So then Laban gives Rachel to him, and then Jacob works another seven years. I always thought Jacob had to put 14 years of work in before he got Rachel. The word doesn't dumb it down, it says Jake loved Rach more than Leah.
God looked down on this situation, and gave Leah the gift of children, while the favored Rachel was barren. Leah gave birth to Reuben, which means "corned-beef-with-cole-slaw-on-pumpernickel." Apparently. After Reuben, Simeon. Then Levi. The fourth was Judah. Then the Bible said she stopped having children.
God showed an amazing amount of mercy on Leah. While she was part of her father's deception, she probably had little choice in the matter. Traditiooooooooooon! The older gets married off before the younger. Sounds like a great work of literature...whats it called...10 Things I Hate About You. God lavished the blessing of child-bearing on her in a way she may not have asked for, but certainly desired.
The arc of how she names her sons reveals a bit of a spiritual journey: Reuben actually means "Misery." Simeon: "Hears." Levi: "Attached." Judah: "Praise." Out of Leah's misery, God hears. Leah became more attached to God, because of the continued emotional separation from Jacob. Finally, she praises God for who He is.
Levi is kind of a heartbreaker, because in this naming, and with the third son, Leah expected that Jacob would finally become attached to her. May finally love her. With Rachel still barren, and probably going out of her mind, I'm not confident that's at all true.
With Leah's unrequested blessings in mind, why wouldn't I ask God for the things I desire? What would stop me? And I wonder what ways God has blessed me without me asking for them? I'm sure there's something....
Monday, November 19, 2007
Ge. 28: And He's Dreaming a Stairway to Heaven
After hearing Rebekah badmouth Canaanite women, Isaac figures its probably a good idea to tell his boy Jacob in chapter 28 to go instead to Paddan Aram where his brother-in-law Laban lives. With God's blessing, Isaac tells him to go marry one of his cousins.
Isaac tells Jacob, "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham."
What an awesome blessing. Isaac was definitely listening when Father Abraham had something to say about the covenant with God. He knew about the innumerable descendants that would come from his line. Isaac was probably just as eager as Abraham to see this come about, imploring his youngster Jacob to be fruitful.
Esau found out about this blessing, and the Bible says that he realized how displeasing Canaanite women were to his parents. So he goes and marries a daughter of Ishmael. I don't know if this is out of respect for Isaac, as sort of a last ditch, genuine desperate attempt to regain favor in his father's eyes, or if he simply wanted to appear righteous. This girl he marries was still outside of the blessing, as she came from Ishmael's line. So even when he tries to go make it right, its still a screw up. Sad really.
Jacob leaves Beersheba and hits the road to Haran. He finds a nice rock on the side of the road, rests his head on it, falls asleep. Thank God for ingenious people with useful brains who were able to conceive of my tempurpedic pillow. Anyway, Jacob has the most wonderful dream.
He dreamed he saw a stairway resting on earth that reached into heaven. Along this stairway were angels ascending and descending. What a glorious sight that must have been. I wonder what the staircase looked like? Was it gold or something with cool rails and glowing in the night? Or maybe it was marble.
What's important was that the LORD was standing above it, and He spoke to Jacob, saying "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying." Here God affirms to Jacob the covenant that he made with Abraham and later with Isaac. It was a seedling covenant that is slowly starting to take root. Abraham and Isaac were both men who were faithful to God and called upon Him wherever they were.
God continues... "Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Now that is a pretty powerful promise. If God says something like that to me, I must admit a certain amount of pride in myself would begin to set in. As if God would bless me so profoundly for something I did. I would also wonder why on earth God would choose me for this grandiose plan that I probably have no ability to fathom. I can't even think of my own kids, let alone my descendants being like the dust of the earth (working on the assumption that by "dust of the earth" He means numerically. Also, with that great of a number, it would seem that at some point a person would start to lose his significance, just being one in a sea of millions...
Jacob awakens from his dream in awe of what he had just dreamt. "Surely God must be in this place, and I was not aware of it!" He exclaims. What an amazing realization. I can't think of too many times when I was able to say it. Not because I don't believe God is or is not in a certain place...I don't walk around saying...yeah, God is here, but definitely not over there. It's because I don't look for Him to be there. Because I know it in my head, but rarely know it in my heart. Jacob treated the place where he had the dream as sacred, as the house of the LORD, even the gateway to "heaven." I'm not sure what the concept of heaven was at that time, but it was probably just as mysterious and baffling as it is to me today as I write this.
The next morning, he sets his pillow stone up as a pillar, pours oil on it and names the place Bethel, which means "House of God." It was at this place that Jacob made a vow to God in that if God watches over, protects, clothes and feeds Jacob on his journey to Uncle Laban's, then the Lord will be His God. Apparently Jacob was still kind of on the fence with this whole God thing until God spoke to him in the dream. Rebekah wasn't exactly a shining example of a Godly woman, but Isaac probably instilled Jacob's moral compass and knowledge of who God was. Jacob offers a tenth to the LORD as a sign of his commitment to him. His house would be God's house. So God reaches down to a sinful man, a man who may or may not have been begrudgingly following his dying father's wishes to marry a non-Canaanite on this journey, and offers an amazing and life-changing promise.
Isaac tells Jacob, "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham."
What an awesome blessing. Isaac was definitely listening when Father Abraham had something to say about the covenant with God. He knew about the innumerable descendants that would come from his line. Isaac was probably just as eager as Abraham to see this come about, imploring his youngster Jacob to be fruitful.
Esau found out about this blessing, and the Bible says that he realized how displeasing Canaanite women were to his parents. So he goes and marries a daughter of Ishmael. I don't know if this is out of respect for Isaac, as sort of a last ditch, genuine desperate attempt to regain favor in his father's eyes, or if he simply wanted to appear righteous. This girl he marries was still outside of the blessing, as she came from Ishmael's line. So even when he tries to go make it right, its still a screw up. Sad really.
Jacob leaves Beersheba and hits the road to Haran. He finds a nice rock on the side of the road, rests his head on it, falls asleep. Thank God for ingenious people with useful brains who were able to conceive of my tempurpedic pillow. Anyway, Jacob has the most wonderful dream.
He dreamed he saw a stairway resting on earth that reached into heaven. Along this stairway were angels ascending and descending. What a glorious sight that must have been. I wonder what the staircase looked like? Was it gold or something with cool rails and glowing in the night? Or maybe it was marble.
What's important was that the LORD was standing above it, and He spoke to Jacob, saying "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying." Here God affirms to Jacob the covenant that he made with Abraham and later with Isaac. It was a seedling covenant that is slowly starting to take root. Abraham and Isaac were both men who were faithful to God and called upon Him wherever they were.
God continues... "Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Now that is a pretty powerful promise. If God says something like that to me, I must admit a certain amount of pride in myself would begin to set in. As if God would bless me so profoundly for something I did. I would also wonder why on earth God would choose me for this grandiose plan that I probably have no ability to fathom. I can't even think of my own kids, let alone my descendants being like the dust of the earth (working on the assumption that by "dust of the earth" He means numerically. Also, with that great of a number, it would seem that at some point a person would start to lose his significance, just being one in a sea of millions...
Jacob awakens from his dream in awe of what he had just dreamt. "Surely God must be in this place, and I was not aware of it!" He exclaims. What an amazing realization. I can't think of too many times when I was able to say it. Not because I don't believe God is or is not in a certain place...I don't walk around saying...yeah, God is here, but definitely not over there. It's because I don't look for Him to be there. Because I know it in my head, but rarely know it in my heart. Jacob treated the place where he had the dream as sacred, as the house of the LORD, even the gateway to "heaven." I'm not sure what the concept of heaven was at that time, but it was probably just as mysterious and baffling as it is to me today as I write this.
The next morning, he sets his pillow stone up as a pillar, pours oil on it and names the place Bethel, which means "House of God." It was at this place that Jacob made a vow to God in that if God watches over, protects, clothes and feeds Jacob on his journey to Uncle Laban's, then the Lord will be His God. Apparently Jacob was still kind of on the fence with this whole God thing until God spoke to him in the dream. Rebekah wasn't exactly a shining example of a Godly woman, but Isaac probably instilled Jacob's moral compass and knowledge of who God was. Jacob offers a tenth to the LORD as a sign of his commitment to him. His house would be God's house. So God reaches down to a sinful man, a man who may or may not have been begrudgingly following his dying father's wishes to marry a non-Canaanite on this journey, and offers an amazing and life-changing promise.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Ge. 27: Con-Man in the Family
By this time, Isaac is doddering around the tent, and mainly just being old. The word says his vision was failing, so basically all he could do is taste and smell.
He calls in Esau and tells him to go hunt him some of his favorite game, and cook him up something tasty so that Isaac could deliver his blessing. Isaac still favored Esau here, in spite of the LORD telling Rebekah in Gen 25:23 that Jacob would be served by Esau. Rebekah as we know favored Isaac, so she planned to have Jacob deceive his old man. The ruse: Dressing up as and smelling like Esau and bringing Isaac some goats prepared from their own flock. Jacob did not need to be coerced at all by his mother Rebekah. He basically went along with it from the beginning. But this was different from back in chapter 25 when Jacob took advantage of the short-sighted and hungry Esau by trading stew for his birthright.
