Feb. 6, 2012 - Genesis 37

This is the account of Jacob.

Too much going on here for just a simple genealogy, though, so we continue to watch this family unfold in detail. We need some insights here to understand how later events unfold as they do.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers…and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Well somebody’s a little tattletale. Perhaps this was an important issue, or maybe it didn’t matter at all, or maybe Joseph just made something up. Whatever the case, though, he’s trying to get his brothers in some sort of trouble, for no apparent reason so far.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…

Joseph, while the 11^th son, is the firstborn of Rachel, the one woman Jacob really wanted and loved. And while it is true that “he had been born to him in his old age…” Benjamin was even more so an old-age son, from the same woman. Maybe Benjamin is still younger though, and Joseph is just the right age to be a man, while still remaining close to his father. Also, although this is the account of Jacob, it is Israel who loves Joseph more. So perhaps this is partly a prophetical love, since Joseph will be the one who will end up saving and providing for the family in the future.

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.

Well, he is sort of a jerk, telling their father bad things about them and everything. Hate may be a strong word, but it’s at least partially understandable. Spoiled little brat.

“…my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

Yep. Still a jerk. Joseph really isn’t planning on accomplishing anything here, except annoying his brothers. There’s no other reason for him to tell them about his dream, especially not in such a high-and-mighty way.

“I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Sun, moon, and 11 stars. So, all 11 brothers. This might be important later.

When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him…

Finally, he gets called out for being a snob. And perhaps this plays an important part in him growing up, which he’s going to need to do quickly.

His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Although he called Joseph out, Jacob has had his share of weird dreams and odd things with God that he recognizes there could very well be something of importance in these dreams. And so he thinks about it.

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

Well, that’s one way to get him to stop telling you his dreams. Maybe a little extreme though…

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands.

Although he screwed up earlier, Reuben is still the firstborn, and he tries to take charge of this situation, and figure out a way to get Joseph back safely to their father. Because he really does care about his father, and knows how much Joseph means to him.

Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him…”

Well, at least it’s not killing him, but it’s not particularly nice either. Also, they do this while Reuben is gone, so he doesn’t get a chance to plead for Joseph again.

Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.

Although he loved Joseph as Israel, he mourns as Jacob. With all the raw and over-the-top emotions. Not as the leader of a great nation, but as a broken father in despair over his lost son. And with the same stubbornness that refused to release God after their struggle, he refuses to be comforted in this time of mourning.

Feb. 5, 2012 - Genesis 36

 This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan…

Oops. Wrong answer.

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters…and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. Their possessions were too great for them to remain together…

Too many blessings to be trapped in one place. Sound familiar? Like Abraham and Lot, perhaps?

This is the account of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.

And now we get some good old genealogy, since it has been awhile since our last batch. And this isn’t even of the main line either, but simply a brief glimpse into Esau’s family. We see his sons, make note of who was important and what kind of roles they had, and take a look at the other people who lived in the area. We see Seir and his line who were already there, as well as the line of kings that ruled the region. And at the end, we get one last list of other important chiefs that will come from Esau, and wrap up with an acknowledgement.

This was Esau the father of the Edomites.

Feb. 4, 2012 - Genesis 35

“Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God…”

Just slaughtered the city, need to move away. Also, build an altar.

“Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.”

All the women and children just captured probably still have their own gods. Also, there might be others within the family who have been trying not to be ‘intolerant.’ But now it’s time for a clean start, so Jacob buries everything, and they move out.

Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no on pursued them.

With God with them, no need to fight at all. People just look, and know that’s a group not to mess with.

So he named him Israel.

God blesses him and reaffirms the new name.

“I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number.”

Still the same from Adam and Eve.

“The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”

Why does God keep repeating so much? Because people are stupid. And forget. And God’s promise to their fathers isn’t enough. And he’s showing that he is the same God, he’s sticking with the family, and he WILL keep his promise.

And then Rachel has another child, although she dies in childbirth.

12 – Benjamin – “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.”

Jacob set up a pillar…

Jacob. Not Israel. This is about to lead into the first real section where we get to see both names, and try to understand some of what is going on. Basically, we have two separate personalities, and while he answers to either name, they are generally used in relation to what’s going on. Right now, he’s burying his wife. The wife he worked 14 years for, as Jacob. Trickster, deceiver, yes. But also a hard worker, and definitely in love with Rachel.

While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.

Israel. Not Jacob. This is a matter which will concern the family line. Although Israel doesn’t seem to do anything to punish Reuben here, he does withhold the blessing from him. Reuben will not be the ‘chosen one’ to continue the line. Also, after their episode slaughtering the city, Simeon and Levi also forfeit their rights to this honor. Which brings us to Judah as the 4^th oldest, who will eventually be the one to carry on the line to Jesus.

Jacob had twelve sons:

Immediately after Israel hearing of Reuben’s treachery, we see that Jacob still has twelve sons. Regardless of how these sons have screwed up, or what blessings they might miss out on because of their actions, they are still part of the family, and no one is getting disowned. Israel is forming God’s nations through all of Jacob’s sons.

Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Just like Ishmael and Isaac buried Abraham together, even though they didn’t exactly get along, Esau and Jacob come together to do the same thing. To put aside whatever conflicts they have had, and honor a father.  

Feb. 3, 2012 - Genesis 34

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her. His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

Well that’s a nice good love story. Except I think somebody got confused about the order in which you generally pursue a lady. I don’t seem to recall the book: “Rape. Woo. Marry. The guide to a successful marriage.” Maybe that’s just me. Oh wait, no. He’s just wrong.

They were filled with grief and fury…

Yep, that sounds about right.

“Intermarry with us…the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”

Hey, we’re not so bad. We’re good people. Don’t be so intolerant. Just because we have different beliefs is no reason for us not to accept each other and live together.

…Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully…

Wonder where they learned that from…

“We will give our consent to you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.”

Really? You think you’re going to convince them to circumcise everybody just to please you?

Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

Oh…well then.

So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to their fellow townsmen….“Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?”

Hey guys, they’re strangers, they don’t know anything. We’ll end up with all their stuff, and this is the only way they’ll let us marry any of their daughters.

…and every male in the city was circumcised.

Seriously. The whole city. Because of one family. These girls must have their fair dose of Sarah’s genes. Remember Sarah? Catch the king’s eye at 90? Yep. That’s what I’m thinking. Because this whole city goes through some serious stuff just to get a shot at one of these girls.

Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.

Yep. If you’re going to pull a scheme over on somebody, might as well make it count, right?

