Genesis 38

Well that chapter is one big family mess.  There always seems to be a lot of men sleeping around in these chapters.  Not sure how Judah doesn't recognize he is sleeping with his daughter-in-law?  Author seems to know a lot about what's going on too, must be a lot of locker room talk.

So I got nothing from this, but I re-read your post from last time.  If  you get nothing this time go back and read what your wrote, I think its pretty good.  Basically God can do anything with anyone or any situation.  Jesus was raise out of this mess of a family lineage.

knut

Genesis 37

4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Something inside us humans must crave some attention or approval.  When you really think about it Joseph didn't do anything wrong but because of his father's love for him it drew hatred from his brothers.  This is even before his dreams about ruling over them.

Why do we care so much what others think?  Especially in this case, they are concerned with what their Dad thinks of their brother, it doesn't say he doesn't love them.  Its the way God made us, but its just kind of interesting because it can cause us to take actions he would not want us to take.

maybe we just need to focus on our own relationships and not worry about judging our relative worth based on relationships of others around us. 

wandering around without much point today.  I was trying to see something new in this very familiar passage.

knut

Genesis 36

To quote a famous blogger....'36 is awful'.

that was you in 2013,  I was looking for inspiration because I have know idea what to take from that list of names.  I did a little research but really did not come up with anything striking.

knut

Genesis 35

9 ...God appeared to him again and blessed him.---” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.

The understatement of this section just caught my eye.  God appeared and then went up.  Jacob was face to face with God of the universe and its stated so matter of fact.  But what must it really have been like?  Often the details seem to include incredible brightness or a residue of glowing when exposed to the presence of God.  Not this time he appeared gave a world changing message and left, no fanfare.  

Again not really a lesson just an observation.  I was also struck by the story of Benjamin's birth.  Is it coincidence to your Ben or is there a connection?  As I recall that was also a stressful birth situation, maybe not for Kim but for Ben?

Have a good weekend--I'll likely not make a post Friday morning.

knut

Genesis 34

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

This time on this journey through Genesis I am not getting a very good feeling about Jacob.  He seems weak, deceiving and not even protective of his only daughter (at least only one mentioned in the bible).  I was not recalling how this ended as I was reading it.  So I was really struggling with how they were willing to strike a deal in exchange for the rape of Dinah.  Ultimately the brothers didn't let it happen, but Jacob did and was even worried after they took care of it.

How is it that Jacob becomes Israel?  I'm only seeing his negatives right now, again struggling for any lessons.  Is there something to the 3rd day--this is when the brothers wiped out the city and men they despised.  

oh yeah, why is he Jacob again??  more questions than answers today

knut

Genesis 33

2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

I know he is trying to come at Esau in the most humble way possible....but, this seems a little weak doesn't it?  Putting the women and children out in front?  Maybe that is meant to show there is ABSOLUTLEY no aggression to his action.  But, it feels weird.  It seems a lot of how Jacob treat Esau is underhanded and sneaky.

Funny thing is that both of them are wealthy men.  They both saw tremendous success in this world.  God took care of both of them, despite their own actions and in-fighting.

Lesson for me?  hmmmmmmmmm.  Not sure.  There is a BIG lesson in the importance of forgiveness here.  Nobody would have blamed Esau for still being angry.  He was wronged by Jacob.  But, his own success had tempered his feelings.  And, all that was left was love for his brother.

tp

Genesis 32

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f]because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

I was wondering what is up with the name changes.  some of what I read suggests that names back then were more adjectives---
''So the name change from "the supplanter" to "May God Prevail" seems appropriate. But this is true for every name change given by God in scripture. More than just a trivial change in what they are called; It is a change in who they are or will become.

no great take just a thing that made me go hmmm

knut

Genesis 31

The whole time I was feeling like Jacob was fooling Laban.  But here it clearly shows Jacob was following direction from God and also knew it was God who was providing for him even as Laban was jacking around with his wages and agreements with him.

My takeaway is try to follow God's direction and don't get hung up in what seems fair or right in our own eyes.   Stay the course of God's direction which also requires being close to God and listening to him to understand what that course is that he is leading us towards.  Ultimately he has our backs, don't spend energy looking out for ourselves.

knut

Genesis 30

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 

This chapter seems crazy.  Jacob is sleeping with anyone they put in front of him!  It's almost like he doesn't have a say.  The wives are crazily in-fighting, and he just goes along for the ride.  He really isn't involved in the story....other than spreading his seed.....hahaha!  How many women are listed here?  At least 4!