And the Bible doesn't editorialize here. It reports. I decide. I decide that Jacob is a jerk for taking advantage of Esau, and then falsely claiming God provided for him when Isaac asked how "Esau" got the food so quickly, and Rebekah is just as conniving, and I wonder what changed between who she is here, and the camel-watering servant girl from chapter 24. Wealth?
So the trick works, and Isaac doles out this magnificent blessing upon Jacob, ending with "May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed." I wonder what ran through Jacob's mind as he heard these blessings spoken, realizing they were not intended for him, and what would have been.
So Jacob bails, and Esau returns, bearing tasty game. Sure enough, a horrified Isaac realized he's been tricked, but there's not much he can do now. It was heartbreaking to read how Esau reacted, bursting out with a loud and bitter cry. This was it, this was major, and how his future would be directed. And it was gone, and Esau knew it. So maybe he made some wrong decisions along the way, it doesn't detract from my sympathy for him.
"Bless me - me too, my father." I can imagine Esau weeping aloud in his desperation for something great from his father, anything good.
Isaac simply says, "Jacob took your blessing."
Esau refers to Jacob's name apparently meaning deception, in that he grasps the heel. He refers to the stew episode.
As Isaac gave Jacob everything, he could give Esau only servitude, poverty and violence. What a downer. So much so that Esau looked forward to mourning his father so he could kill Jacob. Rebekah found out about it, and warned Jacob to go hide with her brother Laban until Esau gets over it. Which...is going to take some kind of cosmic miracle.
Then, in order to cover for Jacob, she tells Isaac she's sick of these (local) Hittite women, creating a story that Jacob went to live with Laban to find a wife. Rebekah just has all the bases covered.
OK, so, I'm seeing a lot of intermarriage here, and close relatives hooking up. I don't mean to skim over it, just that I assume it was a better option than marrying pagan women outside of God's covenant. I don't mean to skim over it, because I shudder at the thought of marrying a half-sister or something, but this was how they did it back then, and apparently it simply wasn't as taboo as it is today.
He calls in Esau and tells him to go hunt him some of his favorite game, and cook him up something tasty so that Isaac could deliver his blessing. Isaac still favored Esau here, in spite of the LORD telling Rebekah in Gen 25:23 that Jacob would be served by Esau. Rebekah as we know favored Isaac, so she planned to have Jacob deceive his old man. The ruse: Dressing up as and smelling like Esau and bringing Isaac some goats prepared from their own flock. Jacob did not need to be coerced at all by his mother Rebekah. He basically went along with it from the beginning. But this was different from back in chapter 25 when Jacob took advantage of the short-sighted and hungry Esau by trading stew for his birthright.
And the Bible doesn't editorialize here. It reports. I decide. I decide that Jacob is a jerk for taking advantage of Esau, and then falsely claiming God provided for him when Isaac asked how "Esau" got the food so quickly, and Rebekah is just as conniving, and I wonder what changed between who she is here, and the camel-watering servant girl from chapter 24. Wealth?
So the trick works, and Isaac doles out this magnificent blessing upon Jacob, ending with "May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed." I wonder what ran through Jacob's mind as he heard these blessings spoken, realizing they were not intended for him, and what would have been.
So Jacob bails, and Esau returns, bearing tasty game. Sure enough, a horrified Isaac realized he's been tricked, but there's not much he can do now. It was heartbreaking to read how Esau reacted, bursting out with a loud and bitter cry. This was it, this was major, and how his future would be directed. And it was gone, and Esau knew it. So maybe he made some wrong decisions along the way, it doesn't detract from my sympathy for him.
"Bless me - me too, my father." I can imagine Esau weeping aloud in his desperation for something great from his father, anything good.
Isaac simply says, "Jacob took your blessing."
Esau refers to Jacob's name apparently meaning deception, in that he grasps the heel. He refers to the stew episode.
As Isaac gave Jacob everything, he could give Esau only servitude, poverty and violence. What a downer. So much so that Esau looked forward to mourning his father so he could kill Jacob. Rebekah found out about it, and warned Jacob to go hide with her brother Laban until Esau gets over it. Which...is going to take some kind of cosmic miracle.
Then, in order to cover for Jacob, she tells Isaac she's sick of these (local) Hittite women, creating a story that Jacob went to live with Laban to find a wife. Rebekah just has all the bases covered.
OK, so, I'm seeing a lot of intermarriage here, and close relatives hooking up. I don't mean to skim over it, just that I assume it was a better option than marrying pagan women outside of God's covenant. I don't mean to skim over it, because I shudder at the thought of marrying a half-sister or something, but this was how they did it back then, and apparently it simply wasn't as taboo as it is today.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Ge. 26: Isaac and Abimelech
Kicking off the second half of Genesis, we find out there is a famine in the land. So Isaac goes and pays a visit to his dad's old friend, Abimelech in Gerar.
Meanwhile, God tells Isaac not to go down to Egypt. Not sure if it has something to do with his stepbrother Ishmael's wife, or that Egypt just sucked. Anyway, God tells him to avoid Egypt. In verse 4, God almost word-for-word reiterates the promise he made to Abraham back in Gen 22:17. But he adds a caveat, saying that Abraham obeyed God, and did everything required of him. This was a challenge to Isaac to follow the same path.
Follow the same path, he did...right down to letting Abimelech think Rebekah was Isaac's sister. When his dad pulled the stunt, it was before he was born, so maybe Isaac thought of it on his own, or maybe Abraham told him about it....I'unno. The point is, we have a husband with a hot wife, fearing for his life in spite of God's promise of preservation, Abimelech (or his cohorts) under the impression hot wife was a sister, Abimelech getting upset because they don't mess with married women, and then a decree going out not to harm the prophet. Maybe this was how Isaac figured it worked. Bring your wife in, let them think she's your sister, and then they protect you and lavish gifts upon you. Not a bad racket, I guess.
Isaac planted crops in that land, and God gave him a hundredfold increase. I'm no farmer, but if I plant one seed of corn or wheat or something, and I get 100 plants, I'd say that's pretty amazing, and a miracle.
So he gets rich. Big time. So much so that the Philistines living in the land got jealous. All they had were their cave paintings and sloping, ape-like foreheads presumably. So what do you do when you're jealous of the new rich guy in town? Go fill in all his wells. Grr...now they've got him.
Abimelech gets word of this, and tells Isaac to move away. He's become too big a fish for the small pond. So he moves away to the Valley of Gerar, which is apparently distinct from Gerar.
Isaac reopened all the wells, but was apparently not far enough away from Gerar, as the Gerarian herdsman argued with him over land and wells. He finally moved far enough away to be able to call a well Rehoboth, or "Room." Then he went to Beersheba. God again reconuts his promise, and Isaac builds an altar.
I'm pretty amazed by how often God recounts his promise to Abraham and Isaac. So far it's been 5 or 6 times. He must mean it.
Abimelech tracks him down, and goes to meet Isaac. Isaac is like, "What do you want? We moved away from your hostility." Abimelech goes, "No, we see that you and the LORD are like...tight. We want to make a deal with you."
Just like Abimelech, trying to get on God's good side without making any effort on his own.
So they have a feast and everyone's happy. They're cool.
Then they find out Ishmael went and married some Hittite chicks. And this really bugged Isaac and Rebekah.
Meanwhile, God tells Isaac not to go down to Egypt. Not sure if it has something to do with his stepbrother Ishmael's wife, or that Egypt just sucked. Anyway, God tells him to avoid Egypt. In verse 4, God almost word-for-word reiterates the promise he made to Abraham back in Gen 22:17. But he adds a caveat, saying that Abraham obeyed God, and did everything required of him. This was a challenge to Isaac to follow the same path.
Follow the same path, he did...right down to letting Abimelech think Rebekah was Isaac's sister. When his dad pulled the stunt, it was before he was born, so maybe Isaac thought of it on his own, or maybe Abraham told him about it....I'unno. The point is, we have a husband with a hot wife, fearing for his life in spite of God's promise of preservation, Abimelech (or his cohorts) under the impression hot wife was a sister, Abimelech getting upset because they don't mess with married women, and then a decree going out not to harm the prophet. Maybe this was how Isaac figured it worked. Bring your wife in, let them think she's your sister, and then they protect you and lavish gifts upon you. Not a bad racket, I guess.
Isaac planted crops in that land, and God gave him a hundredfold increase. I'm no farmer, but if I plant one seed of corn or wheat or something, and I get 100 plants, I'd say that's pretty amazing, and a miracle.
So he gets rich. Big time. So much so that the Philistines living in the land got jealous. All they had were their cave paintings and sloping, ape-like foreheads presumably. So what do you do when you're jealous of the new rich guy in town? Go fill in all his wells. Grr...now they've got him.
Abimelech gets word of this, and tells Isaac to move away. He's become too big a fish for the small pond. So he moves away to the Valley of Gerar, which is apparently distinct from Gerar.