They carried off all their wealth…

Hey look. That’s what you get when you try to mess with this family, or trick them into something. It comes back to get you. Laban tried to outdo Jacob, and lost everything. This city thinks they’ll outsmart the foreigners and take everything, but end up having their stuff taken. Not that they were alive to think about the irony…

You have brought trouble on my by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.

We’re outsiders. They could drive us out, and you guys just gave them a pretty good reason to. Jacob again shows some of his new-found maturity and understanding of the situation, but his sons have already acted on their violent impulses. Deceit, plunder, and revenge first, think about the consequences later.

Feb. 2, 2012 - Genesis 33

Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men…

Here it is. The big showdown.

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

Aww. It’s all happiness and butterflies. How sweet.

“Who are these with you?”

“They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

Now surely Esau gets a little bit of a sinking feeling here, because it’s obvious that Jacob is reaping the benefits of the family blessing, and his own family is large and growing. And Esau was so close to having all that for himself. So close. However, Jacob introduces his family, and everyone maintains their humility and shows Esau the greatest of respect, and everything stays calm.

“For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.”

Oh, ha. He’s funny. Because he did just see God and everything. Get it?

“Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

“So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly…”

Instead of heading home all together, Jacob explains that his animals have a lot of young, so they need to take their time and come slow.

“Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?”

And while Jacob is glad to see his brother, and be received favorably, he also knows that he must remain separate from him. Since Esau has intermarried with other cultures, it’s all the more important for Jacob to keep his family pure, and not get mixed up with Esau’s family.

So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock.

As he said, Jacob is taking it slow, and sets up a temporary camp while he tends to the flock and lets some of the younger animals mature for the rest of the trip.

…he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city…There he set up an altar…

Jacob has grown up, and realizes the importance of some things. Like an altar. And so he continues the tradition, and sets one up. Follow the altars, track the family.

Feb. 1, 2012 - Genesis 32

Jacob sent messengers ahead of him…

He’s not going to risk just showing up, since there’s no telling what Esau’s first reaction will be, or how he’ll be received. Instead, he sends notice in advance that he’s on the way, and begs for favor from his brother.

“We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

Uh-oh. He’s bringing an army. And he’s totally still mad and coming to kill everybody. It’s not looking too good.

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD…Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother…”

I know I don’t deserve it God, but save me! For the first time recorded, Jacob is asking for help. So far he’s just been scheming his way out of tough situations, but now something is different.

…he selected a gift for his brother Esau…

Well, just because he asked for help doesn’t me he shouldn’t try, right? I mean, who can stay mad when they keep getting presents? Anyways, we’ve got bunches of groups of gifts now, and everything else split up and spread out, and Jacob is sorting everything out until eventually they’re headed out.

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

How did this start? Maybe God walked up and put Jacob in a headlock. Or maybe not. It seems more likely to me that Jacob initiates this in some way. He’s alone. Suspicious and on edge thinking his brother is coming to kill him. Mind racing going over all his property and which things are in what group, making sure he didn’t miscount something. And then a figure approaches. And somehow they become locked in a struggle. And it continues until dawn is approaching, and God very simply throws out Jacob’s hip, making the point that he could have easily won at any time. That no matter how hard Jacob tries to fight, this isn’t something he could ever win. But Jacob hangs on. Not trying to win now, just hanging on with everything to receive a blessing.

JacobàIsrael

“…because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”

Did he really ‘overcome’ God? Not so much. Then what did he do? What did he overcome? What was this whole thing about anyways? Humility, maybe. Remember, this is just after Jacob asked God for help. For really the first time in his life, he turned to God to help him solve a problem, instead of just trying to do it all by himself. But he also sent some gifts, just in case. And then God shows up. And this wrestling match embodies everything Jacob is fighting to understand. Jacob doesn’t trust that God is enough. He doesn’t know if God really cares about his future. And he’s not the kind of guy to just let stuff go. He’s a quick thinker, a deceiver, not going to take things at face value. He wants to understand, to dig deep. And he’s willing to fight to get to the bottom of this. And so he wrestles with God, trying to hold him down, to wrap his mind around everything. And with a simple touch, God wrenches his hip out. No matter how much Jacob wants to control the situation, he just can’t do it with God. God is in control, and Jacob just has to learn to accept it. And he overcomes himself, his nature. He submits to God, and begs for his blessing. And God gives him another name. And although he will continue to be called Jacob, he also will be called Israel as the story continues. He doesn’t lose his old nature, but he overcomes it.

…and he was limping because of his hip.

Just as Abraham was given circumcision, Jacob/Israel has a physical thing to remind him that God’s promise is no dream. It’s not make-believe, or imaginary, but constantly with him, just as his limp is.

Jan. 31, 2012 - Genesis 31

And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.

It wasn’t exactly great before, so I can only imagine what is going on now…

“Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Jacob was going to leave earlier with nothing but his family. Since he stayed, though, he has accumulated a great amount of wealth(because of God), but it’s finally time to go ahead and move on.

“You know that I’ve worked for you father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times…So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.”

Laban tried to cheat me, and got out-played. There’s nothing left for you here, so come with me as I leave go back home.

…Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

Why? Does Rachel want these gods to have for herself? To sell? Just to annoy Laban? Well, I don’t know, but it’s possible she was simply taking them so that Laban wouldn’t be able to use them. He did learn by ‘divination’ that God was blessing Jacob, so there is at least the possibility that they do have some sort of power(there are plenty of demonic powers and whatnot, especially when dealing with fortune-telling stuff). Maybe Rachel takes them in the hopes that Laban won’t be able to use their help to learn which way Jacob is heading. Or maybe she’s just trying to take them so that he won’t have them to worship anymore. Or maybe she just wants to sell them. Whatever the case, she takes them.

Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.

Ah-ha! More trickery! Wait till he’s busy, then make a break for it! And again we see that instead of sitting down and trying to talk things out, Jacob thinks his best plan is to simply try to outsmart and outmaneuver his ‘opponent.’

“Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

No curses allowed, but no blessings either. It’s time for Jacob to be split off from Laban, and the less connecting them the better. Also, God has plenty of blessing for Jacob, and doesn’t need Laban trying to add to it. Because by now we know Laban well enough to see that if he could, he might very possibly give Jacob his ‘blessing,’ and then take all the credit for everything.

“You’ve deceived me…Why did you run off secretly and deceive me?”

“I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.”

You tricked me! Why would you do such a terrible thing to poor innocent and unsuspecting me? Ha. This whole relationship is built entirely on trickery, deceit, and trying to outdo each other, which is probably a very good reason for some of these trust issues we have here.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed.

I’ve got a trump card – God. That’s why I came out ahead, and why you are going to leave me alone.