I also find it interesting that when Rachel finally does have a child, that's Joshua.  We know further down the line, he becomes the most important one of the off-spring.  Again, here is another case proving that when God finally allows the barren woman to have a child, they become the greatest of the bunch, and the other ones make questionable decisions.

nothing big today.
tp  

Genesis 29

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[e] Then she stopped having children.

Last time I noted that Jesus cam through the lineage of Leah and you noted that God always seems to use the lower status people to drive his plan.  Good take by you, I had not gotten anything out of it then or again this time.

After a couple re-reads my take here is that Leah was focused on being loved by a man and getting his attention.  After having 3 boys she was like now he'll love me since I gave him 3 boys.  Nope, onto the 4th.

After having the 4th she turns her attention to praising God, end of the stream of birthing boys.  She didn't need what a man could provide any longer, she had God and was fulfilled.  not sure that is the take, it certainly doesn't say that directly but that's what came to my head.

praying for you to know God IS with you and he will get you through this extremely stressful time of life.  The stress is real I wouldn't ever say its not but so is his ability to protect you.

knut

Genesis 28

16-17 Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”

So Jacob became aware that God was present, and when he did he was in awe (i used the Message today I like it better than saying he was afraid).  It just made me think, am I in awe?  

God is in this room with me right now and yet there are probably very few time I act as if I am in awe.  There are times a song really strikes me and makes me feel his presence in a way that I don't generally feel it.  But he is in my presence at all times, I should recognize this fact and feel it and all feel safe because of it.

not sure this was a point of this chapter but it is where my mind took me.
knut

Genesis 27

36 Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob[a]? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

This chapter is strange too me, it doesn't feel very good that Jacob was tricking his father and in effect stealing from his brother.  It seems both these men lack good character.

Now maybe this is just allowed to happen because Esau had already proven his willingness to put short term satisfaction ahead of long term gains like selling his birthright.   Maybe there is a lessen in there about avoiding being selfish or short sighted, the long run results will not be as plentiful.

so I'm struggling to get good lessons out of these last few chapters.  This is very familiar and I'm sure I've heard many sermons over the years that include this section yet I'm not coming away with anything I am certain I can apply to life.

knut

Genesis 26

7 When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

Its deja vu all over again.  Seems strange that Jacob is repeating what Abram had done with Saria.

OK, that's it.  I don't have a take.   Water seems pretty important too.
knut

Genesis 25

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents.

Well I've read this chapter for a couple days.  I know there are important points in history documented here but I don't really come away with a lesson.  I did keep catching my eye that Jacob was a quieter guy that was more of a home body than Esau.  Esau was probably more of a man's man in those days, so it probably makes sense that he was Isaac's favorite.  Not sure what lesson is tucked in there--just an observation.

how about you, get anything?
Knut

Genesis 24

45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

The entire chapter is like a documentary of God's plan unfolding exactly as it was laid out.  I don't have any great takeaways, but I noted the instant ask/response to prayer that occurs here.  This probably isn't the norm, but it sure would be nice to get such clear answers to prayer.  Maybe I do and I'm still not listening, maybe I don't but its because I am not in constant conversation.  I'm sure I don't pray with the true expectation of clear response.  I had been keeping a prayer journal, but that has stopped for over a year now.  I'm thinking its time to start again as soon as I hit publish here.  

ok--so when i started typing I had nothing to so and now I'm thinking its time to re-energize my prayer journal.  How did this happen?

Oh one other thing--what the heck is up with putting your hand under a guys thigh?  there are a number of writeups on this topic--not sure I believe any of them.  Did you know that testify is a related word to testicles?  deep thoughts by Jack Handy.

I'm out and over to my prayer journal.
knut

Genesis 23

16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.

I've read this chapter for a couple of days now....waiting for inspiration.  Here it is....not big.
1.  The death of a beloved spouse is tough!  I can't imagine how hard it was for your mom.  I dread the day that I'm faced with it.  I joke with Kim that I'll be the first to go, so I don't have to deal with it.
2.  If I'm not mistaken, this is the first land that Abraham owns in the "promised land."  It happens by circumstance, and not by take-over....but still.

just connecting dots here this morning.

tp

Genesis 22

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey.

There has to be more to this!  Isn't there a serious block of time where Abraham is tormented by this?  Isn't he on his knees for hours begging God for some different instructions?  Isn't there a time where Abraham tries to convince himself to run and not do this?  It seems to clean, to me.