Isaac reopened all the wells, but was apparently not far enough away from Gerar, as the Gerarian herdsman argued with him over land and wells. He finally moved far enough away to be able to call a well Rehoboth, or "Room." Then he went to Beersheba. God again reconuts his promise, and Isaac builds an altar.
I'm pretty amazed by how often God recounts his promise to Abraham and Isaac. So far it's been 5 or 6 times. He must mean it.
Abimelech tracks him down, and goes to meet Isaac. Isaac is like, "What do you want? We moved away from your hostility." Abimelech goes, "No, we see that you and the LORD are like...tight. We want to make a deal with you."
Just like Abimelech, trying to get on God's good side without making any effort on his own.
So they have a feast and everyone's happy. They're cool.
Then they find out Ishmael went and married some Hittite chicks. And this really bugged Isaac and Rebekah.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Ge. 25: The Greatest Stew in the History of Man
Chapter 25 opens describing how Abraham took a second wife: Keturah. I think this is for a couple of reasons. The first is that maybe he was still trying to kick God's promise into gear. After all these promises, after all these signs, could he really be trying to take over and do it himself? To help God out perhaps? As we have seen previously, forcing God's hand can lead to problems. See Hagar. And let's not forget that in Gen. 17:19, God says He will establish His covenant with Isaac anyway.
The other reason, possibly, is that Abraham needed a companion. What's wrong with taking a second wife in case of death? He could have been lonely, and needed that type of intimacy. After all, "things" have only been "working" for a few years.
Anyway, Keturah gives Abraham a quintet of sons...maybe some daughters, but unless I'm mistaken, only in the case of Rebekah have daughters been mentioned. Crazy sexist Bible. Would these sons ally themselves with Isaac, or be enemies to Abraham's descendants? I don't know yet. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say probably not.
Abraham probably didn't endear himself to Keturah's sons by leaving all of his vast wealth and land to Isaac, although he did offer them some nice parting gifts before sending them on their way.
Abraham kicked off after 175 years, a good old age indeed as prophesied in Gen. 15:15. Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury their old man in Machpelah with Sarah. Apparently still on friendly terms with the Hittites.
Ishmael, as God promised, was fruitful and had 12 sons with the wife from Egypt that Hagar found for him as mentioned in Gen. 21:21.
Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 12 sons. Just as the Angel of the LORD said to Hagar in Gen 16:12, they lived in hostility toward their brothers. Well, I guess that answers my question.
Isaac didn't have it as easy to begin with as Ishmael. Rebekah, as hot as she was, turned out to be barren. So he did what Abraham exemplified, Isaac took it to the LORD in prayer. Abraham must have raised Isaac in the culture of prayer, and walking with God daily...Chapter 22 being the most amazing example.
As promised, God heard Isaac's prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. With two. With two jostlers, who wrestled in the womb. This was all weird and scary to Rebekah. She asked God about it as well.
"What's the deal?"
"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." Kind of cryptic sounding, but actually pretty clear. That kind of thing would be hard for me to hear. I'd want my kids to get along, and be friends for life, especially if they were twins. So...not only will they possibly not get along, their whole lines will be at each other's throats.
The first on the twins to come out was all red and hairy, so he was named Esau, which I guess means "red" or "hairy" or a combination of both. Good thing he wasn't pink. The next little fella came out grasping Esau's heel, so he was given the name "Jacob," meaning heel-grasper. Hmm...where else have we heard about heels? Possibly unrelated, but there is some importance to the heel.
Esau grows up to be a skillful hunter, while Jacob kind of mellows out and hangs around the tents. Isaac, who loved the taste of wild game preferred Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob.
OK, this one time, like Esau came back from hunting all starved, and momma's boy Jacob had made some red stew. Esau could not wait to get that stew in him. He's all like, "Quick, give me some stew." Jacob realized it was time to be an exploiter, and told Esau to sell him his birthright...his inheritance, you know? Drama queen Esau was like, "I'm dying anyway, what good is my birthright?" So he swore an oath to Jacob, that for a bowl of stew, Jacob would receive all Isaac owned. Nice deal, Esau, way to be.
Questions for God:
1. Wow, I...cool. I'm glad I can just ask for something. Why would you want to keep hearing the minutia begged for by all of humanity. Well, not all humanity...those who call upon you?
The other reason, possibly, is that Abraham needed a companion. What's wrong with taking a second wife in case of death? He could have been lonely, and needed that type of intimacy. After all, "things" have only been "working" for a few years.
Anyway, Keturah gives Abraham a quintet of sons...maybe some daughters, but unless I'm mistaken, only in the case of Rebekah have daughters been mentioned. Crazy sexist Bible. Would these sons ally themselves with Isaac, or be enemies to Abraham's descendants? I don't know yet. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say probably not.
Abraham probably didn't endear himself to Keturah's sons by leaving all of his vast wealth and land to Isaac, although he did offer them some nice parting gifts before sending them on their way.
Abraham kicked off after 175 years, a good old age indeed as prophesied in Gen. 15:15. Isaac and Ishmael came together to bury their old man in Machpelah with Sarah. Apparently still on friendly terms with the Hittites.
Ishmael, as God promised, was fruitful and had 12 sons with the wife from Egypt that Hagar found for him as mentioned in Gen. 21:21.
Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 12 sons. Just as the Angel of the LORD said to Hagar in Gen 16:12, they lived in hostility toward their brothers. Well, I guess that answers my question.
Isaac didn't have it as easy to begin with as Ishmael. Rebekah, as hot as she was, turned out to be barren. So he did what Abraham exemplified, Isaac took it to the LORD in prayer. Abraham must have raised Isaac in the culture of prayer, and walking with God daily...Chapter 22 being the most amazing example.
As promised, God heard Isaac's prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. With two. With two jostlers, who wrestled in the womb. This was all weird and scary to Rebekah. She asked God about it as well.
"What's the deal?"
"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." Kind of cryptic sounding, but actually pretty clear. That kind of thing would be hard for me to hear. I'd want my kids to get along, and be friends for life, especially if they were twins. So...not only will they possibly not get along, their whole lines will be at each other's throats.
The first on the twins to come out was all red and hairy, so he was named Esau, which I guess means "red" or "hairy" or a combination of both. Good thing he wasn't pink. The next little fella came out grasping Esau's heel, so he was given the name "Jacob," meaning heel-grasper. Hmm...where else have we heard about heels? Possibly unrelated, but there is some importance to the heel.
Esau grows up to be a skillful hunter, while Jacob kind of mellows out and hangs around the tents. Isaac, who loved the taste of wild game preferred Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob.
OK, this one time, like Esau came back from hunting all starved, and momma's boy Jacob had made some red stew. Esau could not wait to get that stew in him. He's all like, "Quick, give me some stew." Jacob realized it was time to be an exploiter, and told Esau to sell him his birthright...his inheritance, you know? Drama queen Esau was like, "I'm dying anyway, what good is my birthright?" So he swore an oath to Jacob, that for a bowl of stew, Jacob would receive all Isaac owned. Nice deal, Esau, way to be.
Questions for God:
1. Wow, I...cool. I'm glad I can just ask for something. Why would you want to keep hearing the minutia begged for by all of humanity. Well, not all humanity...those who call upon you?
- Noah: 1046 - 1996
- Shem: 1548 - 2148
- Flood and the shortened lifespan - 1646
- Arphaxad: 1648 - 2086
- Shelah: 1683 - 2116
- Eber: 1713 - 2143
- Peleg: 1747 - 1956
- Reu: 1777 - 2016
- Serug: 1809 - 2039
- Nahor: 1839 - 1987
- Terah: 1868 - 2073
- Abraham: 1938 - 2113
- Ishmael: 2024 - 2161
- Isaac: 2038 -
- Jacob: 2098 -
- Esau: 2098 -
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Ge. 24: Rebekah meets Isaac
Abraham is an old man, so he makes his chief servant go find Isaac a wife. Abraham is really itching to get this whole "ancestors as numerous as the stars" thing going.
A promise is apparently made by one putting his hand under another's thigh.
Abraham told servant-man not to go get a wife for Isaac among the Canaanites. Probably because they did not fear God. But even more important to Abraham was that Isaac didn't leave and go live somewhere else. Who knows what would have happened, in addition to going outside of the covenant.
What's amazing is that Abraham tells his servant that God will send his angel ahead, to prepare the way. Abraham knows women are sometimes...uncontrollable. Not the right word, but...ok...women need a little extra convincing to go along with a plan sometimes. An angel was needed for Pete's sake.
The servant knows that the hotspot for all the girlie action is the local well.
He asks God for an indicator, saying, "OK, if I ask her for a drink, and she hooks me up, and then offers to water the camels, she's the one." And it happened. Rebekah, who we met in Gen. 22:23, is the first taker. Everything basically follows according to plan. God makes it pretty easy.
The servant tells Rebekah's family this story, and they, for the most part, are on board with her leaving town. They recognize that this is from the LORD., except for some reason they want her to stay ten more days.
But she's like, "Pshhhh...I'm about to go get married."
She meets Isaac and they fall in love....Wooooo!
A promise is apparently made by one putting his hand under another's thigh.
Abraham told servant-man not to go get a wife for Isaac among the Canaanites. Probably because they did not fear God. But even more important to Abraham was that Isaac didn't leave and go live somewhere else. Who knows what would have happened, in addition to going outside of the covenant.