“All you see is mine. Yet what can I do…”

After everything, Laban just needs to get the last word in. It’s really all mine. That work you did doesn’t really cover it. I kept changing your wages to try to keep it fair, but you kept cheating somehow. You don’t deserve any of it. But, since I can’t do anything about it, let’s just make a deal to leave each other alone. I won’t go on your side, and you don’t come on my side.

Jan. 30, 2012 - Genesis 30

…she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children or I’ll die!”

Drama queen much?

“Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family.”

Oh right, this trick again. Also, it’s clear that this isn’t one happy family. We have Leah’s family, and Rachel’s family. Jacob just happens to be caught in the middle.

Anyways, through Rachel’s servant Bilhah we get:

5 – Dan – “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”

6 – Naphtali – “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”

So far Leah has 4 sons, and Rachel’s servant has 2. Now I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that Leah is still “winning” despite Rachel’s claim that she has “won.” Somebody is acting like a whiny little brat…

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

Anything you can do, I can do better…

Through Leah’s servant Zilpah:

7 – Gad – “What good fortune!”

8 – Asher – “How happy I am! The women will call me happy!”

“Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well, he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

“You must sleep with me, I have hired you…”

Hey look, Jacob is just a prostitute in his own house, with his wives buying and selling time with him between themselves. Ridiculous.

And of course, Leah has a couple more sons:

9 – Issachar – “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.”

10 – Zebulun – “God has presented me with a precious gift.”

And then finally Rachel has her first son:

11 – Joseph – “God has taken away my disgrace.”

“Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland.”

It’s been 14 years. I’ve put up with your schemes and I’ve worked hard for you. Now it’s time for me to leave, so I can actually start working for myself. I have no wealth to show for these years of work, just my family. I need to start working to provide something for them.

“I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”

Divination? Really? “My gods said your God is the one giving the blessings, so could you stick around with him for awhile?” This just seems like the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

“Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.”

That same day [Laban] removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the streaked or spotted female goats…Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob…

Wait a minute, did Laban just steal all his ugly stuff so Jacob wouldn’t have anything to start? That’s sure what it sounds like to me. I mean, Laban gets all the speckled and spotted animals, gives them to his sons, and drives them three days away to be separated from the rest of the flock, which Jacob then continues to tend. Now maybe there’s some part of the deal that we don’t quite get in the passage here, and Jacob’s payment was only going to be newborn animals from this time onwards, or something like that. But whatever is going on, obviously Laban isn’t about to make it easy for Jacob, and isn’t going to give him freebie animals. In fact, he’s specifically keeping the already speckled animals separated so Jacob’s chances of getting such animals is as low as possible. It’s all about who can come out ahead between these guys, both trying to out-trick the other.

Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them…Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink.

Well Laban may have thought he was smart to separate out all the spotted animals, but Jacob has a plan! Make the animals see striped things, and they’ll have striped children! Of course! And while you’re sitting there laughing at how stupid he is, his plan just goes right ahead and works. And we continue to see God blessing this screwed-up, deceitful, superstitious mess of a guy, no matter how much stupid stuff he does. This blessing is so powerful that it just keeps on working regardless of how hard the family tries to screw everything up. They literally can’t avoid getting blessed.

So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.

And Jacob wins this round. 

Jan. 29, 2012 - Genesis 29

There he saw a well…

Same well where Rebekah was found? Possibly. Same area, at least.

“…it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

Get out of here so I can talk to the pretty girl…

…he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.

Well, it’s probably a good bet to say that Jacob has heard the story about how his parents met. Or rather, how the messenger figured out that Rebekah was the woman he was after, to bring back to Isaac. Also, he would know that Laban’s family, and thus Rachel, would know the story as well. And with what we already know about Jacob’s sly and devious nature, it seems to me that not only is this an act of ‘oh, let me move this giant boulder for you’ showing off, but also a sneaky ploy to relate back to his parents experience. How did God reveal that Rebekah was the right woman? She came, and freely offered to water the messenger’s camels. What does Jacob do? Freely waters Rachel’s sheep(possibly even at the same well). If Rachel is paying attention, maybe she’ll see the hand of God at work, and fall hopeless in love with this perfect man that has been sent to her. And of course, moving a giant boulder surely can’t hurt his chances either, right?

…Jacob told him all these things. Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”

So Jacob gets welcomed, and gets a chance to tell his story. About how he’s the best salesman ever, and got his brother to trade his birthright for a meal. About how he straight up duped his father, and stole the family blessing from under his brother’s nose. About how he came seeking a wife, and then…here he is. And Laban leans back in his chair, smirks a bit, and thinks about how much of his own slickness he sees in Jacob.

“Tell me what your wages should be.”

Hey look, Laban’s offering to pay him, that’s so considerate. And yet, instead of looking to help Jacob start a life of his own, what he’s actually doing is just turning him into another hired hand. Get some cheap labor out of the old family.

“I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Since Jacob really doesn’t have anything of value, he offers his service to earn the lovely lady. Of course, this means that after seven years, he still won’t have anything of his own, except a wife. Not exactly the best way to start building wealth, but hey, get the woman first, right?

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife.”

When morning came, there was Leah!

Oops. And here we learn a valuable lesson. On your wedding night, take a minute or two to actually look at your partner, maybe even try to talk with them for a couple seconds or something, just to make sure you know who they are. Because if you’ve got some sneaky relatives, you never know what kind of shenanigans they might try to pull on you…Anyways, Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine and realizes what it feels like to be on the other side of a trickeration scheme.

“Why have you deceived me?”

“It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.”

Where you come from, you may be able to steal your older brother’s birthright, blessing, and whatever else, but that’s not how we do things here. The eldest comes first. Deal with it. You just got duped with your own scam in reverse. Isaac was blind, and his sons got switched, Jacob was…something, and the girls got switched.

“Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

Can’t turn back now, so just go ahead and finish Leah’s ‘honeymoon’ week, and then you can have Rachel also. If you stay and work for seven more years, of course. Now, he doesn’t have to wait those seven years, but gets Rachel after that week. He just can’t leave until he finishes the extra work.

Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah.

Aww, poor Leah, right? Pretty much every time I’ve heard this story taught, everybody feels sorry for poor Leah with the weak eyes, that nobody wanted. And while that’s all well and good, and she certainly must have faced some serious rejection issues, I simply don’t see her as helpless and innocent in all this. I mean, come on. While Laban might have been the one with the idea to switch the daughters, or even the one who really carried it out, Leah went right along with it. She played her part, and managed to trick Jacob through an entire night, and get him to accept her when she was obviously of a different statue than her sister. She had her own share of trickery and deceit in all this. And as we’re about to see, she’s not just going to sit by and let Jacob get taken away, but stand up to her sister and fight to earn her place in the family.