16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore

I think we wrote about this part last time.  God had already promised Abraham that his offspring would be HUGE!  Yet, here we see a confirmation.  What if Abraham refused to do this?  Would the promise have been broken?  Perhaps this is one of those cases where God, not being bound by time, has a different perspective on the situation that we do.  I'm gonna choose to land here.

tp

Genesis 21

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.


Today i just not Abraham's obedience and trust.  He must certainly hear God clearly and knows the instruction he is getting is not his own thoughts but truly from God.  How else could he just sent his own son off into the desert? He wouldn't even know if he would survive or if he did would he see him again.  Yet he does it.  

Gina and I have tried to be obedient but the I don't know if #1 my ears are open to hearing God's instruction and even if they are would I being willing to do something so counter intuitive to my heart as Abraham was willing to do?

knut

Genesis 20

12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

I don't remember reading this before.  She really is his sister?  or half-sister, at least.  That's weird.  But, it does make sense why he would say it, if he is fearful of the situation.  At least it isn't something he made up out of the clear blue.  But, I still don't get it.  He is putting everyone in a position to fail here.  Poor Abimelek had no clue of what he was really doing.  

Lesson for Todd:  Integrity is everything.  If I don't treat every circumstance with honesty and integrity, bad things can happen to all involved.  Even the innocent can be hurt by my bad decisions.

have a great weekend!
tp

Genesis 19

So much to digest here!  Lot of questions in this chapter;
1.  How did Lot know the men were angels?  Did they look different?  He seems to recognize them right away. 
2.  How is it that Lot can persuaded the men to come to his house?  Is this where he went wrong?  Is that why the angry mob came to his door?
3.  Why do the townsmen automatically assume they can come have sex with them?  This seems really weird!
4.  Why does Lot offer is daughters to the angry mob?  I'm pretty sure I would struggle with that one.
5.  Why do the daughters assume they won't ever meet up with other men, and need to sleep with their father?
6.  Why does Lot's wife turn to salt?  There is one line that says, "..don't look back."  But, it doesn't seem to be that strong of a command....just sayin'
7.  How does Lot NOT know that his daughter have had sex with him?  Anytime that happens to me, I certainly know it!

So many questions.....and so few answers!
It almost feels like a chapter that is setting the table for something else to happen.  To much crazy schtuff with not enough context or background.

I guess what I'm sayin' here.....is......I'm not sure what to take from this and apply it to my life?  Is it "God's plan before my plan?"  Is it "Don't look back!?"  Is it "Bad things happen in caves?" 
Not sure.  One thing is for sure......Sodom needed to be destroyed!

tp

Genesis 18

2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Who were the 3 men was my question today?  The answer that makes the most sense from what I've read is God in the form of a man and two angels.  Only two of the 3 men headed on to Sodom while the 3rd continued to speak with Abraham.  Deduced from 19:1 where two angels arrive in Sodom not 3.

probably not the most important part of the chapter something i was wondering as have many others per Google.

Bigger take away is God is fair, he would save Sodom if there was even 1 righteous person was my take from the exchange at the end of the chapter.

knut

Genesis 17

18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

I think in this entire chapter Abraham's thoughts are only expressed in 1 paragraph.  He laughs at the thought of having a kid at 100yrs old, of course he had one at 86 yrs old so not sure why 100 is so funny.

The other is him asking for God's blessing on Ishmael.

As a  father, it makes sense that Abraham wants all of his children to be blessed not one in particular.  

It is amazing after all of these years how the division between Isaac and Ishmael continues to impact the world.  The land given to Isaac is still under attack by the people of Ishmael.

knut

Genesis 16

much like the last time we read this I do not have a real take.  But I do see the break here between Christian and Islam faith.  It is interesting that God promises Hagar a son and lots of descendants.  Why did he enable this to happen?  it seems like its the start of a long and messy road?

more questions than insights today.
knut

Genesis 15

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.

So I think this is imagery intended to illustrate God taking away our sins, maybe its foreshadowing of Jesus.  For me it would be easier if he just came right out and said it.  I did a bunch of Google searches and see a lot of interpretations.  What is funny to me is how some people write it as fact.  The smoking fire pot represents God's holiness.  The torch is God saying he will lead us.    OK maybe, but maybe not yet they state it as fact.