What's amazing is that Abraham tells his servant that God will send his angel ahead, to prepare the way. Abraham knows women are sometimes...uncontrollable. Not the right word, but...ok...women need a little extra convincing to go along with a plan sometimes. An angel was needed for Pete's sake.
The servant knows that the hotspot for all the girlie action is the local well.
He asks God for an indicator, saying, "OK, if I ask her for a drink, and she hooks me up, and then offers to water the camels, she's the one." And it happened. Rebekah, who we met in Gen. 22:23, is the first taker. Everything basically follows according to plan. God makes it pretty easy.
The servant tells Rebekah's family this story, and they, for the most part, are on board with her leaving town. They recognize that this is from the LORD., except for some reason they want her to stay ten more days.
But she's like, "Pshhhh...I'm about to go get married."
She meets Isaac and they fall in love....Wooooo!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Ge. 23: Mmmm....business deal
OK, so on the surface, not much appears to happen in chapter 23.
Sarah dies, and Abraham negotiates a business deal with the Hittites, who we first hear of in Gen. 10:7 as descendants of Canaan, and again as whose land God promises to Abraham in Gen. 15:20.
There is this kind of weird back-and-forth, as if the two sides would be honored to give everything to the other side. Well, I'm not buying it.
Abraham wants to buy property in Hittite land to bury Sarah.
The Hittites say, "No problem, no one is refusing you. Take the best tomb."
Abraham says, "OK, tell that to Ephron son of Zohar, so I can buy Machpelah."
Ephron was sitting there anyway, and said, "No. You can have it."
Abraham comes back like, "I will pay you the price of the field. Please accept whatever I offer."
This is where it gets sleazy. Ephron goes, "Hey, you know, the land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But, come onnnnnnnn, what's 400 shekels between me and you? Bury your dead." So...Ephron expected 400 shekels, which basically forced Abraham into a corner...how could Abraham not pay him less than 400 shekels? On the other hand, Abraham gains legal property in their country.
Its as if Ephron is trying to hitch his wagon to Abraham's gravy train, or get as much money out of him as possible if he's going to get land foothold.
I don't really know what 400 shekels a million years ago compares to nowadays...but maybe it was a lot?
So Abraham pays up, and is deeded the plain of Machpelah, the trees and the cave, and he buries Sarah there in the land of Canaan.
Sarah dies, and Abraham negotiates a business deal with the Hittites, who we first hear of in Gen. 10:7 as descendants of Canaan, and again as whose land God promises to Abraham in Gen. 15:20.
There is this kind of weird back-and-forth, as if the two sides would be honored to give everything to the other side. Well, I'm not buying it.
Abraham wants to buy property in Hittite land to bury Sarah.
The Hittites say, "No problem, no one is refusing you. Take the best tomb."
Abraham says, "OK, tell that to Ephron son of Zohar, so I can buy Machpelah."
Ephron was sitting there anyway, and said, "No. You can have it."
Abraham comes back like, "I will pay you the price of the field. Please accept whatever I offer."
This is where it gets sleazy. Ephron goes, "Hey, you know, the land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But, come onnnnnnnn, what's 400 shekels between me and you? Bury your dead." So...Ephron expected 400 shekels, which basically forced Abraham into a corner...how could Abraham not pay him less than 400 shekels? On the other hand, Abraham gains legal property in their country.
Its as if Ephron is trying to hitch his wagon to Abraham's gravy train, or get as much money out of him as possible if he's going to get land foothold.
I don't really know what 400 shekels a million years ago compares to nowadays...but maybe it was a lot?
So Abraham pays up, and is deeded the plain of Machpelah, the trees and the cave, and he buries Sarah there in the land of Canaan.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Ge. 22: Don't kill me, dad.
Numb is how I felt reading through most of chapter 22.
I wonder if that's how Abraham must have felt as he acted out chapter 22.
OK, picture this, Abraham has his son for...oh, probably a few years. This is the son for whom Abraham has waited 10 decades. God calls down to him, saying, "Take your son - your only son - you know, the son you love...(oh...forget Ishmael), and go up to Moriah, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering..."
Wow, so...not only does Abraham have to give up his only son (who he loves), he's got to offer him as a sacrifice. Not just a sacrifice...a burnt offering. Don't want to imagine setting fire to my son.
Abraham doesn't argue...doesn't question...could it be that he's finally understanding this covenant thing? God just worked in an amazing way in the previous chapter to reinforce Abraham's faith. Still, I don't imagine Abraham got much sleep that night.
The next morning, he and Isaac and two servants set out for the mountains. On the third day of traveling to this place, God revealed the place where He would have Abraham sacrifice Isaac. He tells his two servants that they will go up, worship, and return. I imagine they didn't probably buy it. I wonder what that three day journey was like. I'm sure the silence was deafening. It would be hard to listen to Isaac talk about whatever kids talked about back then...full of life and curiosity and energy, and knowing that he as a father would have to sacrifice his son. He leaves the servants behind and he and Isaac continue onward.
Isaac notices as they near the spot, Abraham has the fire and the knife...Isaac is hauling the wood...no lamb.
"Dad..."
"Yes, my son?"
"We have the fire and the wood. Where's the lamb?"
What a heartbreaking exchange to read.
Abraham answers out of either faith, or to protect Isaac from fear, "God will provide." God has always provided for Abraham, but I wonder how convicted Abraham sounded. Did he declare those words, or did he sort of choke them out?
Abraham got as far as raising the knife over his trembling son before an Angel of the Lord put a stop to the process. "Now I know that you fear God, because you would not even withhold your son." My first reaction is "What a cruel God to make Abraham go through this horrible thing." I can't imagine going through this, and I don't really understand. Did Abraham really need to get to this extreme? Did he begin to take for granted who Isaac was, and what he meant to the world? Did he forget what all he went through before he was granted his wife's son? I don't know. I imagine that I assign attributes to God that are kind of watered-down by the society in which I live, even in my own faith, that God is this soft, touchy-feely emotional being without any hardline. Like camping, God is intense!
Anyway, God provided a ram that got caught by its horns in the thicket. And Abraham sacrificed that as a burnt offering, instead of his son. I'm not sure exactly how that was a sacrifice, unless it came out of his own flock somehow, or it was there, and he could have kept it...but it was either the ram or his son...I 'unno. I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask this question, but it makes me wonder. Ooh, it really makes me wonder...
And Abraham called that place The Lord will Provide. Places were named pretty obviously 4.7 billion years ago.
The angel calls out again, and says that because Abraham was willing to go through with this, God will surely bless Abraham and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and the sand on the shore, and that his descendents will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and bless all nations. Not much different than what was promised previously in chapter 15. Except for the whole taking over enemies' cities thing.
So Abraham goes back and lives in Beersheba.
As a footnote, Abraham finds out that his long lost brother Nahor has some kids: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Nahor's concubine had some sons, as well...Tebah, Galham, Tahash, and Maacah. Neat.
I wonder if that's how Abraham must have felt as he acted out chapter 22.
OK, picture this, Abraham has his son for...oh, probably a few years. This is the son for whom Abraham has waited 10 decades. God calls down to him, saying, "Take your son - your only son - you know, the son you love...(oh...forget Ishmael), and go up to Moriah, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering..."
Wow, so...not only does Abraham have to give up his only son (who he loves), he's got to offer him as a sacrifice. Not just a sacrifice...a burnt offering. Don't want to imagine setting fire to my son.
Abraham doesn't argue...doesn't question...could it be that he's finally understanding this covenant thing? God just worked in an amazing way in the previous chapter to reinforce Abraham's faith. Still, I don't imagine Abraham got much sleep that night.
The next morning, he and Isaac and two servants set out for the mountains. On the third day of traveling to this place, God revealed the place where He would have Abraham sacrifice Isaac. He tells his two servants that they will go up, worship, and return. I imagine they didn't probably buy it. I wonder what that three day journey was like. I'm sure the silence was deafening. It would be hard to listen to Isaac talk about whatever kids talked about back then...full of life and curiosity and energy, and knowing that he as a father would have to sacrifice his son. He leaves the servants behind and he and Isaac continue onward.
Isaac notices as they near the spot, Abraham has the fire and the knife...Isaac is hauling the wood...no lamb.
"Dad..."
"Yes, my son?"
"We have the fire and the wood. Where's the lamb?"
What a heartbreaking exchange to read.
Abraham answers out of either faith, or to protect Isaac from fear, "God will provide." God has always provided for Abraham, but I wonder how convicted Abraham sounded. Did he declare those words, or did he sort of choke them out?
Abraham got as far as raising the knife over his trembling son before an Angel of the Lord put a stop to the process. "Now I know that you fear God, because you would not even withhold your son." My first reaction is "What a cruel God to make Abraham go through this horrible thing." I can't imagine going through this, and I don't really understand. Did Abraham really need to get to this extreme? Did he begin to take for granted who Isaac was, and what he meant to the world? Did he forget what all he went through before he was granted his wife's son? I don't know. I imagine that I assign attributes to God that are kind of watered-down by the society in which I live, even in my own faith, that God is this soft, touchy-feely emotional being without any hardline. Like camping, God is intense!