When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb…

And so it begins. Time to build a family. So let’s start a list of sons, with their corresponding quotes concerning their birth.

1 – Reuben – “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

2 – Simeon – “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved.”

3 – Levi – “Now at last my husband will become attached to me…”

4 – Judah – “This time I will praise the LORD.”

For the first three, Leah’s focus is all about winning the affections of Jacob. And then for the fourth son, she stops and simply give praise to God. As it happens, this fourth son, Judah, is the son through whom the blessing will continue. Coincidence? Hmmmm. Interesting, at least.

Jan. 28, 2012 - Genesis 28

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him…

Although Jacob has just stolen the blessing, and Isaac was furious about his deception, Jacob is still his son. And if this family knows anything, it’s about how much they screw up, and how God keeps forgiving them and blessing them anyways. Welcome to the family Jacob. Blow it, get blessed anyways.

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…

It’s official, Jacob gets THE family blessing. Isaac realizes that despite his plans, God meant what he said when he declared that Jacob would continue the family, and it would be through him that they would take possession of the land. Eventually.

Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebarioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

Apparently he just now figures out how much trouble his marriages brought to the family. Maybe his parents never voiced their displeasure strongly enough, or maybe he just wasn’t listening, or simply ignored them. However, he certainly knew it was wrong in general, and that he wasn’t keeping his house focused on God, even if he didn’t realize the scope.

Anyways, to fix it he just marries a cousin as well. That fixes everything, right?

“I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

God appears, repeats Abraham’s blessing to Jacob, and promises that it is now his. And that Jacob will not be forgotten, but watched over.

“…and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Official promise to tithe. To give back some of these promised blessings.

Jan. 27, 2012 - Genesis 27

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau…

Even though Esau has married poorly, and God has already said that the blessing will be given to Jacob, Isaac is going to bless his firstborn anyways.

What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him…

I would appear to be tricking him. Ha! Yeah, it probably would appear that way, since that’s exactly what would be happening.

Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it…I blessed him – and indeed he will be blessed!”

Obviously Isaac isn’t exactly thrilled about being deceived, but there’s no taking it back. This blessing is a pretty big deal, and it doesn’t come with do-overs.

“Bless me – me too, my father!”

“Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

While Esau will get his own sortof-blessing, that’s all he’s going to get. Similar to Ishmael, he simply isn’t the chosen one, and will only get a ‘secondhand’ blessing. Which, of course, isn’t exactly terrible in itself. Blessings of any kind are cool.

“Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!”

Well, while the birthright sale was certainly a devious scheme by Jacob, it wasn’t exactly deception. Esau was completely aware of the terms, and freely agreed to them. Now that he’s had time to think it over, he realizes he got cheated, but he’s trying to retroactively shift the blame onto Jacob when it was really his own fault. Of course, the blessing deal is a different matter, and the straight-up deception is pretty obvious.

Esau held a grudge against Jacob…

“Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you.”

Well somebody has anger issues. Maybe Esau is tired of all this running away from fighting. Maybe he wanted to punch somebody the first time they tried to start a fight over the whole well-digging business, and he’s been holding back all that anger. Or maybe this one thing is just too much. He knows what that blessing means, and that it was supposed to be his. His father was going to give it to him. And then that little wimp Jacob stole it from right underneath him.

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women.”

Ta-da! An excuse for Jacob to leave. Not to mention the keeping pure of his line.

Jan. 26, 2012 - Genesis 26

…and Isaac went to Abimelech…

Hey look, Abimelech again. Now, it’s probably a different Abimelech than the one Abraham dealt with, but it could possibly be the same guy, just some hundred odd years older or so.

When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister…”

Really? Not exactly the most creative thing I’ve heard, if I do say so myself. Well, at least he was sort of paying attention to Abraham’s bedtime stories, right? That, or it’s a genetic issue the family suffers with.  Whatever. So, how will things turn out this time?

“Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

“Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

Oh, right. Exactly the same. Why would you do this? I thought you were going to kill me.

This is Isaac, who Abraham almost sacrificed, but then was stopped by God. Isaac saw God save his life, he knows the promise that rests on him, and God has just finished directly speaking to him. And yet, he still doesn’t trust God to protect him, and thinks he needs to come up with some deception to keep himself safe.

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.

And he’s still getting blessed, despite his best efforts to screw things up.

“Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”

Because of his lies, he isn’t trusted anymore, and thus his wealth isn’t that of a friend, but a possible enemy. You don’t want rich neighbors that you can’t trust.

Isaac reopened the wells…

Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well…

Then they dug another well…

He moved on from there and dug another well…

People try to pick a fight? Leave. What if you put in a lot of work/energy/time into digging a well? Leave anyways. Dig another one. More fighting? Leave.

Isaac built an altar there…and there his servants dug a well.

Need to find God’s people? Follow the altars. These guys specifically set aside the time to search and listen for God. They work hard at it. They build things. When was the last time you physically exhausted yourself in your search to know God better? Or put effort into it at all? If you really wanted to hear from God, how far would you go?

Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar…

I know we chased you off and everything, but I was just thinking maybe we should nail down a treaty so that God of yours doesn’t kill us. Because, it’s pretty obvious that he’s actually affecting your life and doing stuff for you.

When Esau was forty years old, he married…They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Esau intermarries with the Hittites, outsiders, and contaminates his family line. Shame shame.

Jan. 25, 2012 - Genesis 25

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.

Well, apparently he’s gotten over the worry that he can’t have any more children because of how old he is, and this wife provides him with quite a few more sons.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away…

Concubines? Where did they come from? Possibly referring to Keturah, and/or other women. Earlier, while he was married to Sarah, he took Hagar as his concubine. While the term is technically different from a wife, a concubine was essentially treated the same. This status could result from being a servant, or not having a dowry provided, or many other reasons. However, a child from a concubine was considered a rightful heir, and would have an inheritance as normal. These sons aren’t going to receive any of Isaac’s blessing, though, and Abraham has them all sent away. He doesn’t just repeat his past and send them into the desert as he did with Hagar and Ishmael, but at least sends them to a certain area, with gifts.

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him…

Ishmael is going to be blessed, and so while he’s not as ‘high’ in the blessing line as Isaac, he still is above the other sons that were sent away, and is important enough to take part in helping bury his father.

After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac…

And the blessing is passed. The “blessed him in every way” blessing. Yay.

This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael…and they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

Ishmael has 12 sons, which form 12 tribes, and give us a preview of what will happen later through Isaac. And while he is blessed and fathers a nation as promised, his sons don’t live in harmony, and we know that the real blessing lies in wait for Isaac’s descendants.

This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac…Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren.