At the end of the day the lesson to me is trying to be faithful and getting so close to God that I am certain what he wants my next step to be--rather than the constant challenge I have of knowing when is it my thoughts and when is it his direction.

knut

Genesis 14

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “With raised hand I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 

Keeping things pure, God had bless Abram by denying anything from the king of Sodom he helps keep that quite clear.  Not sure if there is a lesson for us in there or not about knowing where our blessings come from and/or making it clear to others we know too?

knut

Genesis 13

8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”


i thought maybe there were some lessons on how to handle conflict in here.  Abram saw the conflict addressed it head on and was a gentlemen giving Lot options and first choice on how to handle.  not sure he did it for dividends but it seemed to payoff.

Alternatively Lot was looking out for #1.  I think we will be reminded this did not turn out so well soon.

so maybe selfishly look out for others first.  how's that for twisted

knut

Genesis 12

18-19 Pharaoh called for Abram, “What’s this that you’ve done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ so that I’d take her as my wife? 

I can understand the fear and wanting to find a way that would not get him killed in his current situation....but, I don't understand this how he handles it.  This not only implies that Sarai lived at the palace, but Pharaoh "took her as his wife."  Which definitely means intimacy to me.  That one I can't understand.  I would venture to say there isn't a situation where I would choose that option with Kim.  I would rather be killed than let that happen.  Doesn't it seems odd?
If he had such great faith....it seems even stranger.  If God was actually talking to you.....in real conversation.  Promising you a legacy like no other.  Land and wealth that would fall to your offspring....is this the way you would react?

If I was God, sitting in that moment, I would be scratching my head!  I know this represents 1 of the 2 times Abram will show his lack of faith....and he will reap the rewards of it!

I also understand why Pharaoh is upset.  He unknowingly walked into this one.
But, kudos to Abram for have a smokin' hot wife!

tp

Genesis 11

31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and Sarai his daughter-in-law (his son Abram’s wife) and set out with them from Ur of the Chaldees for the land of Canaan. But when they got as far as Haran, they settled down there.

Looks like I jumped the gun a little bit yesterday.  My take applies more to today with the language.

This verse caught my attention today.  This is one of the verses that people point to when trying to prove the bible isn't consistent or accurate.  When and How Abraham left Ur.  I think there are conflicting timelines given is 2 separate accounts.  I'll see if I can look it up.  Not buying or selling here.  Just noting the conversation that happens around these verses.

Acts 7: 2-4 is where Stephen tells the story of Abraham.

Ur of the Chaldees was in Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt before he moved to Charran, a city which in the Old Testament is called Haran. Stephen apparently wasn't thoroughly familiar with the ancient history of Israel's beginning, and got some of his facts mixed up. God did not call Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees. The Holy Spirit tells a different story. But many Bible expositors, for reasons of their own, accept Stephen's version as the correct account of what happened, even though they know (or should know) that the book of Genesis tells it differently. 

Genesis 10

1-2 At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language.

This is probably a real stretch.  But, if you look at language today....its getting closer and closer together.  As we invent new words and new terms that every language adopts, it becomes closer.  The more of this that happens the faster technology moves and the more we create.   The end game to this is that everyone will eventually speak the same language.  This gets us back to the situation that God was avoiding by scattering everyone and making them speak different languages.
The other part of this is it sounds like God is almost fearful of what man will do if we are all working together in the same place.  Probably not for his concern, but for the concern that we will accomplish too much, too quickly.

Interesting.

tp

Genesis 9

3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Amen!  this is where we get permission to eat BBQ!  Reads a little bit like they were vegetarians up to this point, and now God is telling them they can eat the animals.

The portion of the chapter that talks about Noah getting drunk and falling asleep naked.....is weird.  It doesn't seem like a reason to curse a kid, does it?  Seems really harsh for something that Noah created in the first place, by putting himself in that position.  just sayin'

tp

Genesis 8

“Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."

Sad, isn't it?  Our master creator...ultimate God comes to the realization that our every move is underlined with evil, from the time we are kids.  

In my business that would be considered a COLOSSAL failure.  In fact, not only is the design a failure, but now I need to send my completely innocent Son into the mess.  Where the only way to fix it is for him to die!????  Really?  I think I know how I would react to that.  I would wipe the slate clean and try again, until I got a different result.

tp

Genesis 7

2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

I don't know that I've ever caught this before.  Seven pairs of every clean animal, and seven pairs of every bird.  Seven days from now.  The mental picture is 2 of everything.....but really its 14 of everything in these categories.  Interesting.  Second thing is the number 7.  Numerology is not my strength.  But, there is definitely significance to the number 7 pointing toward God, and his plans, actions, or way of doing business.
If they were in there for 150 days...what did they eat?  Were they eating the animals?  Or did they have a stock of herbs and cheeses? hahaha...


tp