Anyway, God provided a ram that got caught by its horns in the thicket. And Abraham sacrificed that as a burnt offering, instead of his son. I'm not sure exactly how that was a sacrifice, unless it came out of his own flock somehow, or it was there, and he could have kept it...but it was either the ram or his son...I 'unno. I'm sure I'm not the first person to ask this question, but it makes me wonder. Ooh, it really makes me wonder...
And Abraham called that place The Lord will Provide. Places were named pretty obviously 4.7 billion years ago.
The angel calls out again, and says that because Abraham was willing to go through with this, God will surely bless Abraham and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and the sand on the shore, and that his descendents will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and bless all nations. Not much different than what was promised previously in chapter 15. Except for the whole taking over enemies' cities thing.
So Abraham goes back and lives in Beersheba.
As a footnote, Abraham finds out that his long lost brother Nahor has some kids: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Nahor's concubine had some sons, as well...Tebah, Galham, Tahash, and Maacah. Neat.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Ge. 21: Huzzah for Isaac...Ishmael is outty-five
OK, Finally! I can rejoice with Abraham, because in chapter 21, Sarah gives birth to Isaac (c. 2038), presumably meaning "laughter." The Bible says it was at God's appointed time, exactly when He said He'd deliver (Gen 18:10). I'm pretty happy for Abe, because he waited a very long time to have a son by his wife, the way it was meant to be. I have only the frame of reference of a few years at the longest in waiting on God to provide an answer to prayer. And when He did, I was overwhelmed with thanksgiving and...well, relief. God consistently shows He is a specific person, not a vague concept. I cannot imagine the joy that Abraham felt. He just wanted to party.
The birth of Ishmael led to pain and controversy and family dischord. The birth of Isaac was unifying, to Abraham and Sarah, and to Abraham and his family.
Ishmael was born pre-circumcision covenant...he had to be brought in after the 8 day rule. Isaac was born, and was circumcised into the covenant exactly as God intended.
Ishmael was a result of man attempting to force God's hand. Isaac was the hand God stacked the deck to play.
Ishmael was a mocker at the feast celebrating Isaac's weaning. Sarah saw this, and was not willing to have Ishmael share in Isaac's inheritance. She told Abraham to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham wasn't at peace with that type of decision, so he took it to the LORD. God said, "Listen to Sarah, because like I said, Isaac will be the source of your offspring, and fulfillment of my promise."
What's interesting next is that God says he will also make Ishmael a great nation as well. This is not because God wanted Hagar or Ishmael to feel better, or as some sort of a consolation. It was merely because Abraham was his father. So Abe gives them the boot the next day.
Hagar and Ishmael wander around in the desert until the provisions given them by Abraham run out. Hagar is desperate. In her tears, the Angel of the Lord comforts her. I don't know if this is a new angel, or if its the one that gave her comfort the last time she was in the desert after being banished. The angel encourages Hagar, telling her that God hears her cries, and not to worry. God graciously reveals a well that may or may nor have been there before, and Hagar and Ishmael are saved. The Bible says God was with Ishmael, despite him not necessarily being a part of the covenant. Was this due to Ishmael's father being Abraham, or the fact the God was benevolent to everyone? Maybe it's something else entirely.
Meanwhile, Abimelech is conferring with Abraham, telling him not to pull any stunts on him, as a favor to the nation in which he lives that shows him kindness. After swearing it, Abraham tells Abimelech that maybe his nation isn't so kind. Apparently some of Abimelech's men seized a well dig by Abraham's men. Abimelech is like, "This is news to me." Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a testimony that he is telling the truth. Seven, like on the ark...
Anyway, the well is called Beersheba. Maybe there were a lot Beersheba's back in the day, because Beersheba is where Hagar encountered the angel. Same, different...thats a question for God.
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the Eternal God.
Questions for God:
1. Is everyone assigned an angel, or what? How does that work?
The birth of Ishmael led to pain and controversy and family dischord. The birth of Isaac was unifying, to Abraham and Sarah, and to Abraham and his family.
Ishmael was born pre-circumcision covenant...he had to be brought in after the 8 day rule. Isaac was born, and was circumcised into the covenant exactly as God intended.
Ishmael was a result of man attempting to force God's hand. Isaac was the hand God stacked the deck to play.
Ishmael was a mocker at the feast celebrating Isaac's weaning. Sarah saw this, and was not willing to have Ishmael share in Isaac's inheritance. She told Abraham to get rid of Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham wasn't at peace with that type of decision, so he took it to the LORD. God said, "Listen to Sarah, because like I said, Isaac will be the source of your offspring, and fulfillment of my promise."
What's interesting next is that God says he will also make Ishmael a great nation as well. This is not because God wanted Hagar or Ishmael to feel better, or as some sort of a consolation. It was merely because Abraham was his father. So Abe gives them the boot the next day.
Hagar and Ishmael wander around in the desert until the provisions given them by Abraham run out. Hagar is desperate. In her tears, the Angel of the Lord comforts her. I don't know if this is a new angel, or if its the one that gave her comfort the last time she was in the desert after being banished. The angel encourages Hagar, telling her that God hears her cries, and not to worry. God graciously reveals a well that may or may nor have been there before, and Hagar and Ishmael are saved. The Bible says God was with Ishmael, despite him not necessarily being a part of the covenant. Was this due to Ishmael's father being Abraham, or the fact the God was benevolent to everyone? Maybe it's something else entirely.
Meanwhile, Abimelech is conferring with Abraham, telling him not to pull any stunts on him, as a favor to the nation in which he lives that shows him kindness. After swearing it, Abraham tells Abimelech that maybe his nation isn't so kind. Apparently some of Abimelech's men seized a well dig by Abraham's men. Abimelech is like, "This is news to me." Abraham gives Abimelech seven ewe lambs as a testimony that he is telling the truth. Seven, like on the ark...
Anyway, the well is called Beersheba. Maybe there were a lot Beersheba's back in the day, because Beersheba is where Hagar encountered the angel. Same, different...thats a question for God.
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the Eternal God.
Questions for God:
1. Is everyone assigned an angel, or what? How does that work?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Ge. 20: Again With the Wife-Sister Thing
Abraham probably needed a change of pace from living near where Sodom and Gomorrah used to be, so he moved to Gerar. I don't know where that is, other than that it is probably in the Middle East somewhere, and is near Kadesh and Shur, according to Chapter 20.
Abraham pulls the same stunt on Gerar's King Abimelech with his wife/half sister Sarah as he did with Pharaoh back in chapter 12. Abimelech sees that Sarah is pretty hot, even for a ninety-year-old chick.
So, Abimelech sends for her to be added to his wifery, and God appears to him to tell him that he is "as good as dead" because he has taken a married woman. Abimelech maintains his innocence, telling God that Abraham told him she was his sister.
In verse 6, God says that He knew Abimelech had a clear conscience, so He kept him from sinning against God. He did not let Abimelech touch her. I find this very amazing, that God would go out of his way to prevent someone from sinning against Him. This is the first time I can recall in scripture of God explicitly preventing sin. So far, God has set his standard, and sort of allowed people to make their own choices. God intervenes here, protecting Abimelech from a mistake that would have meant death (v. 7).
So Abimelech calls in his officials, and confronts Abraham in front of them...probably so they don't suspect the king of any wrongdoing. Abraham confesses that he made an assumption that there was no fear or respect of God in Gerar, and was paranoid that he would be killed and his wife assimilated into a concubine. Ironically, it was Abraham who's faith was questionable, not depending on God, his deliverer multiple times, even back with the Pharaoh in the same situation. He even tries to defend it by saying she was his half-sister. Half truth is still 100% lie.
So, like Pharaoh, Abimelech gives Abraham a bunch of cattle and money and good stuff. Despite Abraham's deception and his essentially not trusting God with his wife, he makes out like a bandit.
I gotta like Abimelech's sense of humor, because he turns to Sarah, and says, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver." This is the first time I laughed out loud while reading the Bible. He doesn't call Abraham Sarah's husband...he calls him her brother. Just as Abraham had claimed. Anyway, this gift is meant to vindicate Sarah, in that she didn't do anything wrong, and probably also show that Abimelech was guilty of no wrongdoing as well.
Then we have a happy ending, in which God heals Abimelech and all the womenfolk of his house, because God had shut up their wombs while Abraham made his home there. Craziness.
I don't know how long Abraham was there, but it was long enough that the women of Abimelech's house could not conceive.
Lets Review:
Chapter one: Creation
Chapter two: Eve
Chapter three: Sin in the garden
Chapter four: Cain kills Abel, genealogy
Chapter five: Adam to Noah genealogy
Chapter six: Nephelim, Noah chosen
Chapter seven: The flood
Chapter eight: The flood recedes
Chapter nine: God's covenant: The Rainbow; Ham cursed
Chapter ten: Table of nations
Chapter eleven: Tower of Babel; Sons of Shem
Chapter twelve: Abram is called; Egypt
Chapter thirteen: Abram and Lot separate
Chapter fourteen: Abram goes to war
Chapter fifteen: God promises a covenant with Abram
Chapter sixteen: Ishmael the stopgap
Chapter seventeen: God's covenant of circumcision
Chapter eighteen: Three visitors, Abraham wants to protect Sodom
Chapter nineteen: Destruction of S & G, Lot's daughters
Chapter twenty: Abraham and Abimelech
Abraham pulls the same stunt on Gerar's King Abimelech with his wife/half sister Sarah as he did with Pharaoh back in chapter 12. Abimelech sees that Sarah is pretty hot, even for a ninety-year-old chick.