This line is special, and God wants it to be clear that these sons aren’t going to just happen, but are directly provided by himself.

So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her “…the older will serve the younger.”

As Rebekah asks why her twins seem to be fighting, God clearly gives the instruction that they will both be great nations, but that the younger will be the greater.

So Esau despised his birthright.

After some time out hunting, Esau comes back hungry, and trades something of lasting value for immediate gain. He doesn’t recognize the value of his birthright, and sells it for so cheap that it is as if he considered it altogether useless. Now, this birthright was essentially a larger portion of his father’s inheritance, and with all the wealth of the family, it should have been obvious exactly how much this was worth. Esau doesn’t take the time to think about it, though, and gives up a great fortune for a simple meal.

Jan. 24, 2012 - Genesis 24

Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

Blessed in every way? Yes please. This sounds like a pretty amazing way to sum up someone’s life. I mean, that would be a good way to be remembered, right?

“I want you to swear…that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country…”

Abraham knows that while this land is ultimately promised to his descendants, it doesn’t mean that they will inherit it by simply intermarrying with the current residents. One day his people will have to drive out the others, and take possession of God’s promise. In the meantime, his line must remain pure, so Isaac must be married to someone from his own country, from his relatives. However, Isaac is not to leave this land, and if the servant can’t get a wife to come back with him, he won’t be help responsible, but simply released from this oath.

“O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today…”

You know, I have a suspicion that this is possibly one of the most often-used prayers ever. Countless students place all their faith in this prayer on test days. I regularly use it as I begin my search for a parking spot. O LORD, give me success. It’s a plain, simple request. And yet, it hints at the most mind-blowing truth of all: that the God of the universe might just care enough about your life to personally step in and give you a little help.

Before he had finished praying…

And God does care. He is listening. And when a teacher is lenient with the grading and gives you points you don’t really deserve, or a car pulls out of a spot right in front of you, or the perfect woman comes walking up with a jar on her shoulder, maybe it was just a coincidence. Or maybe it wasn’t.

Without saying a word, the man watched her closely…

So, obviously Rebekah is busy running back and forth getting water for the camels, and they can’t exactly have an in-depth conversation, but still, surely it’s a little awkward for him to just be standing there watching. Of course, he probably had some other servants with him, since later we see that the family offers water for “him and his men to wash their feet,” so they could have been socializing with Rebekah during this time. This would then allow him to be watching how she interacted with them, to make sure she was the right one. After she has drawn the water, he then gives her some gold jewelry and asks about her family, which he is pleased to discover is that of a close relative.

Then the man bowed down and worshipped the LORD…

He asked for a pretty specific thing to happen to find the right woman, and it happened exactly as he asked, with a close relative. Pretty much, his mission is going perfectly so far.

As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets…he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. “Come, you who are blessed by the LORD…”

So we see that Laban notices the jewelry immediately, and takes it upon himself to go welcome this guest. He greets him with the name of the LORD, so he is not completely oblivious to this name. However, later on we know he had many other gods in his household, so it is likely that he didn’t actually worship the LORD. In fact, it’s possible that he heard Rebekah mention this name as she was relating the story, and then used it simply to make this guest feel more welcome. As the savvy businessman he was, he recognized the value of the jewelry first given, and was certainly interested to learn more about this traveler, as wealthy friends are always good.

“This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.”

Whatever the beliefs of this household, they are amazed at the exactness of the story, and yield to the obvious workings of the LORD in keeping the family together.

“Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey.”

He’s excited to share the good news, and doesn’t want to keep his master waiting any longer than he has to. The quicker he can leave, the quicker he can get back.

So she became his wife, and he loved her…

And just like that we have the next main characters lined up, as Abraham’s part in the story is almost over, and it’s time for Isaac to play his part in passing down God’s blessing.

Jan. 23, 2012 - Genesis 23

Well this chapter is going to be short and sweet(or sad, I suppose). Sarah dies, and Abraham wants some land to bury her. So, the Hittites offer their tombs to him, and will freely allow him to bury his wife wherever he wants. However, it wouldn’t be Abraham’s land, or tomb. Essentially, the family would be adopting Abraham, and allowing him to bury Sarah with their own deceased.

This isn’t what Abraham wants, though, so he specifically asks for a certain piece of land that he can buy and own for himself. The owner, in turn, offers the land as a gift, but this still isn’t what Abraham wants. A gift could be argued over later. Abraham wants to buy the land, and have a record that names him as the specific owner so that no one can try to say he doesn’t belong, or run him off.

The owner agrees, and Abraham buys the field at full value, with plenty of witnesses. And so, while Abraham isn’t going to inherit the entire promised land himself, he does get a piece of it, and leaves a sign to his descendants that they have much more left to claim, but that God has already given it to them.

So Abraham gets the field, the cave, and all the trees. Of course! More TREES! That’s obviously why he picked this land. At least, it probably didn’t hurt.

Jan. 22, 2012 - Genesis 22

“Take your son, your only son, Isaac…”

Only son? What about Ishmael? Apparently he’s no longer a part of Abraham’s line, similar to how Cain lost his place in Adam’s line. God has a specific plan for this line, and it doesn’t always go according to the accepted customs of normal inheritance, but rather by where he chooses to give his blessings.

…Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

Well that’s a nice bland couple of sentences to describe a ridiculously insane series of events. I mean, he’s about to kill his son for goodness sakes. So, did Isaac try to fight back? He was old enough to carry the wood, right? And Abraham is 100 years older than Isaac, so he could probably resist, right? We know that he has already questioned his father about the missing lamb, so it’s not like he’s oblivious to what’s going on. After three days of traveling, hiking up a mountain, and working at building an altar, surely Isaac is starting to wonder where this magical lamb is. And then when the altar is done, and there still isn’t a lamb, Abraham turns toward him. And he either allows himself to be bound, or Abraham overcomes him and forcefully restrains his son, blocking out the cries and screams for mercy.

And then he raises the knife. Here it is. After all this time, all the doubts and deception, all the fearing for his own life, and skepticism about this son, after it all he finally gives up fighting and surrenders to God’s plan. He didn’t trust God for his safety, and lied about his wife…twice. He scoffed at the idea that Sarah could have a child, and asked that the blessing be given to Ishmael instead. But now, he is finally to the point of complete belief. God said he was going to make Isaac into a great nation, that’s exactly what he’ll do. Even if this doesn’t make sense, Abraham finally trusts that God will keep his promise, no matter what.

“Now I know that you fear God…”

Just as Abraham knew all along, it was a test. Of course, the test ended without him actually having to harm his son, but the result is achieved. He was willing to sacrifice everything, and completely rely on God and his promise.