So, Abimelech sends for her to be added to his wifery, and God appears to him to tell him that he is "as good as dead" because he has taken a married woman. Abimelech maintains his innocence, telling God that Abraham told him she was his sister.
In verse 6, God says that He knew Abimelech had a clear conscience, so He kept him from sinning against God. He did not let Abimelech touch her. I find this very amazing, that God would go out of his way to prevent someone from sinning against Him. This is the first time I can recall in scripture of God explicitly preventing sin. So far, God has set his standard, and sort of allowed people to make their own choices. God intervenes here, protecting Abimelech from a mistake that would have meant death (v. 7).
So Abimelech calls in his officials, and confronts Abraham in front of them...probably so they don't suspect the king of any wrongdoing. Abraham confesses that he made an assumption that there was no fear or respect of God in Gerar, and was paranoid that he would be killed and his wife assimilated into a concubine. Ironically, it was Abraham who's faith was questionable, not depending on God, his deliverer multiple times, even back with the Pharaoh in the same situation. He even tries to defend it by saying she was his half-sister. Half truth is still 100% lie.
So, like Pharaoh, Abimelech gives Abraham a bunch of cattle and money and good stuff. Despite Abraham's deception and his essentially not trusting God with his wife, he makes out like a bandit.
I gotta like Abimelech's sense of humor, because he turns to Sarah, and says, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver." This is the first time I laughed out loud while reading the Bible. He doesn't call Abraham Sarah's husband...he calls him her brother. Just as Abraham had claimed. Anyway, this gift is meant to vindicate Sarah, in that she didn't do anything wrong, and probably also show that Abimelech was guilty of no wrongdoing as well.
Then we have a happy ending, in which God heals Abimelech and all the womenfolk of his house, because God had shut up their wombs while Abraham made his home there. Craziness.
I don't know how long Abraham was there, but it was long enough that the women of Abimelech's house could not conceive.
Lets Review:
Chapter one: Creation
Chapter two: Eve
Chapter three: Sin in the garden
Chapter four: Cain kills Abel, genealogy
Chapter five: Adam to Noah genealogy
Chapter six: Nephelim, Noah chosen
Chapter seven: The flood
Chapter eight: The flood recedes
Chapter nine: God's covenant: The Rainbow; Ham cursed
Chapter ten: Table of nations
Chapter eleven: Tower of Babel; Sons of Shem
Chapter twelve: Abram is called; Egypt
Chapter thirteen: Abram and Lot separate
Chapter fourteen: Abram goes to war
Chapter fifteen: God promises a covenant with Abram
Chapter sixteen: Ishmael the stopgap
Chapter seventeen: God's covenant of circumcision
Chapter eighteen: Three visitors, Abraham wants to protect Sodom
Chapter nineteen: Destruction of S & G, Lot's daughters
Chapter twenty: Abraham and Abimelech
Friday, November 09, 2007
Ge. 19: The End of Sodomy, and Daddy-Daughter Date Night
Chapter 19 was a page turner as well. You have a midnight run from destruction, and father-daughter incest. Amazing stuff.
Basically, it picks up with the two men from the previous chapter (Three, if you include God. I missed that part.).
Lot is already at the gate of the city, so he must have been warned, or was expecting them? Anyway, he invites them to his house, but they say they'd rather spend the night in the square. But Lot convinces them to come over to his house for some grub. When they get there, they eat some food, but then ALL the men from EVERY part of the city came over and wanted to have sex with the new guys. Not just a couple...I get the image it was a sausage-fest of Biblical proportions.
I wonder if this is why the two men wanted to stay in the square...because they wanted to spare Lot the embarrassment of having a ton of dudes hit on his guests. But Lot insisted. So, there must be a good time to argue with God, and a not so good time to argue with God, a time to leave well enough alone. "Be careful what you wish for..."
Oh, and another thing! Sodom is home to King Bera, who Abraham snubbed after restoring Lot, so maybe these guys had it in for Lot, because of his connection to Abraham. Lot was the whole reason for the season, anyway.
Anyway, Lot is losing his mind, because now these men are banging on the door, trying to get in. Lot offers his daughters to them, as a sort of token diversion, but it doesn't work. These men are not bi. Finally, one of the angel visitors blinds the wave of attacking rapists so they can't find the door. Clearly it is time to leave. The angels tell Lot to go get the people he knows, because God has enough evidence here to destroy the city. And Gomorrah. So Lot tells his future sons-in-law, but they think he's just joking around.
Crazy ol' Lot...you just never know what he's going to say at any given time. It could be that he invented the wheel, or that the LORD is going to annihilate the city. Stay tuned!
Dawn was fast approaching, and time was running out. So Lot grabs his wife and his two daughters and they hit the bricks.
The original instruction was to head for the hills, but Lot whines about it because he's scared of what might happen to him in the mountains, and, acknowledging the favor he has been done by his salvation, Lot instead wants to flee to the nearby tiny settlement of Zoar. I don't know what history, if any, Lot has with the mountains...maybe it goes back to chapter 13, where he and Abram split up, and maybe there was some bad blood with someone's herdsmen...I don't know. I am reading too much into it perhaps. The point is, Lot argued again, and got his way again.
They ran all morning to get to Zoar, and then God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom? What's brimstone? Sulfur. Nasty, nasty stuff. God pours it all over the cities and the plain, just a continuous torrential burning rain of fire.
Lot's wife looks back, against warnings, and turns into a pillar of salt. I'm not sure if there is any meaning yet in my reading as to what a pillar of salt is, but its a big Bible. The point probably is that God takes disobedience to Him very seriously. If its enough to destroy two whole towns, and the vegetation of an entire plain, its enough to turn someone's wife into a pile of salt. Weird. That's about all I can say right now about turning someone into a pillar of salt. I'm guessing no one looked back after that.
So, I'm about 2/5 of the way through the first of 66 books, and God has already wiped out the near entirety of the earth's population once (quantity notwithstanding), and later two complete established cities. God's wrath is powerful. I forget that God does wrath well. A global flood, and fire from heaven. He simply will not abide disobedience.
And in neither display was there joy in God's wrath. What I mean by that is, some people are happy being mad. Not so with God. I believe it was with a heavy heart that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The previous chapter mentions that there was an outcry by those who had been victimized by Sodomites. This was also about justice.
Verses 27 and 28 are kind of like that "catch your breath" part of an action movie. It describes Abraham surveying the damage of the towns, the plumes of smoke rising...the city probably still burning in some areas...just destruction. I imagine Abraham had feelings similar to how I felt watching Manhatten smolder in mid-September 2001. I imagine Abraham remembered his conversation and bargaining with God...not ten righteous people in the plain...Possibly wondering if Lot made it out alive. So, God spared Lot...who was precious to the man who held the other end of the covenant.
Lot, who was now scared to live in Zoar, moved to the mountains after all. He and his daughters moved into a cave. The daughters, who had just lost their fiances in the destruction, now figured they had no hope of ever conceiving. So, they conspired to get dad drunk, have sex with him, and carry on their line in that way. Now, of course this is detestable, and taboo today, and the fact that they needed to get Lot drunk in order to follow through with their plan suggests it wasn't exactly a good idea at that time in history either. Certainly not the design. Anyway...they got Lot drunk, which was probably easy enough, after all the upheaval, the moving, the destruction, the fear, and then losing his wife...probably figured that maybe the bottle was a good way to escape. 9 months later, the older daughter gives birth to Moab, father of the Moabites, and the youngest has Ben-Ammi, the father of the Ammonites. I wonder if and how Lot put it together just how his daughters became pregnant, and what his reactions were.
Basically, it picks up with the two men from the previous chapter (Three, if you include God. I missed that part.).
Lot is already at the gate of the city, so he must have been warned, or was expecting them? Anyway, he invites them to his house, but they say they'd rather spend the night in the square. But Lot convinces them to come over to his house for some grub. When they get there, they eat some food, but then ALL the men from EVERY part of the city came over and wanted to have sex with the new guys. Not just a couple...I get the image it was a sausage-fest of Biblical proportions.
I wonder if this is why the two men wanted to stay in the square...because they wanted to spare Lot the embarrassment of having a ton of dudes hit on his guests. But Lot insisted. So, there must be a good time to argue with God, and a not so good time to argue with God, a time to leave well enough alone. "Be careful what you wish for..."
Oh, and another thing! Sodom is home to King Bera, who Abraham snubbed after restoring Lot, so maybe these guys had it in for Lot, because of his connection to Abraham. Lot was the whole reason for the season, anyway.
Anyway, Lot is losing his mind, because now these men are banging on the door, trying to get in. Lot offers his daughters to them, as a sort of token diversion, but it doesn't work. These men are not bi. Finally, one of the angel visitors blinds the wave of attacking rapists so they can't find the door. Clearly it is time to leave. The angels tell Lot to go get the people he knows, because God has enough evidence here to destroy the city. And Gomorrah. So Lot tells his future sons-in-law, but they think he's just joking around.
Crazy ol' Lot...you just never know what he's going to say at any given time. It could be that he invented the wheel, or that the LORD is going to annihilate the city. Stay tuned!
Dawn was fast approaching, and time was running out. So Lot grabs his wife and his two daughters and they hit the bricks.
The original instruction was to head for the hills, but Lot whines about it because he's scared of what might happen to him in the mountains, and, acknowledging the favor he has been done by his salvation, Lot instead wants to flee to the nearby tiny settlement of Zoar. I don't know what history, if any, Lot has with the mountains...maybe it goes back to chapter 13, where he and Abram split up, and maybe there was some bad blood with someone's herdsmen...I don't know. I am reading too much into it perhaps. The point is, Lot argued again, and got his way again.
They ran all morning to get to Zoar, and then God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom? What's brimstone? Sulfur. Nasty, nasty stuff. God pours it all over the cities and the plain, just a continuous torrential burning rain of fire.
Lot's wife looks back, against warnings, and turns into a pillar of salt. I'm not sure if there is any meaning yet in my reading as to what a pillar of salt is, but its a big Bible. The point probably is that God takes disobedience to Him very seriously. If its enough to destroy two whole towns, and the vegetation of an entire plain, its enough to turn someone's wife into a pile of salt. Weird. That's about all I can say right now about turning someone into a pillar of salt. I'm guessing no one looked back after that.
So, I'm about 2/5 of the way through the first of 66 books, and God has already wiped out the near entirety of the earth's population once (quantity notwithstanding), and later two complete established cities. God's wrath is powerful. I forget that God does wrath well. A global flood, and fire from heaven. He simply will not abide disobedience.
And in neither display was there joy in God's wrath. What I mean by that is, some people are happy being mad. Not so with God. I believe it was with a heavy heart that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The previous chapter mentions that there was an outcry by those who had been victimized by Sodomites. This was also about justice.
Verses 27 and 28 are kind of like that "catch your breath" part of an action movie. It describes Abraham surveying the damage of the towns, the plumes of smoke rising...the city probably still burning in some areas...just destruction. I imagine Abraham had feelings similar to how I felt watching Manhatten smolder in mid-September 2001. I imagine Abraham remembered his conversation and bargaining with God...not ten righteous people in the plain...Possibly wondering if Lot made it out alive. So, God spared Lot...who was precious to the man who held the other end of the covenant.
Lot, who was now scared to live in Zoar, moved to the mountains after all. He and his daughters moved into a cave. The daughters, who had just lost their fiances in the destruction, now figured they had no hope of ever conceiving. So, they conspired to get dad drunk, have sex with him, and carry on their line in that way. Now, of course this is detestable, and taboo today, and the fact that they needed to get Lot drunk in order to follow through with their plan suggests it wasn't exactly a good idea at that time in history either. Certainly not the design. Anyway...they got Lot drunk, which was probably easy enough, after all the upheaval, the moving, the destruction, the fear, and then losing his wife...probably figured that maybe the bottle was a good way to escape. 9 months later, the older daughter gives birth to Moab, father of the Moabites, and the youngest has Ben-Ammi, the father of the Ammonites. I wonder if and how Lot put it together just how his daughters became pregnant, and what his reactions were.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Ge. 18: Abraham the Negotiator
Wow, man....chapter 18 is fascinating all the way through. I've read some amazing stuff through the course of this study, but this is pretty cool.
So, one day, Abraham is just chilling under a tree when the LORD appears to him. Abraham saw three men standing there, and must have connected them as messengers from God. He hurries over to them, and starts getting lots of water, cheese, milk, the fatted calf and a whole lot of bread.
While these guys were eating the food, Abraham stood by like a nice waiter, and watched.
"Where's your wife?" One of them asked?
"There, in the tent," Abe replied.
The LORD then promises that this time next year, Sarah will bear him a son. Now I imagine what would happen if my Grandma Gamble was told that she was going to have a son, she'd crack up. Sarah does the same thing. Old ladies would laugh if they were told they would have a kid, especially at their advanced age. Sarah even comments how old Abraham is.
Still, she would be given the pleasure of having a kid. And she laughed. And God heard her laugh. He asked Abraham why she all the sudden had a sense of humor.
Abraham probably threw up his hands as if to say, "Don't ask me."
So God asks Sarah why she laughed. Out of fear, she denies it. God isn't one to be lied to. "Yes you did," He replies.
After that, Abraham, God and the three men are walking toward Sodom. God reveals to Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God says that Abraham is the chosen one to lead his people and his nation after him to walk in the way of the Lord, so that Abraham's descendants would fulfill their end of the covenant. God's covenant contingent on their obedience? Apparently this was not so in Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm not sure what S & G have to do with Abraham and his house, but I'm guessing that Abraham had a lot of family living there...not just Lot and his wife.
Something I learned about Sodom and Gomorrah was that God heard an outcry for and from Sodom and Gomorrah. There must have been a lot of people crying out to God there, as victims. So God wanted a firsthand look at what was going on, and to see if it was really as bad as the cries reaching His ears. I'm sure God could have seen those grievous sins all right from where he was, but he wanted Abraham on hand with Him to see what He would do.
The three men make their way to Sodom, while Abraham stands in front of God, asking Him if God would sweep away the righteous with the wicked. A really, amazing honest question, that I'm not sure I would have the guts to ask. Abraham goes for it though, and in this chapter shows some amazing intestinal fortitude in pressing God lower and lower on the amount of righteous people who, if found, will stay God's hand of judgement on the city. Abraham keeps going lower and lower, each number not as probable as the next....50...45...40...30...20...10? He could. Go. All. The....Ten? Ten righteous people in two whole cities? No?
Abraham must have either had some satisfaction that there must be at least ten decent people in two cities that size, or he chose not to press God further. He probably was figuring how many people Lot had with him by now, and probably assumed that his own family would at least be righteous. I think this happens to us. "They're with me, they're ok." And we see them through the eyes of family, overlooking
Abraham went home, while God continued on His way to Sodom.
Questions for God:
1. What were the three men like?
2. What was that meal like?
3. Were you kidding around arguing with Sarah over whether or not she laughed? Did that offend you?
4. What set Sodom apart so much than other cities that were probably crying out to you?
5. Were there other cities crying out to you?
6. Was Abraham's line the only one that was trusting you? Thus the importance of Sodom because of Lot?
So, one day, Abraham is just chilling under a tree when the LORD appears to him. Abraham saw three men standing there, and must have connected them as messengers from God. He hurries over to them, and starts getting lots of water, cheese, milk, the fatted calf and a whole lot of bread.
While these guys were eating the food, Abraham stood by like a nice waiter, and watched.
"Where's your wife?" One of them asked?
"There, in the tent," Abe replied.
The LORD then promises that this time next year, Sarah will bear him a son. Now I imagine what would happen if my Grandma Gamble was told that she was going to have a son, she'd crack up. Sarah does the same thing. Old ladies would laugh if they were told they would have a kid, especially at their advanced age. Sarah even comments how old Abraham is.
Still, she would be given the pleasure of having a kid. And she laughed. And God heard her laugh. He asked Abraham why she all the sudden had a sense of humor.
Abraham probably threw up his hands as if to say, "Don't ask me."
So God asks Sarah why she laughed. Out of fear, she denies it. God isn't one to be lied to. "Yes you did," He replies.
After that, Abraham, God and the three men are walking toward Sodom. God reveals to Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God says that Abraham is the chosen one to lead his people and his nation after him to walk in the way of the Lord, so that Abraham's descendants would fulfill their end of the covenant. God's covenant contingent on their obedience? Apparently this was not so in Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm not sure what S & G have to do with Abraham and his house, but I'm guessing that Abraham had a lot of family living there...not just Lot and his wife.
Something I learned about Sodom and Gomorrah was that God heard an outcry for and from Sodom and Gomorrah. There must have been a lot of people crying out to God there, as victims. So God wanted a firsthand look at what was going on, and to see if it was really as bad as the cries reaching His ears. I'm sure God could have seen those grievous sins all right from where he was, but he wanted Abraham on hand with Him to see what He would do.
The three men make their way to Sodom, while Abraham stands in front of God, asking Him if God would sweep away the righteous with the wicked. A really, amazing honest question, that I'm not sure I would have the guts to ask. Abraham goes for it though, and in this chapter shows some amazing intestinal fortitude in pressing God lower and lower on the amount of righteous people who, if found, will stay God's hand of judgement on the city. Abraham keeps going lower and lower, each number not as probable as the next....50...45...40...30...20...10? He could. Go. All. The....Ten? Ten righteous people in two whole cities? No?
Abraham must have either had some satisfaction that there must be at least ten decent people in two cities that size, or he chose not to press God further. He probably was figuring how many people Lot had with him by now, and probably assumed that his own family would at least be righteous. I think this happens to us. "They're with me, they're ok." And we see them through the eyes of family, overlooking
Abraham went home, while God continued on His way to Sodom.