As an interesting side note: Abraham seems to be pretty good at following directions and obeying God. Pack up. Leave your home. Go. Circumcise your family. Sacrifice your son.

However, he seems to run into trouble when he doesn’t have some specific task or direction from God. Something about the ‘down-time’ makes wife = sister, servant = wife…

Now whether he just isn’t listening to God at these times, or whether God just isn’t speaking, I don’t know. But it does bring a lot of trouble into his life, and complicate things. If only he always lived his life toward a specific goal, and was constantly asking for guidance, he might have been able to avoid some of those issues.

And just because it’s been a while since we have any decent family records, we get a little chunk to round out the end of this chapter. Namely, we see a certain Rebekah enter the scene.

Jan. 21, 2012 - Genesis 21

“God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”

Both Abraham and Sarah scoffed at laughed at God’s plan, but now that it has come true and a son has actually been born, their laughter is of a different sort. The infectious, everybody thinks we’re crazy because we’re always so happy, sort.

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking…

Mocking at a celebration for his brother? Well that’s not very nice. You would think that after all the drama it took just for him to get to grow up in this house, he’d be on his best behavior now that the ‘real’ son of promise is around. I mean, Sarah has made it pretty clear that she doesn’t really like him or his mother, and this just pushes her over the edge.

The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.

Well he’s stuck in a nasty situation, isn’t he? On one hand he has a son that he wants to take care of and be a father to, but on the other hand he has Sarah demanding he and his mother be sent away. Luckily God is hanging around, and he reminds Abraham that Isaac is the chosen son, and while he has promised to bless Ishmael as well, Abraham doesn’t need to be worried about sending him away.

And just like that, Hagar’s back wandering the desert about to die again, and God shows up to take care of her again. He comes with comfort, encouragement, and promises, affirming to Hagar that not only will Isaac be great, but her son Ishmael will also be a great nation.

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water.

Poof. Water. Sometimes you just have to stop looking, and let God show you.

“God is with you in everything you do.”

So we’re back to Abraham, and we see that even after all the shenanigans with Sarah and everything, he’s back on track, and something is just different about his life. And people notice. Of course, it’s cool when people come tell you they see God at work in everything you do, but maybe not so nice when they’re having to come beg you to deal fairly with them because of your deceit in the past…Anyways, Abraham and Abimelech sort out a treaty, and agree to remain straight and upstanding guys with each other.

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.

Abraham and his trees…It seems like everywhere he goes he finds, or in this case plants, a tree. He always wants a specific place to worship. And he doesn’t just want something private, but rather a landmark that other people can use, as well as a symbol of what he believes and stands for. This is probably just me, but it seems like Abraham would be one of those guys that would cover his car with Jesus bumper-stickers, decorate his house with fish symbols, and build a giant alter in the front yard for sacrifices. You know?

Jan. 20, 2012 - Genesis 20

…and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.”

Really? Again? There’s still this promise about Sarah having Abraham’s son, who will go on to be the head of a great nation and all that good stuff. I mean, Abraham was bold enough to question God and bargain over Sodom, but he still doesn’t have enough faith to hold God to his promise? Guess he is just a regular old messed up dude like the rest of us, with his own highs and lows…

On a sidenote, whatever exercise program, or diet, or natural supplement that Sarah is on seems to be working. Because even at 90, the first thing that happens when she enters town is that king sends for her. Bet you’d like to get your hands on that secret, eh?

“Lord , will you destroy an innocent nation?”

Hey look, Abraham’s pleading for mercy again. Oh wait. That’s not Abraham. That’s the king. Well how about that? Even though he doesn’t personally know the “LORD,” he still recognizes the “Lord” and begs for mercy. Just as Abraham pleaded for Sodom, because of its sin, now Abimelech pleads for his city, because of Abraham.

“I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”

I don’t know about you, but this reminds me of a certain dude name Pilate, and how he’s going to ‘clean his hands’ of the whole Jesus deal, and try to make sure the blame doesn’t fall on him, just in case God happens to get upset about the crucifixion. Anyways, Abimelech here is going for the same thing, pleading his innocence in the matter, and as it happens, he actually has a solid case for himself.

“What have you done to us? How have I wronged you…What was your reason for doing this?”

“There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.”

Why have you done this to me? Well, I just didn’t think you loved God as much as I do, so I assumed you would just kill me. Again, Abraham blows his witness, and loses the chance to live by trusting in God’s promise, letting people notice how his life is different. Instead, he’s just a judgmental traveler who doesn’t trust anybody and always assumes the worst about everyone. Not to mention the guilt he brought on the kingdom.

“Besides, she really is my sister.”

Well technically I wasn’t actually lying, just deceiving you on purpose…

Jan. 19, 2012 - Genesis 19

When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

Remind you of anybody? Whatever else he’s been doing, at least Lot still plays the part of a good host, as Abraham did.

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house.

He insisted strongly. He put effort into serving them. He didn’t wait for them to beg for a place to sleep. In fact, he offered his house first, and then when they declined, he refused to take no for an answer. This wasn’t a passive service, but an active one. He went out of his way to serve these travelers who at first didn’t want his help at all.

…all the men from every part of the city…surrounded the house.

All the men. Not even 10 righteous. Uh-oh…

“No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

Don’t do this. Well that’s good. He’s trying to talk them out of it.

Here, have my daughters. Whoa now. Something seems a little off with that plan, right?

So what’s going on here? What is this guy thinking? Well as far as I can tell, he’s just resorting to drastic measures because he put himself in a bad situation. He has a responsibility to protect his guests, but he can’t because of the circumstances he got himself into. If he wasn’t living in the city, then his guests would be perfectly safe, and everything would be fine. Since he has chosen to surround himself with sin, though, he has no means to actually protect his visitors, or even his own family.

But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door.

Lot is still trying to reason with the mob, and find some way out, but there’s nothing else he can do. The angels are watching out for him, and recognize that he can’t do anything else here, and he needs to back up and worry about saving himself.

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law…But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

He tries one more time, but even these men that are the closest to his family refuse to listen. They are too caught up in their sinful lives to listen to anyone else, to heed advice or warnings.

“Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere…”

Nothing left to do except get away.

Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land…

Abraham pleaded with God for mercy on behalf of any righteous men that might be found in the city, and then he went on with his life. He didn’t just camp out and watch to see if God was going to smite them or not, although a certain Jonah fellow might try that approach later…

…there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth.

Well if you thought Lot trying to hand his daughters off to a mob was awkward, buckle up cause this story is about to go to a whole new level. But how does this crazy messed up thing start? Because of ‘custom.’ Living in Sodom, Lot’s daughters have been brought up with a very worldly education, and they respect the customs of the land, namely their hometown of Sodom. This, of course, isn’t exactly the place you want your children growing up in, and again we see some extreme consequences from Lot’s choice to surround himself and his family with sin, however pure he may have tried to live. Anyways, with his life in shambles, Lot has apparently given up even trying to remain righteous, and allows himself to get completely wasted multiple nights in a row, to the extent that he doesn’t even realize what his daughters are doing to him. And then they both have sons to carry on the family line. Good luck explaining that to the kids…

Jan. 18, 2012 - Genesis 18

The LORD appeared to Abraham…

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby.

So apparently God shows up with a couple angels, but they’re all decked out in their human forms and just look like regular old men.

When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.

He didn’t just wait for them, but got up and went out to meet them, bowing low and humbling himself. Also, it’s not “LORD” but just “lord.” They still appear to just be human travelers, but as a good host, he puts them above himself and serves them. Now, one day Jesus is going to come, and explain what it means to serve others, and all that good stuff, but right here we see Abraham already doing this exact thing. In spite of all his wealth, and plenty of servants he could have had take care of his visitors, he does it himself. HE calls for the “fine flour,” and has Sarah take charge of that. HE runs out to pick a “choice, tender, calf.” And while he has a servant help prepare the food, HE brings it out to his guests. Servants are expected to serve, but Abraham and Sarah take the opportunity to do the unexpected, and be the servants themselves.

Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Well this is just review for Abraham, and if he hasn’t figured it out yet, now it’s clear that these aren’t just ordinary travelers, but that it is actually the LORD. However, apparently he never told Sarah about this promise, and as she overhears, she laughs to herself as Abraham did earlier.

Then the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”

There doesn’t seem to be any real reason for God to tell Abraham what’s about to happen, but just because he feels like it, he lets Abraham in on the secret: Sodom and Gomorrah are about to be judged for their sin. Now most people would probably think this was pretty cool, that a wicked city was getting its dues, but Abraham instead begins to plead for mercy on behalf of any righteous people that might actually be there. From 50, to 45, to 40, to 30, to 20, and then to 10, Abraham bargains with God over the number of people it would take to save the entire city. And while Abraham remains reverent, he also insists on being heard.

Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”

“Now that I have been so bold…what if…”

Once again he spoke to him, “What if…”

“May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if…”

“Now that I have been so bold…what if…”

“May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if…”

Now, I know we all love our “God, if it’s your will…” prayers, but that’s not what’s in Abraham’s mind. Obviously God doesn’t have to listen to him, and will judge the city as he has decided, but that doesn’t stop Abraham from fighting for it. And he doesn’t just sheepishly ask God, “Uh, God, if it’s your will, spare that city.” Instead, he comes with confidence and declares “Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked…” You don’t want to do this God. Think about it for while. What if there are some righteous people living there? You wouldn’t kill them over this.

Maybe it’s just me, but do you hear how ridiculous this sounds? This old man is standing here questioning the creator of the universe, and begging for mercy over some city that is drowning itself in sin. Hey Abraham, that’s God. He knows everything. You really think you’re going to make him change his mind? For that matter, aren’t you afraid if you keep poking him with questions that he might just squash you? But God doesn’t squash him. He just listens. And takes Abraham’s words into consideration. And agrees to spare the city on behalf of just 10 righteous men, if they can be found.

Jan. 17, 2012 - Genesis 17

I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.

So, is there a difference between walking ‘with’ God, and walking ‘before’ God? I don’t know. And if there is, I don’t know what that difference would be anyways. Just for reference, though, Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden. Enoch walked with God and was no more. Noah walked with God and had his family saved from global destruction. And here, God tells Abram to walk before him, and be blameless.

Be blameless. God is going to make him blameless, perfect, righteous.

Or, and this idea pretty much blew my mind when I first thought about it, what if it just means: blameless. Free from blame. What if after all the junk that just went down in chapter 16, with Ishmael and everything involved with that, what if after all that, God comes and says: “It’s ok. Here, let’s go for a walk. I don’t blame you.”

I will confirm my covenant between me and you…

“Yeah, you messed up. But it’s ok. I’m still going to honor this covenant. I’m going to make you great, no matter what you do or how bad you screw up. And I’m not going to blame you for the mistakes that we both know you’re going to make.”

Abram fell facedown…

Yeah. That’s about how I felt too.

Abram à Abraham

Abraham. Father of many. And in a way, God shows what it means to be ‘born again’ as he opens the door to the next part of Abraham’s life, and gives him a new name to match it. A name of promise.

Hey look, covenant, covenant, covenant, covenant…I’m getting a vibe that this chapter has something to do with some sort of covenant. “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you…” Yep. There’s a covenant. I knew it. Also, it’s not some sort term deal, but an everlasting bond that is to be passed down from Abraham through his descendants for generations.

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant…

Whoa now. I was all for this you being my God, and all the land being mine, and me being a great nation and everything, but come on now, that’s not really what you mean, right? Wait, it is? You want me to what? To my what?!?

So anyways, my first question is whether Abraham even knew what this was. I mean, this is the first mention in the Bible about circumcision, and I can’t imagine it was really a popular thing to do at the time, so I wonder if God had to explain the process, and how that conversation went. For that matter, even if Abraham did know what was being asked, I can’t even imaged what was going through his head at that moment…

Besides all that, we then have the obvious question: why? Seriously, why is God including this as part of his covenant with Abraham?

First off, as a sign. “It will be the sign of the covenant…” As generations pass, relatives can lose track of each other, or your heritage can get jumbled, or whatever. I mean, do you know your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents? Or anything about them at all? Yeah, I didn’t think so. However, circumcision is something very specific that is to be passed down through Abraham’s descendants, so that as the nation grows, they can always be assured of where they came from. They came from Abraham. They have a covenant with God. And his promises are still true. It’s an identifying mark. A reminder. They are special. Unique. Chosen by God.

As a side point, hygiene was definitely more of an issue at that time, and this procedure could definitely have helped to avoid certain infections or diseases. So it also served as somewhat of a sanitary measure.

Sarai à Sarah

Like Abraham, Sarah also gets a new name, as she begins her new section of life. A life in which she will actually be able to have a son.

I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.

Now we get a little bit more clarification of the promise, just so nobody’s confused any more.

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed…

Well, sort of not confused. It’s still confusing. Abram and Sarai can’t have kids. They’re too old. Ah-ha! Luckily we have spiffy new name changes to fix that problem. All is new in the world. Anything is possible.

If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!

Then God said, “Yes, but…”

Hey God, I hear what you’re saying and all, but if only you would do it this way, it would be good. I mean, I have a son already, just bless him. “Yes, but…” Yes, it may be good, but I have something better planned. Yes, you think you understand, but I have things in store that you can’t even begin to imagine. Yes, you want good, but I want to give you great. Yes, but…

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him…

Oh, I’ve got great things planned, but here, have the good as well.