Questions for God:
1. What were the three men like?
2. What was that meal like?
3. Were you kidding around arguing with Sarah over whether or not she laughed? Did that offend you?
4. What set Sodom apart so much than other cities that were probably crying out to you?
5. Were there other cities crying out to you?
6. Was Abraham's line the only one that was trusting you? Thus the importance of Sodom because of Lot?
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Gen. 17: Don't be Cut Off
So, chapter 17 takes place about 13 years after chapter 16 comes to a close. By this time, Ishmael is a young boy, and Abram is 99 years old, his wife Sarai is about 90. Abram was already an old fogey when God made the covenant with him all those years ago. By this time, I wonder how Abram's faith was holding up. Even with screwed-up ages compared to modern times, its getting pretty late in the game to father an heir. If God made me a promise, I'd probably give Him less than 13 years before I'd start letting my doubts creep in.
Finally, God appears before Abram and says, "All right, I'm ready to confirm this covenant. You're numbers will start to increase." I don't know if God jumped out of nowhere after 13 years of total silence, or if He had been making appearances here and there...the Bible doesn't say. But Abram falls face down before God...out of fear, awe, reverence...I'd do the same, I suppose.
God announces that this is a covenant of circumcision. Ouch. Every male 8 days and up from here to...forever...will have to have a bit of minor surgery on the most intimate part of his body. Perhaps this cutting is a reminder of the reproductive dedication to the covenant between God and man? This covenant is one of flesh. That it is not the human body that reproduces humans...there is a miracle from God that reproduces humans. Imagine Abram's reaction to God telling him this.
"You want me to what my what?"
Anyway, in order to be identified as a child of God, there must be circumcision. The foreskin must be removed. It is possible the foreskin was symbolic of the unclean? Anyone who doesn't undergo circumcision will be...well, "cut off." Hey, God's words, not mine. This is a covenant that man is capable of breaking in flesh. God says, "I'm good to go" but if man refuses to take this action, he breaks the covenant, and will not be a part of God's promise.
Sarai becomes Sarah, and Abram becomes Abraham. Probably means "father of many nations." This name change comes as a result of the new covenant, I'd assume, as things change drastically in this movement of God. What an amazing thing to be told that Kings of nations would be born in your line. Awesome.
Anyway, Abraham...I'm not sure how he's taking this. God said all this before. Abraham even laughs...."I'm 99 years old, and my wife is about to hit 90. How will we see this? Are you talking about Ishmael?"
Noooooo....God said it would include Sarah...duhhh.
God gets very specific with Abraham, telling him that the covenant will be established through Isaac, who will be born to Sarah. Sure, Ishmael will have it good, be the father of 12 nations and such, but the everlasting covenant will be through Isaac, who will be born by this time NEXT YEAR! Finally! God gives a time frame. Sometimes we just need those.
Finally, God appears before Abram and says, "All right, I'm ready to confirm this covenant. You're numbers will start to increase." I don't know if God jumped out of nowhere after 13 years of total silence, or if He had been making appearances here and there...the Bible doesn't say. But Abram falls face down before God...out of fear, awe, reverence...I'd do the same, I suppose.
God announces that this is a covenant of circumcision. Ouch. Every male 8 days and up from here to...forever...will have to have a bit of minor surgery on the most intimate part of his body. Perhaps this cutting is a reminder of the reproductive dedication to the covenant between God and man? This covenant is one of flesh. That it is not the human body that reproduces humans...there is a miracle from God that reproduces humans. Imagine Abram's reaction to God telling him this.
"You want me to what my what?"
Anyway, in order to be identified as a child of God, there must be circumcision. The foreskin must be removed. It is possible the foreskin was symbolic of the unclean? Anyone who doesn't undergo circumcision will be...well, "cut off." Hey, God's words, not mine. This is a covenant that man is capable of breaking in flesh. God says, "I'm good to go" but if man refuses to take this action, he breaks the covenant, and will not be a part of God's promise.
Sarai becomes Sarah, and Abram becomes Abraham. Probably means "father of many nations." This name change comes as a result of the new covenant, I'd assume, as things change drastically in this movement of God. What an amazing thing to be told that Kings of nations would be born in your line. Awesome.
Anyway, Abraham...I'm not sure how he's taking this. God said all this before. Abraham even laughs...."I'm 99 years old, and my wife is about to hit 90. How will we see this? Are you talking about Ishmael?"
Noooooo....God said it would include Sarah...duhhh.
God gets very specific with Abraham, telling him that the covenant will be established through Isaac, who will be born to Sarah. Sure, Ishmael will have it good, be the father of 12 nations and such, but the everlasting covenant will be through Isaac, who will be born by this time NEXT YEAR! Finally! God gives a time frame. Sometimes we just need those.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Ge. 16: Love child
Even after the covenant promised in the last chapter, Sarai was still concerned that she and Abram had not yet conceived. In Chapter 16, she complains that God has not yet blessed them with a son. So she does what any centered, sane woman would do: She tells her husband to sleep with her maid. Hagar, an Egyptian maid servant was given as a wife to Abram by Sarai. I know the man should be joined with woman...but women? Of course, Hagar conceives. With the pregnancy hormones a-flying, and the resentful Sarai jealous, life becomes a living hell for both of them. And probably everyone else in camp.
Even though it was Sarai's idea, she blames Abram for going through with the deed. Women.
Abram, showing a masterful hand of leadership tells Sarai to deal with her maidservant herself. Sarai treats Hagar poorly, so she flees.
The Angel of the LORD finds her by a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. "What's the deal?" the Angel asks.
"Sarai was being a bi...a big jerk, so I left," Hagar replies.
The Angel tells Hagar to go back and take Sarai's abuse...to put up with it. God promised Hagar that her son's descendents would be too numerous to count, like Abram's would be. I don't know if I could go back to a scornful, barren woman if I were pregnant with her husband's heir. That would be pushing it for me.
I've learned that whenever the Bible recounts how someone is named, there's always an explanation to follow, describing what the name literally means. "Ishmael" probably means "God hears," because the Bible says God hears Hagar's suffering, and "El" is consistent with "God."
So, I guess that would make Hagar feel better...Ishmael's descendants will be too numerous to count (Genesis 15:5)...yet, Abram's descendants will be too numerous to count...God's going to run out of planet if everyone's descendants will be too numerous to count. He's already used up 2 "too numerous to counts" in the first 2000 years.
Apparently, Ishmael will turn out to be a wild man, a rowdy man, and will be notorious for picking fights easily, will not get along with his family. Hm.
At any rate, this made Hagar happy, and she named the spring after God seeing her.
She gives birth to Ishmael when Abram is 86 years old, making Ishmael born around 2024 at the earliest. Which is neat.
This whole saga is a little unsettling to me. Abram just had a bunch of amazing signs and wonders shown to him, yet still he goes about his business like he had seen nothing. Maybe he thought that God would bring him a son through his maidservant, and that was how his line would be preserved? I must admit, I am guilty of the same. God shows me how He works, and then I expect something else. Additionally, we learned way back during the creation that God typically works in a methodical, sometimes maddeningly so, process. But, come on, Abram...the maidservant?
Even though it was Sarai's idea, she blames Abram for going through with the deed. Women.
Abram, showing a masterful hand of leadership tells Sarai to deal with her maidservant herself. Sarai treats Hagar poorly, so she flees.
The Angel of the LORD finds her by a spring in the desert on the road to Shur. "What's the deal?" the Angel asks.
"Sarai was being a bi...a big jerk, so I left," Hagar replies.
The Angel tells Hagar to go back and take Sarai's abuse...to put up with it. God promised Hagar that her son's descendents would be too numerous to count, like Abram's would be. I don't know if I could go back to a scornful, barren woman if I were pregnant with her husband's heir. That would be pushing it for me.
I've learned that whenever the Bible recounts how someone is named, there's always an explanation to follow, describing what the name literally means. "Ishmael" probably means "God hears," because the Bible says God hears Hagar's suffering, and "El" is consistent with "God."
So, I guess that would make Hagar feel better...Ishmael's descendants will be too numerous to count (Genesis 15:5)...yet, Abram's descendants will be too numerous to count...God's going to run out of planet if everyone's descendants will be too numerous to count. He's already used up 2 "too numerous to counts" in the first 2000 years.
Apparently, Ishmael will turn out to be a wild man, a rowdy man, and will be notorious for picking fights easily, will not get along with his family. Hm.
At any rate, this made Hagar happy, and she named the spring after God seeing her.
She gives birth to Ishmael when Abram is 86 years old, making Ishmael born around 2024 at the earliest. Which is neat.
This whole saga is a little unsettling to me. Abram just had a bunch of amazing signs and wonders shown to him, yet still he goes about his business like he had seen nothing. Maybe he thought that God would bring him a son through his maidservant, and that was how his line would be preserved? I must admit, I am guilty of the same. God shows me how He works, and then I expect something else. Additionally, we learned way back during the creation that God typically works in a methodical, sometimes maddeningly so, process. But, come on, Abram...the maidservant?
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