But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.

Hey, the baby already has a due date. We’re really nailing down the specifics here. Making sure everybody’s on the same page with who is supposed to be having what baby, when.

Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day.

No waiting around. No time to start questioning if that was really what God said, or what he meant. The directions were clear, and Abraham acted. Immediately.

Jan. 16, 2012 - Genesis 16

So everybody’s still waiting for Abram’s son. And Sarai still isn’t having any kids. So she comes up with a plan. And it’s not such a terrible plan, really. “Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Sarai is still planning to build the family. To raise the child. She just needs someone else to get things started.

Abram agreed to what Sarai said.

Well, it might have been a believable plan and all, but some sort of warning should be going off, right? I mean, this is Abram, who’s been living in this land building a reputation based on his trust in God. This is Abram who asks God questions, and gets crazy vision answers. Maybe he should take a time-out and ask: “Hey God, should I go commit adultery to get this son that you promised?” That seems like a question that might get a response. But instead, when his wife comes up and says “Go, sleep with my maidservant.” He just goes with: “Ok.”

Of course, when you add a pregnant woman to anything, nothing goes according to plan. So then Sarai blames Abram, and Abram backs way off and lets her do whatever she wants. Which turns out to be: abusing the pregnant woman. Hagar, not appreciating this treatment, decides to hit the road. She runs into an angel, who says “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” However, the angel also comforts her, and points out that “the LORD has heard of your misery.” You’re not alone. It’s going to be ok. God knows who you are, and what you’re going though. He’s watching you, and he cares about you.

So Hagar goes back, and Abram gets a son. Ishmael.

Jan. 15, 2012 - Genesis 15

I am your shield, your very great reward.

Just coming from Abram refusing a reward from the king of Sodom, and God shows up in a vision to be his reward.

Oh Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless…

…a son coming from your own body will be your heir.

So, Abram is going to get a son. And it’s going to be an actual son from his own body. Cool. But Sarai is still barren. She’s not having a son. There’s got to be some solution, right?

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Yay. Righteousness. Not because he was righteous, but because he believed, he got credit for being righteous.

…how can I know that I will gain possession of it?

He believed, and then asked “how can I know?” Obviously believing isn’t the same as just not having any questions. Which is a good thing. Because if you haven’t noticed, I have a lot of questions, and I answer most of them with “I don’t know.” Anyways, Abram brings some sacrifices, God works some sort of vision/trance something or other, tells him the future for the next few hundred years, and makes a covenant with some fire symbols and stuff. But in the end, he asked, God answered.

Jan. 14, 2012 - Genesis 14

4 kings:

-Amraphel king of Shinar

-Arioch king of Ellasar

-Kedorlaomer king of Elam

-Tidal king of Goiim

5 kings:

-Bera king of Sodom

-Birsha king of Gomorrah

-Shinab king of Admah

-Shemeber king of Zeboiim

-unnamed king of Bela

For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him…

Wait, what? They rebelled in the 13^th year, and then nothing happened? The story skips to a year later, when Kedorlaomer and his allies are just conquering a bunch of other stuff, apparently oblivious to this rebellion that’s been in progress for a year. Now I don’t know what they’ve been doing in this time, but I guess there’s been a lot of strategizing and planning about how and when to stand up and fight. They choose to pick their fight now, in the 14^th year, after the 4 kings have been doing all this other fighting.

[5 kings] marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim against [4 kings] –four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled…

So, they picked the time, they picked the place, and they set up battle lines and were ready. However, there wasn’t even a good enough fight to get mentioned at all. There is literally zero resistance recorded. Now I’m sure they did actually fight, but in the end, they just wind up running. At least, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled. There’s no mention of what the other 3 kings were doing. Maybe they all died. Maybe they ran even earlier. Whatever the case, all that planning doesn’t do any good, and the 4 kings take everything from Sodom and Gomorrah, and just go along their way.

They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

He was what? Living in Sodom? When did that happen? Apparently at some point he got pulled into the sin that he was living near, and gets captured here as a result.

One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.

While Lot has conformed to the sin of the land, Abram stands out as different. So much that he even gets referred to not just as Abram, but ‘Abram the Hebrew.’ He’s not hiding or compromising his beliefs, and it’s making an impact. People know who he is, and what he stands for.

Anyways, Abram takes 318 guys, chases the 4 kings down, beats them up, and takes all the stuff back. So while the 5 kings failed to even put up a fight worth mentioning, Abram just walks in with no preparation at all, and only a small group of guys from his household, and wipes the 4 kings out.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High…Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

First tithe?

And then when the king of Sodom offers him all the goods he recovered as a reward, Abram very straightly says: no. “…you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ ” Abram doesn’t want to be associated with Sodom in any way, and doesn’t want any question about where his wealth comes from. He’s not going to let his nephew get captured, and he rescues him, but that’s where it ends. He doesn’t approve of the city, its reputation, or what’s going on there.

Lot is conforming to the world.

Abram is standing out as different.

Jan. 13, 2012 - Genesis 13

Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

Seriously. Foreshadowing much? Maybe it’s just me, but that’s all I can think about while reading this story. How the Israelites are going to go through this whole thing as soon as we hit Exodus. That is, pretty much the same thing, with a little more slavery, a little more time, and a lot more people.

In fact, Abram and Lot have collected so much stuff, there isn’t enough land to support them both if they stay together. As far as I can tell, that’s a lot of stuff. These guys seem like they’re living the high life. Follow God, get stuff. Cool. Notice that God never promised this, though. He just told Abram to pack up and leave. True, he did promise blessings, but mostly it was about Abram becoming a great nation and everyone else on earth being blessed through him.

Anyways, they split up and “Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain…” Now it’s not clear exactly what’s going on in Sodom, but they’ve already established a name for themselves as a wicked city. And while Lot doesn’t just go in and join them, he does pitch his tent near Sodom. I don’t know if he was planning on trying to witness to the city, and turn the people from their evil ways, or if he just wanted to be close to watch and see if God would fry them, or what he was thinking. But for whatever reason, he decides that instead of trying to stay as far away as possible, he’ll just live next to this pit of sin.

Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.

Go walk. Experience it. Enjoy it. It’s yours. I’m giving it to you.

So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.

Hey look, more trees. Again, besides just being the best landmarks, with cities still being in somewhat sort supply, it’s very likely that these trees were basically shrines to something or other. So Abram builds another altar. Gets a promise from God, builds an altar. It’s starting to become a pattern if I do say so myself…